One of my students tripped me and I landed on my patella on my classroom floor and bruised it and the head of my fibula. What’s a realistic expectation for pain? A week later, and it still hurts when I spend time not on crutches. What’s a realistic expectation for healing so I can start training again?
According to Ortho, I need to keep weight completely off of it? He does’t want to give me a guess on healing time - he says anywhere between a week and a half to eight weeks…
A true bone bruise, as would be diagnosed by an MRI, is essentially like a non-displaced fracture. That may or may not be your situation. Your “bruise” may be more superficial. If it is a true bruises then the pain will dissipate at around 3 weeks and it should be healed in 6 weeks.
This is “off record” advice and a general guideline. Your ortho will the best authority.
Good luck for a speedy recovery.
Phil
True bone bruise, over 1/4 inch deep - Ortho explained it, he said it is essentially crushing the back of my patella and the top of my fibula…
All I know is a week later, and I’m still not happy… Just trying to figure out how long I’m out…
Based on my experience…I’d err toward the longer side of that estimate. Bone bruises can be nasty and take along time to heal.
I couldn’t weight bear for 2-3d and it took ~3.5 weeks for mine to clear up.
I had a 15x20mm bruise on the top of my tibia from my femur smashing into it during a mtn bike crash.
Just trying to decide if I’ll be ready for Muncie this year… Hopefully I will have better info tomorrow when I go back to the Ortho…
TJ,
I also have struggled with a patellar/femor bone bruise or as my Dr. at Ortho Indy referred to it as " soft tissue damage". Nothing was broken, cracked, or torn, but there was a strain to the LCL and the knee was hyperextended a small degree. As a result of a car/bicycle collison, I was left with 5 degree ROM in the left knee and a knee the size of a volleyball, as I entered PT. In my case, it seemed to take for ever to heal and as everytime I tried to run it would feel like someone was tapping the knee cap with a ball peen hammer. Both my PT and Ortho Dr. said that type of damage takes a very long time to fully heal.
For what it’s worth, the accident was July of 2010 and I hope to again be competitive in 2012…
But, I understand your pain and it just sucks!
Kevin S.
Kevin, thanks for the info, yes, I definitely remember your accident… Who did you see at Ortho Indy?
Update: Today, the Ortho is now saying I also have torn cartilage, scheduling MRI to find out just how bad…
I saw Dr. Kolais and was referred to Brian at Body One PT in Zionsville