Stiff knee after my cast is off due to a broken femur please help

[johnKennedyJR]

hi im 15 years old and i broke my femur playing basketball. i know a non contact game but it was p.e and p.e is just crazy!

anyway 2months after the accident my cast is off and my knee is stiff please help!

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[physiobob]

Totally normal. Was it a clean break or did it affect the joint line at the knee? Any x-rays you can post for us to view?

[johnKennedyJR]

yh i thought it would be normal because the doctor said it would take 2days for the knee to bend as normally when he took the cast off but 1 week and half later there is a little bit of improvment thank you very much im sorry for the late reply as my internet stopped working the next day i will try nd post the xrays asap as its on my sister laptop and btw the doctor said the physio wont take me because i am too young is that true? and the break was clean above the knee

[pudding_bowl]

Absolutely not true about the physio not seeing you, You should be guided through Strengthening and stretching exercises.
The doctor may be justified in that your young so you will heal really fast and likely just returning to your normal life will allow you to acheive full function of the knee. But having an assessment and identifying any areas that may need further help would be very beneficial for you

[johnKennedyJR]

ahh i thought so. but there is physio for -16 right because the one i went to (which the doctor refered me to while he doubted they will take me) here are the xrays,
Mohz Fracture AP.jpgMohz Fractue HBL.jpg

[pudding_bowl]

Yes you get paediatric physio's for under 16, but at 15 with a relatively simple fracture you'd be better seeing a physio with orthopaedic/musculoskeletal interest rather than a paediatric physio, unless the paediatric physio has an interest in orthopaedics.

[vam44]

I cant understand why anyone who has had a fractured femur wouldnt require some help with exercises and restoring normal function! You should insist on some help. With your fracture being reasonably close to the knee the joint was very likely to be swollen inside your cast. The exercises you should do will depend on how much flexion movement you have.

A physio should show you how to do good quadriceps exercise and how to stretch. It is quite normal for your whole leg to take a while to get back to full function.

[johnKennedyJR]

i have had an appointment with the peadiatric physio and he has given me some exercise to do with my thigh muscles because it is really weak. he said he will refer me to do some hydrotherapy which will help me get me muscles going. but what im worried about is getting my knee to bend because it feels as though it is stuck together in the straight position i can bend it abit but not much. and what i dont understand is that my doctor said i will be able to bend the leg within 2days of the cast being removed its been 2weeks now im scared ill never bend my leg again

[pudding_bowl]

Your young buddy, the growth hormones you possess that adults don't give you amazing healing capacity, don't be too worried that you can't bend the knee, it will happen. I suggest next time you see the physio you discuss with them your knee bend, you should have exercises for it. Did you have X-rays when the cast was off? just to check everything had healed properly?

[johnKennedyJR]

Hello all! Im back 6months and a half after i fractured my left distal femur! I visited my consultant 2days ago and GOOD NEWS! the bone has healed! i dont know if it is completley healed as i recognised a small squishy bit after i left the hospital which i didnt ask the doctor about but is it still healing or is there something wrong.. Another good news is that my knee is 5 degrees away from bending fully!!! im so happy thank you all for giving me all the hope i needed to go through this here are the xrays...
oh and one more thing the doctor said he will take the rod out after 6months which is a year after the injury took place i was thinking are there any advantages disadvantages and will there be holes in the bone where the nails were and how will this work :S thanks alot !
image.jpgimage(2).jpg

[vam44]

Looks like all is going well. It appears as though a small area has healed but not yet fully mineralised. The nuts and bolts can prevent the bone from rebuilding its fullest strength and that is why it is better to remove them eventually. The holes will be filled in by your body (our bodies are amazing things!) and the remodelling process will continue for a long time. Usually you can choose a good time to have the hardware taken out because you need to avoid contact sports and repeated impacts for a little while. I would expect the last bit of flexion and strength to return over the next year without requiring anything specific.

PS the Xray on the right is upsidedown!

Good luck

[johnKennedyJR]

thats brilliant thanks alot for your help and do you think its the metal rod that might be stopping the last bit of flexion as it goes onto the knee a small bit and how long till the rest of the bone is fully healed?

[johnKennedyJR]

Hello! im back a 1 year and 3months after the accident! The bone has healed beautifully! I had a meeting with my doctor 3months ago (and then suddenly 5 other orthepeadic doctors came in, i felt really special lol) he sent me for an X-ray and it looked awesome!

The main thing is, he asked me whether or not i wanted the metal rod out or not. He said there is no problem with keeping it in however he asked me if it caused me any problems and this is what i said:
(1) the metal is on the knee a tiny bit as u can see on the x-rays (i provided before) and i can feel something in the same place stopping the knee from bending fully and when i keep repeating it goes away. then next morning it will come back.

(2) I just feel its not natural and i just dont like it in and i also want to become a footballer in the future as i love it and i was really good at it!

then all the doctors agreed to take it out as it was my decision. however i asked them for the disadvantages which were: Anasthetic and infection which i pray to god wont cause a problem!

Hope this cheers you up physiobob! i just want to thank you and everyone else for helping with your wonderful advice!

New xrays coming soon!

[johnKennedyJR]

OK, hello im back once again. The metal plate has been taken out yesterday and i was discharged with some painkillers to take home.

First of all, i am aloud to put full weight on my leg. but i cant walk because it hurts when i do. I think its the muscles which hurt and the area where they cut into the leg to remove the metal plate and screws. I cant tense muscle because it hurts when i do. Even when i sit still my leg hurts. The painkillers relief the pain abit but when i move it starts to hurt again.

How long will it take for the muscles to go back to normal and for me to walk with no pain in scar area? thanks please help physiobob !

[johnkennedyjrnew]

Totally normal. Was it a clean break or did it affect the joint line at the knee? Any x-rays you can post for us to view?

Hello guys, stumbled upon this forum and could t remember my password so I had to re register to let you guys know how its going.

Damn... I was 15???! I am turning 19 in a few months and this incedent feels like it was yesterday! More than 3 years later I feel like a completely normal person. Although this incedent made me more lazy as a person, I feel as if I can do everything I always wanted to do like play football. Unfortunately my dreams of becoming a pro baller didnt happen as I didnt even try... ye ik.
But yh thanks to everyone that helped me out. Taking the rod out was the best decision I ever made.
Thank you all

Tip to new patients, do a lot of exercises and dont stop otherwise you will become very very lazy.
And do hydrotherapy it really helps
Dont know why but my scar still feels numb dnt know if there is a way to make tht normal but other than tht. Thank god for everything.

[smithmartin]

Bristol Physiotherapists are experienced in treating a range of musculo-skeletal injuries. Our number one priority is to get you moving again. Bristol Physiotherapists find the safest and most effective exercises to address your mobility problems and strengthen your body to help maintain your mobility. bristol physiotherapists

[mathewvarghese]

There are many well qualified and experienced Physiotherapists around the world who treat musculo-skeletal injuries and not only Bristol Physiotherapists as claimed. The number one priority of all persons working in the medical field is to bring back their patients back to normalcy or near to it as early as possible