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Anatomy

The patella may be a tiny bone set ahead of the hinge joint — wherever the femur (femur) and leg bone (tibia) meet. It protects the knee and connects the muscles within the front of the thigh to the leg bone.

The ends of the femoris and also the undersides of the patella square measure coated with a swish substance referred to as body part gristle. This gristle helps the bones glide simply on one another as you progress your knee.

Symptoms of a knee fracture

An immediate sign of a knee fracture may be a ill-shapen limb or joint that would be amid an obvious bone outside the skin. different signs of a knee fracture include:

Pain, swelling, tenderness, symptom or bruising close to the injury

Inability to maneuver the compact space

Deformity or instability within the knee, lower leg, gliding joint or foot

Diagnosis of a knee fracture

Knee fractures square measure diagnosed associate exceedingly|in a very} physical communicating and exploitation an x-ray. in a very a lot of severe fracture, a CT scan or tomography is also ready to offer a lot of insight into the extent of the injury. If you think that you’ve got broken your knee, please visit Mercy Health ER promptly.

Treatments for a knee fracture

Nonsurgical treatments for a knee fracture include:

Rest, ice, compression and elevation together with medicine medications square measure the initial therapies to alleviate pain related to knee fractures.

Brace, splints or casts — most patients can get over a knee fracture exploitation braces, splints or casts.

Physical therapy or rehabilitation — therapy is employed to boost knee vary of motion, strengthen leg muscles and reduce stiffness.

Surgery is reserved for sophisticated cases wherever the break is proof against healing or once the bones square measure displaced. If the bones don’t seem to be approximate, they’ll possible not heal properly. The goal of surgery is to repair the break by exploitation screws, metal pins or plates.

Your doc can work with you to work out the acceptable time for surgery. If the fracture is open, it’s vital to try to to it quickly so as to avoid infection.

Recovery from a knee fracture

Recovering from knee fractures may be a slow method. throughout recovery, the knee can need to keep immobilized whereas in a very brace. you’ll work along with your medical science doc to work out once you will bit by bit place weight on the leg or knee. With treatment, a knee fracture can take six to eight weeks to heal.

Most fractures hurt moderately for many days to some of weeks. several patients notice that exploitation ice, elevating the affected leg, and taking straightforward, non-prescription medications for pain relief square measure all that square measure required to alleviate pain.

If your pain is severe, your doctor might counsel a prescription-strength medication, like AN opioid, for many days.

Be aware that though opioids facilitate relieve pain once surgery, opioid dependency and dose has become a crucial public health issue. For this reason, opioids square measure usually prescribed for a brief amount of your time. it’s vital to use opioids solely as directed by your doctor. As shortly as your pain begins to boost, stop taking opioids.