delayed treatment of fractured kneecap

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I fell in Malaysia five weeks ago while on vacation and due to the scheduled sailing of our ship I was unable to seek medical assistance. Now I am home in Seattle, and x rays show a fractured kneecap. My primarycare physician says that because of the delay there will probably be little that an orthopedist will do in the way of treatment, though I will have an orthopedic consult. I am 73 but very active, usually walking three miles a day, and hoping for several more extended freighter cruises in the next few years. I would appreciate any information that would give me intelligent input as to possible treatments when I see the orthopedist. My concern is that because of my age he will just write me off as "another old lady" and I'm not ready for that. Thanks for any assistance you might be able to give me. MFL

-- Margaret Loughlin (loughlin@worldnet.att.net), January 19, 2004

Answers

Hello Margaret, what happened to you and your kneecap? I see that you wrote this over a year ago. 43 years ago I went over a cliff in a car and fractured my kneecap when an instrument on the car went trough the left knee. At that time they removed 1/2 of the kneecap and had to sew up the tendons that were cut. It was a long rehab. 13 years later the rest cracked when I was doing a yoga posture and had no pain and was a busy young person and went about my business but gadually moing that leg in a stiff way so that it contnued to support. they had to remove it all but now can replace the cap. I say, GET HELP AND BE PREPARED. It is not a common thing so get a Dr. who will get you into rehab quickly. Take care and let me know what has happened. For me, I have never walked the same or lifted well, but I had extensive damage to all the soft tissues around the knee. Mary in Marin.

-- Mary McKinley (mamervom@hotmail.com), February 02, 2005.

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