10 Best Exercises For Fractured Patella For Knee Rehab

A fractured patella, or fractured kneecap, is a frustrating injury. Fortunately, specific physical therapy exercises can help you regain mobility, strength, and most importantly get back to your normal activities. This post will explore the 10 best exercises for fractured patella.

A fractured patella can be a serious injury that can be caused by a variety of factors, including falls, sports injuries, and car accidents. The patella is a small bone that sits at the front of the knee joint. When the patella is fractured, it can cause significant pain, swelling, and difficulty walking. This is why it is so important to rehab your patella fracture the right way.

Depending on the severity and type of patella fracture you may treat this injury with or without surgery. Regardless if you opted for surgery or to treat the fracture without surgery, this post has you covered.

What Is a Patella Fracture?

So what is a patella fracture? A tell fracture is a broken kneecap. The patella is the small bone at the front of your knee in which the quadriceps tendon attaches and the patellar tendon inserts. A fractured patella can occur from a direct blow or direct trauma to the kneecap.

The recovery time and overall healing process is different for everyone, however it typically depends on the type of patella fracture, age of the patient and any other previous knee problems.

How Do You Rehab A Fractured Patella

Physical therapy is the best way to rehab a fractured patella. Rehab for a fractured patella consists of 3 phases, the initial immobilization phase, intermediate phase and advanced phase. The immobilization phase is typically when you will wear a knee immobilizer brace locked in extension for 4-6 weeks, depending on your doctor’s advice, type of fracture and if surgery was performed.

If you are looking for specific exercises during this “immobilization phase” you can find them at 19 Easy Non Weight Bearing Exercises For Full Body Workout.

There are a variety of exercises that can help to promote healing and recovery after a patellar fracture. Regardless of if you have surgery or not, physical therapy is often recommended as a key component of treatment. The goal of physical therapy is to help to improve range of motion, reduce pain and swelling, and strengthen the quad muscles and muscles around the knee joint.

Physical Therapy Exercises For Broken Patella

One of the main focuses of rehabilitation is on the quadriceps muscle which are the muscles on the front of your thigh. Exercises that target the thigh muscles can help to strengthen and stabilize the knee joint. The following exercises are the best exercises for fractured patella: 1. Heel Slides, 2. Stationary Bike 3. Straight Leg Raise 4. Quad Sets 5. Terminal Knee Extension 6. LAQ 7. Wall Slides 8. Mini Squats 9. Step Ups and 10. Single Leg Stance.

1. Heel Slides

• Knee flexion or bending the knee after a patella fracture is important in the rehabilitation process. Start by lying on your back with a sheet or strap around your foot. Now slowly bend your knee while also using your arms to pull your knee back to bend it further.
• Nonoperatively: Perform heel slides from 0-45 degrees for first 4 weeks. After 4 weeks you can advance heel slides as tolerated to full range.
• Operatively: Perform heel slides 0-30 degrees for first 2 weeks and then progress by 15 degrees each week.

2. Stationary Bike

• A stationary bike can help you regain strength and mobility, while also increasing cardiovascular endurance.
• Start with the seat at a high seat height and no resistance.
• Slowly start pedaling.
• This is a great exercise to increase knee flexion.

Patella Fracture Rehabilitation Exercises

The majority of the patella fracture rehabilitation exercises include quadriceps strengthening exercises. These include 3. Straight Leg Raise 4. Quad Sets 5. Terminal Knee Extension 6. LAQ 7. Wall Slides 8. Mini Squats 9. Step Ups and 10. Single Leg Stance.

3. Straight Leg Raise

• Lie on your back with your affected leg straight. Tighten your quad muscle and slowly lift your leg up to a 45-degree angle and hold for a few seconds before lowering it back down.

4. Quad Sets

• Lie on your back with your injured leg straight, and your other knee bent.
• Slowly tighten your quadriceps muscle, pushing your knee down into the mat.
• Alternatively, you can place a small rolled up towel underneath your knee and focus on pushing down into the towel Hold for five seconds, then release.

5. Terminal Knee Extension (TKE)

• Stand with a resistance band around the back of your knee and attached to a sturdy surface.
• Start with your affected knee bent and then slowly straighten your knee by pushing your knee back into the band and activating your quad muscle.
• Hold this position for 5 seconds and then relax.

6. LAQ

• The starting position for this exercise is to sit at the edge of a chair or bed.
• Now slowly kick your leg up and tighten your quadriceps muscle.
• You can perform this exercise in many different variations which you can find here.

7. Wall Slides

• Stand with your back against a wall, feet shoulder-width apart and a few inches from the wall.
• Slowly slide your back down the wall, bending your knees and keeping your feet flat on the floor. Hold for five seconds, then slide back up.
• You can also perform the wall slide with a physioball behind your back for added difficulty.

8. Mini Squats

• Mini squats can help you regain strength and stabilize your knee.
• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees slightly, keeping your back straight.

9. Step Ups

• Step-ups can help you regain strength and mobility in your knee, and are a more advanced exercise.
• Stand in front of a step or platform, with your injured leg on the platform.
• Step up with your injured leg, then bring your other leg up to meet it.
• Step back down, leading with your injured leg.

Balance Exercises

This balance exercise is called 10. Single Leg Stance.

10. Single Leg Stance

• Stand next to a sturdy surface for safety. Now stand on your affected leg and hold this position for 30 seconds.

Managing Pain and Swelling

After a patella fracture, managing pain and swelling is crucial for a successful recovery. Here are some tips to help manage these symptoms:

• Ice
  • Applying cold packs to the knee can help reduce pain and swelling. It’s recommended to ice the knee for 15-20 minutes at a time, several times a day.
  • Be sure to wrap the ice pack in a towel to prevent direct contact with the skin, which can cause ice burns.
• Medication
  • Over-the-counter pain relievers can help to manage pain. Your doctor may also prescribe stronger pain medication if necessary.
• Compression
  • Wearing a compression bandage or sleeve on the affected knee can help reduce swelling and provide support to the joint.
• Elevation
  • Elevating the affected leg can also help reduce swelling. Be sure to elevate the leg above the level of the heart.

Diagnosis and Treatment

The diagnosis of a fractured patella is typically made through a combination of physical examination and imaging tests, such as X-rays.

During a physical examination, the doctor will assess the knee for swelling, tenderness, and range of motion. They may also perform a test called the “patellar apprehension test” to check for instability of the patella.

X-rays are used to confirm the diagnosis and determine the severity of the fracture.

Type Of Fracture

The type of fracture will determine the treatment of the fractured patella. The two main types of fractures are:

• Simple
  • This is an undisplaced fracture or a stable fracture
  • When a fracture is just a single fracture line
  • Does not usually require surgery
• Complex
  • These are considered displaced fractures because they have displaced fracture fragments
  • When a fracture breaks into multiple pieces it is considered complex
  • These types of fractures will typically need surgery.

Nonsurgical Intervention

Nonsurgical treatment options for a fractured patella include a combination of immobilization, non-weight bearing, and physical therapy. Immobilization involves the use of a knee immobilizer brace to keep the knee fully straight and is typically used for 4-6 weeks.

Physical therapy will be the biggest part of recovery after any broken bone, however it is especially important after a fractured patella.

Physical therapy will help restore range of motion and strength to the knee. This may involve exercises to improve flexibility and strengthen the muscles around the knee.

Surgical Intervention

Surgical treatment may be necessary for more severe fractures or when nonsurgical treatment options have been unsuccessful. The type of surgery performed will depend on the location and severity of the fracture. Typically complex or displaced fractures will need surgery.

An open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) is a common surgical procedure that involves the use of pins, wires, screws, or plates to hold the fractured patella together. Your orthopaedic surgeon will be able to provide you with the best information based on your injury.

You can find more information on surgery for a patella fracture here.

How To Start Walking After Patellar Fracture

Typically regardless of if you had surgery or were treated nonoperatively without surgery you will wear a knee immobilizer brace locked in extension for the first 4-6 weeks. This will make walking challenging because you will not be able to bend your knee during the gait cycle.

Walking is an important part of the recovery process and these 10 exercises will help to get you back to walking and participating in all of the activities that you love. It is important to note that you will not have a normal gait pattern until your knee range of motion improves.

For example, if you are walking on a bent knee due to not being able to fully straighten the knee, you will be limping with every step. On the other hand, if you do not have full knee flexion, you will also develop other compensations when walking. This is why it is so important to perform a combination of range of motion, strengthening and balance exercises.

Summary of Best Exercises For Fractured Patella

These exercises should be performed under the guidance of a licensed physical therapist or healthcare provider. They can help ensure that the exercises are being performed correctly and safely, and can make modifications as needed based on an individual’s specific injury and recovery needs.

These are the best exercises for fractured patella which can help patients recover and return to their favorite daily activities. If you are looking for more knee exercises you can find them at 9 Top Knee Exercises For Pain Relief.