I am 20 years old and I just took up triathlon this past summer completing my first 70.3. I am a division 1 swimmer and have been swimming since I was 10 years old. Anyway I started experiencing some major pain in my knee whenever I was running. Slowly this moved to swimming and biking.
I got a MRI and they told me I had a bipartite patella. My trainer at my college told me the pain is from patella tendonitis and not from the bipartite patella.
I saw an orthopedic specialist and he told me the exact opposite. He told me the only option is surgery.
Does anyone know of the recovery time for bipartite patella surgery and the success rate?
Was really looking forward to going sub-4:40 this summer.
I am 20 years old and I just took up triathlon this past summer completing my first 70.3. I am a division 1 swimmer and have been swimming since I was 10 years old. Anyway I started experiencing some major pain in my knee whenever I was running. Slowly this moved to swimming and biking.
I got a MRI and they told me I had a bipartite patella. My trainer at my college told me the pain is from patella tendonitis and not from the bipartite patella.
I saw an orthopedic specialist and he told me the exact opposite. He told me the only option is surgery.
Does anyone know of the recovery time for bipartite patella surgery and the success rate?
Was really looking forward to going sub-4:40 this summer.
Thanks a lot
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Well first of all, get some more opinions. Bipartite patella is a bone abnormality (rare and low incidence rate) and is usually dx properlly through an x-ray, not an MRI since it is boney. Cases are MOSTLY asymptomatic but it can turn into a symptomatic issue if the soft tissue around the are becomes irritated due to the boney malalignment. So if this is the case then I would say both professionals could have been right.
Now a big thing here is that you have been a swimmer and have transitioned to impact and closed chain activities for your lower extremeties. The increased volume of work in this new training area could have unleashed some issues from poor mechanics and other alignment/form issues. ITB/patellar tendonitis/PFPS etc etc are all garbage terms and are all encompassing for pain at the knee, especially with dynamic activities. The patellar/quadriceps tendon join at the patella and COMPLETELY surround it (top, bottom, left, right, you name it). So any irritation will likely be deemed patellar tendonitis. Thats all great, but you need to find out what the causing factor is and go from there.
Take home? Get a second opinion, get an x-ray if possible and get your form checked. Its a start. But I’m wary of any surgeon that tells you surgery is the ONLY option, especially in a low incidence and rarely symptomatic abnormality like this. Hell, get a 3rd opinion if it means avoiding surgery (at 20 years old) and allows you to compete.
As for your sub 4:40…if its pain and you can get the pain under control, then go for it. If not, then play it safe and smart…you are only 20.
Agree 100% with Yeeper. I have a bipartite patella that I didn’t discover until I got x-rays on it when I tore my ACL and meniscus. My surgeon said exactly what Yeeper said above about it being an asymptomatic abnormality. I’m no doctor, and I don’t know your situation…but through my research and discussions with my surgeon, I would be extremely surprised if yours required surgery. My bet is that something else is causing your knee pain…new activities, new intensities/durations, poor form, etc.
Bottom line, ABSOLUTELY get a second and perhaps third opinion. Most bipartite patellas are split into two distinct lobes…mine is actually in about 8 to 10 pieces and it’s never given me any problems. I have the x-ray pictures if you’d like to see them.
yeah- welcome to running. Running isn’t like swimming or cycling. It’s easy to develop the aerobic capacity and endurance to quickly overtax your bones, joints, tendons, ligaments that need to slowly build up over time to be able to withstand regular running. Chances are- your engine (your well developed aerobic machine) is too big for your drive train. It’s like putting a 350hp Turbo V6 into a Ford Pinto. (oh, wait, you’re only 20. like putting it into a Honda Insight)
If you ramped up to 25-30mpw of running in a month or two and thought you were feeling just fine- that’s the problem. You may need to back off totally for a few weeks, work on a variety of strength training and stretching, and then build up the miles at half the rate that you did the 1st time around.
I’ve done this to myself many many times… so I consider myself an expert in running injuries. (not in preventing them… but I know exactly how to aquire them).
My guess: there’s probably nothing wrong with you. it’s just overuse.