Recovery Time?

hey. I am 15 this year and i did dislocate my kneecap earlier this year on the first 2 weeks of january. I was placed on a smth like cast for around 4 weeks. And then i was free, but similiary i have problems with my range of motion but with alot of stretching it and slowly bending my knee i was able to bend more than 90 degrees after a week, well the first day i bend it till around 75 degrees. There would be trouble bending you leg, as your muscles and ligaments are tight thefore the rigth massage ont he quads and bending it would help. Well, i was told to go for 7 weeks of physio, but it has been delayed and delayed its been the 4th month and i am still having another 3 more physio sessions. It takes alot of patience, and doing quads,hamstring strengthening is good for your knee to hold the kneecap.
basically i takes patienec. ALOT of it.
(:

Hi! Yes knee brace and knee support are the same as far as I know. Malalignment is where the kneecap doesn't sit right in the groove. The ligaments on the outer side of the kneecap can be too tight, which would pull the kneecap off track. The ligaments on the inside can be loose and stretched out (in your case probably torn b/c of dislocating). The bones can also be aligned wrong. All these things contribute to malalignment, but one person does not necessarily have all of them, but they can. I hope this helps clear some things up. Again, seeing an orthopedist would be a good thing!! Feel free to email me or post other questions here. ~Erin~

Sorry, forgot to add this. I am 16 and have dislocated my knees 5 times. Sometimes my knee would go back in on its own, but other times, someone would have to do it for me. I have found that when it goes back in on its own, the recovery is a lot shorter....usually about 2 weeks for me. The times someone else had to put it back in for me, like the most recent time, it took 3 months for swelling to go down and to get back range of motion. For the past four years I have been able to do physical therapy (formal PT and home exercises) and wear a brace on each knee and take Advil when needed and be able to play competitive tennis. Just in the last year my knees have gotten progressively worse and I am now looking at having major surgery this summer. There are different reasons for your knees to dislocate. One being an acute injury like a violent twist or getting kicked in the knee. The second being malalignment which can vary from person to person and has many factors. Typically, a person with malalignment is predisposed and will have recurrent problems whereas a person with an acute injury, but no malalignment, will have less chance for recurrent problems....but once you dislocate, the ligaments surrounding the kneecap get stretched out and don't hold it in place as well. Thus, allowing dislocation to become easier. Also, muscle weakness/imbalance can be the promlem. The inner quad muscle called the VMO is the only muscle that pulls the kneecap towards the inside of the leg. Strengthening this can help your kneecap track properly. This is where physical therapy comes in. Even if you have malalignment, sugery is a last resort. ~Erin~

I am 17 years old and i dislocated my knee 2 weeks ago. I didn't need surgery as the ambulance men placed my knee back in place in arrival. I wasnt refered to any pyhsio and after visiting the doctor today I feel down. I feel so frustrated that i can't yet straighten my leg fully when i walk. I wanted to know how long it took to recover. I just want to return to normal.

The last time I dislocated my knee, it took a good 3 months for the swelling to go down and for me to get range of motion back. I did not have physical therapy because this has happened so many times. I would keep doing any excercises you got at PT and try taking an anti-inflamatory....Advil/Motrin/Aleve/etc. If it doesn't get better, go back to your OS if possible. ~Erin~

Did you do any physical therapy? This can help with strengthening and regaining your motion. Do you wear a brace? Even if you aren't prone to dislocation it can support your knee and give you more confidence to do activities. I have problems with recurrent dislocations, but my knees are malaligned and I have to have surgery to correct it. Let me know if I can be of any help to you! ~Erin~