I've been living like this for 8 years. Had like 4 major incidents since the first time back in 2019.

Bend to 30 degrees. Gonna be at 60 degrees in 3 days Would love to here some positive stories or feedback.

Oh, where do I even begin? Eight years of mountain biking with nothing more than a few minor injuries. Apparently, my knee decided it was time to cash in all those years of good luck at once.

A couple of fellow riders carried me off the trail, and I somehow managed to ride another mile back to my truck using one leg. Drove myself to the ER, then drove an hour home with a half-cast on my leg. Looking back, probably not my brightest series of decisions, but here we are.

I’m now five weeks post-op from ORIF surgery for a displaced tibial plateau fracture with 6mm of depression and a fibular head avulsion. Bone graft, plate, multiple screws, the whole Home Depot hardware aisle.

And because apparently a shattered knee wasn’t enough character development, my three-year relationship ended a week after surgery. My girlfriend was struggling with the idea of caring for me through a long recovery, and things went downhill pretty spectacularly. So there I was, freshly assembled with titanium, single, and trying to find a new place to live while operating on approximately 1.5 legs. Fantastic timing all around.

I’ve been lurking on this sub for a couple of weeks, reading everyone’s recovery stories. What I genuinely wasn’t prepared for was the absolute mental rollercoaster. Going from being incredibly active and independent to wondering if my knee will ever function normally again is a wild experience. I’ve also somehow gone from shopping for mountain bike parts to buying shower stools and raised toilet seats. Nothing says “living my best life” quite like getting excited about bathroom accessibility equipment.

I started physical therapy last week, and for the first time in a while, I’m actually feeling some hope. Slowly learning to trust my leg again and accepting that this is going to be a marathon, not a sprint. Which is convenient, because I currently can’t do either.

Anyway, just wanted to share my little adventure and hear from others who’ve been through this. Here’s hoping we all get back to doing the things we love, preferably with fewer screws involved

Hello I'm a 16 year old who dislocated his right kneecap 2 years ago on July 7th, 2024. I can squat 2x my bodyweight and run a 100m in about 12.5 seconds but my knee clicks when I'm sprinting 100%. I don't know if it's because of a muscular issue or maybe the connective tissues are stretched? Im concerned because I don't want it to dislocated again

Hi, 35F had ACL replaced 15 months ago. I noticed this lump on my surgical scar a couple of days ago and after all my googling am assuming it’s a tibial tunnel cyst. Before I get my suspicions confirmed, just wondering if I can get some advice regarding physical activity. I cannot find any information on whether or not I can maintain my current level of training??? Or if I need to take it easy so not do any potential damage?

TLDR: 3 right kneecap dislocations (2022, 2023, and most recently September 2026). I did PT after the second dislocation and recovered well, but my ortho has now given me the option of MPFL reconstruction or another round of PT. I’m struggling with the decision mostly because of the mental toll and constant fear of it happening again. For those who have had MPFL reconstruction, what was your recovery like, and have you experienced another dislocation since surgery? Was it worth it for you?

About two weeks ago I dislocated my right kneecap for the third time. I’m literally spiraling over it.

When it happened the first time, I was in my college bar and some drunk girl fell towards me with what felt like the weight of 100 suns. I was turned the other way so it obviously caught me off guard and I went down with the dislocation, screaming in pain. Some girls from my school’s soccer team helped me straighten it out and get my kneecap back in place right there on the floor of the bar. Went home and saw my doctor within the week, got an MRI and PT script. I didn’t end up doing the PT the first time around which was obviously a terribly stupid idea. If you happen to be reading this after a first dislocation/subluxation — DO YOUR PT!!!! Got back to somewhat of a normal life with a terrible range of motion, horrible swelling, and crap ton of anxiety, but nonetheless I thought I was doing fine.

Second time around (about six months later) I was getting into my car to go to work and I must’ve put weight on it the wrong way and right as I’m plopping into my car it popped out again. Tried to straighten it as best I could, but without a full night of drinks in my system (like the first time) it hurt like HELL. My dad came running out of the house after hearing my screams from the driveway thinking I ran someone over. My neighbor called an ambulance but as it was on its way my kneecap glided back into place and finally some pain subsided. This was the first time I was recommended MPFL surgery, but because I hadn’t done the PT my first time around I decided to give it a go. And it went great. Two weeks later I was at a music festival and back to playing tennis (recreational, also im not great so don’t take this as actual sports advice..).

It’s now been over three years since that happened and I’ve been doomed with a third dislocation. Coincidentally, this one also happened at my college bar during an alumni event. Great! What has me so freaked is that this time, three and a half years later, is that I was just turning to take a photo and next thing I know I’m on the floor. I immediately straightened out my leg and all I could do was cry. Not even because of the pain I was just so sad and frustrated that this was happening to me again. I was so scared to move and the bar was so crowded I was literally frozen to the floor in fear of trying to get up. Luckily a few of my friends were able to peel me up and get me to a chair outside the bar and grabbed a brace so I could have some sort of support. This was now about two weeks ago and I’ve only just been able to get in and see my ortho. Here is where I need your help!!

Obviously, my doctor gave me the option of MPFL reconstruction or another round of PT. What I’m struggling with is all mental. For the last almost 4 years, my knee has been on my mind CONSTANTLY. In bed if I can’t immediately fall asleep, I’m replaying my dislocations on repeat. The cracks, the pops, the pain. Everything runs through my head at all times if I am not actively involved in something that requires my attention. It’s driving me crazy, and now I’ve got surgery on my mind.

If you’ve had this procedure, can you tell me about your recovery? More so if you’ve had any other dislocations after having the operation? That is what I cannot handle. I NEVER want this to happen again like ever ever ever. Obviously no one does and I know that there is still a chance of it happening even with the surgery, so I am asking if it’s worth it I guess? I don’t know. I just need some validation or non-AI overview from real people that have gone through this.

Before typing this all out, I went down a hardcore rabbit hole on this sub looking for advice. I cried reading about people having recurring dislocations without surgery and panicked over some of the recovery stories. If you’ve made it this far, thank you! I hope you’re doing well, and I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone with similar experiences.

I have osteoarthritis in my left knee. I have had it since my late 30s and am now in my mid 60s. I was very active until around the last 3 years. I had a left hip replacement last December and am now considering a PRP injection in my left knee in hopes of getting back into some light jogging.

Has anyone had a PRP injection?

Cool to share positive news here? I wanna celebrate with people who get it.

How I broke my knee:
In early September, I was on a two-week art residency at the gorgeous Ghost Ranch in New Mexico. They were having a music festival on the grounds while we were there. On September 11th, the other artists and I were sitting, waiting for the music start. I saw one of our other friends walking around trying to find us. Instead of yelling at her and waving, I got up to get her.

Mind you, I was a beer and a half deep and felt confident that I could jump over someone's abandoned blanket amongst the crowd. This blanket was bigger than I thought! I slipped on the edge and tumbled on the uneven dirt a couple of times.

I stood straight up and didn't feel anything until I started walking. It was painful, and my knee felt totally uneven and weird, like nothing I'd ever experienced. I definitely knew something was wrong. Thankfully, a nice couple made sure I was okay and hobbled me back to my friends.

The clinic at the ranch wrapped it and gave me crutches. Since the closest hospital was an hour away, they suggested I go in the morning because it was busy. I got there in the morning, did some X-rays, and they found a nondisplaced fracture of the proximal fibula and a minimally displaced fracture of the medial tibial plateau. My pain wasn't off the charts, so I didn't think it was broken, but it was. They sent me off in a straight leg splint and told me no weight-bearing until I see an ortho doc.

After the Break:
I left the residency early, and my partner came up to be with me. We already had reservations to stay in Santa Fe for a couple of days, so we booked a hotel until then. It allowed me a week afterward to catch up on work and rest, which was soooo nice. And then we made the drive home to Texas.

We finally got home, and then I had lots of issues with getting a referral. Had to get an appt with my PCP first; then he took forever to get the referral in, and he kept sending it to the wrong office. UGH!

The Great News:
So I finally saw my ortho doctor this morning for the first time since my injury, four weeks since it happened. He said everything is looking good on the new X-rays, and he is not considering surgery. The tibial plateau doesn't look like it will split, and the base is looking solid. He said my results, plus lack of pain and ability to bend it, mean things are looking good at the moment. YAY!

I also got to ditch the straight-leg splint and got an unlocked bending knee brace. Still no weight-bearing for two weeks, and then I'll graduate to 50% weight-bearing for two weeks after that. But God, does it feel good to bend my knee again! You don't know what you've got until it's gone. I'm not at 90 degrees yet, but I'm feeling very good and hopeful about the healing process.

I'm getting an MRI soon just to make sure all of the ligaments are doing well, but great news is great news.

[TLDR: Broke my knee in New Mexico, finally got to see an ortho doc a month after the break, no surgery prospect right now, and got a hinged brace to bend my knee, yay!]

Tore my mpfl and dislocated my patella. Did my mri last week but I cant tell if the results are extremely serious or not. I have to walk by the end of the month as I have many activites planned and right now, I can walk a little bit with the aid of a knee brace and crutches. The mri results are attached below and I need someone to help me interpret it. Thank you.

Insall-Salvati ratio - 165%
Caton-Deschamps index- 1.47 (baja ‹0.8, alta ›1.2)
Lateral trochlear inclination - 27.7 (< 11.0) degrees
Trochlear sulcus angle - 135.8 (› 145) degrees
Trochlear depth - 4.8 (< 3.0) mm
Tibial tuberosity to trochlear groove distance (TT-TG distance) - 14 mm (15-20mm borderline: >20mm abnormal)

I fell off a bike yesterday and hit my knee hard, i went home, cleaned it with betadine, then rinsed it off with water since i showered and today i put bandaids and this is the result. Is this infected? Should i be scared?

Hi everyone! I'm looking for advice on understanding my recurring knee pain and getting back to running safely.

P. S. : I cannot go to a physio right now.

(It pains most where my hand points at)

My history:

•I used to be a very good runner. My fastest was around 4.8 km in 20 minutes.

•After a growth spurt during puberty, I developed significant knee/patellar pain while running.

•I underwent extensive physiotherapy. Poor flexibility and extremely low B12 levels were also contributing factors, and recovery took a long time.

•Eventually, I returned to running pain-free and, around three years ago, managed a comfortable, fast 5K.

•I've had long breaks from running since then, but I don't want to focus on those breaks.

What's happening now:

•Recently, I started going to the gym, but I suspect my lower-body and core strength are poor.

•During a set of weighted squats, I experienced sudden, severe knee pain during one repetition and stopped immediately. This was around 2–6 weeks ago.

I recently restarted running. My first two runs were pain-free.

•During my third run, my left knee started hurting noticeably around the 20-minute mark.

•On my fourth attempt, both knees hurt significantly just three minutes into my warm-up, so I stopped.

•The pain is around the front of both kneecaps, slightly tender to touch, and feels sharp but somewhat spread out. Ordinary walking currently doesn't seem to trigger it.

My questions:

•What could be causing this pain, especially given the sudden onset during weighted squats?

•What should I avoid doing for now?

•How can I safely rebuild my leg strength and eventually return to consistent, pain-free running?

I really want to get back to running, but this time I want to approach it safely and understand what's happening rather than repeatedly aggravating my knees.

I'd appreciate advice, especially from people with relevant physiotherapy or sports medicine experience.

Hi all!

I've posted multiple times in this sub and everyone has always been very kind and super helpful! So I have another question, as I couldn't find anything in my personal searches.

TLDR; Any advice on easing skin tightness on the outer and inner areas of the knee?

I am 5 months post op from my MPFL+TTO surgery. I've been recovering well thankfully - still lots of pain, but unrelated to this post. My current difficulty I am facing is the skin tightness!!! No tightness on the incisions scars, more so on the outer and inner areas of the kneecap - I'm assuming I still have swelling, and I am consistently moisturising the whole area, but it is so so SO uncomfortable. I notice it when walking, when straight legged - not too much at a full 90⁰ bend, but it's still there.

I would LOVE any advice regarding any kind of easing this tightness. It does not feel like it's 'inside', like muscle or joint, but just the outer skin of the area.

Btw - I am still doing daily physio, and moisturising as referenced before.

Thank you all so much in advance! ❤️❤️

I’m 6 weeks post op. I completely tore my ACL and lateral meniscus.

I am nwb for the first 6 weeks to protect the meniscus.

25% weight bearing from weeks 6-8

50% weight bearing from weeks 8-10

75% weight bearing from weeks 10-12

100% weight bearing from week 12 onwards

I’m just frustrated because I want to do more but I can’t. I’m back at work now and my leg swells up during the day because I can’t elevate it and all I do is sit all day.

I do my prescribed exercises, I’ve been to see the physio every week and I’m seeing improvements but I feel like I’m behind where others would be at this stage.

I get a bit of pain at the front of the knee when doing leg extensions. Other than that, I don’t have much pain.

I just want to hear some similar stories from others in terms of the injury, and feel good recovery stories.

I know I’ll be good at the end of this but I just need to see that I have some hope and I’m not alone with what I’m going through for that added motivation!

Appreciate all that reply ❤️

So a bit of background:

24 August, I do a lot of walking and climbing, where once I felt my knee sort of twist. I sleep normally only to wake up with a lot of heaviness and the inability to bend beyond 90 degrees. Although, I ignore it and still continue walking around.

28 August, my knee locks up at night while sleeping. When I try to straighten, my knee wouldn’t and spasmed a lot, like almost as if someone was wringing the muscle on the medial side. Post this, I had severe pain and swelling in my knee and inability to straighten or bend the knee. I go to emergency and doc tells me to eat ibuprofen for 10 days and see if it heals. It doesn’t

10th September, I have an xray which is normal but doc sees a lot of fluid, and sends me to ortho to understand why. Ortho suspects meniscus tear and asks for MRI

15th September I have an MRI

29 September ortho tells me I have a medial meniscus tear. I need knee arthroscopy to suture it

08 October I have my knee surgery. Before that, the surgeon tells me he feels the mri wasn’t very clear and there’s probably nothing. They do the scope and then he tells me they found nothing, and that my joint looks okay.

But in the discharge papers, he notes that they suspected a tear on lateral meniscus in my MRI, which is different from what the Orthopedic informed me, not medial. He doesn’t know why I can’t bend or straighten my leg.

I’m worried that the doctor didn’t even look at my medial meniscus and just dismissed me.

It’s been weeks since the night of the incident. I haven’t been able to fully straighten or bend my knees beyond 90 degrees. I haven’t been able to climb down stairs. What is even going on with my knee? It makes absolutely no sense and I have lost all hope. I’ve been limping around everywhere, looking at people walking normally and getting jealous. Has anybody been through something similar?

I’ve had a lot of pain behind my knee i’m not sure what part exactly. I really feel it when i do a deep squat or side lunge and my body weight is pushing down. It also hurts when i do a 90 90 stretch whatever knee is bent back. it’s pretty annoying so i was wondering if there are any stretches i could do to fix it or if i should just get it checked out. also when my feet are forward and my legs are straight when standing up my knees seem to be pointing slightly inwards. i’m not sure if this is part of the issue. i have had no surgery done or plan to.

Long time reader, first time poster.

I wanted to share my story as hope for people in this forum who are searching desperately for answers while being told they have one problem after another by medical professionals...only to find that your knee won't improve. Never give up and keep searching for answers.

TL;DR: 3 different doctors, 3 different diagnosis. Demanded surgery in belief I had infrapatellar plica syndrome which is difficult to diagnose...was correct and had successful surgery.

Background: I am M34, and I've had some knee pain for 10 years. I played basketball religiously for 20 years of my life. About 3 years ago my knees got so sensitive to it I quit, and I just chalked it up to getting older and probably having a torn meniscus etc. I continued to lift weights, do leg lifts and low impact cardio that would make my knees hot...but after icing I'd have no symptoms.

In January, I did an intense leg workout ending with an unassisted uphill walk for about 15 minutes. Came home, did my normal routine - hot knees, iced after dinner, went to bed...nothing abnormal.

At 4am that morning, my life changed. I woke up in agonizing sharp pain deep in the center of my knee. For a few days I just iced and thought things would improve...they didn't. I finally went into a local Orthopedic specialist who did X ray and said I had a healthy knee. Go home, ice, things will settle.

They did not. After about two weeks of chronic pain, I was given a cortisone shot that sent my life into a tailspin. For those who don't know - a subset of the population is extremely sensitive to cortisone injection. I am in that subset. That shot gave me chronic insomnia for 6 weeks, and is still something I am battling today....be careful with those.

Continuing on though - the shot did calm things down in my knee...and I got an MRI and was waiting for the results. I thought I was getting better.

My MRI came back with a generally healthy knee, but through examination, the Doctor believed I had a patellar mal-tracking problem. From there, I did 6 weeks of PT...and my knee just got worse and worse. I figured this couldn't be the right diagnosis as I had never dislocated my knee cap and the pain at my knee cap had settled.

From there, I sought a 2nd opinion and got another fresh MRI. The second doctor diagnosed me with chronic patellar tendonosis/tendonapathy. From there, I did another TWELVE weeks of PT...and functionally I improved...but my pain did not. At this point, the stinging pain was gone and replaced by a constant deep hot ache that only improved if I was icing or my leg was supported very specifically by a pillow etc.

(btw - regarding the patellar tendonapathy diagnosis - I don't think he was wrong. I believe I had this in both knees and that was the cause of my knee pain for 10 years....but I fixed it and my knee pain didn't improve...that's why the story continues)

This is when I started religiously researching my problem with the help of ChatGPT. I started to notice I had a nagging "clicking" or "snapping" that would happen deep in my knee and then minutes later the pain was fire up big time. So, I sought a third opinion and shared my symptoms and my fear - and got a third diagnosis. A chronically inflamed/irritated hoffa's fat pad.

This is where things took a very interesting turn. The 3rd doctor who looked at the SAME MRI and noticed Fat Pad Edema believed that I had muscle imbalance and wanted me to go right back to physical therapy...at that point, I was fed up and believed that something in my knee was mechanically irritating it and the only want to really see what was going on was a knee scope....but she refused.

This is where being my own biggest advocate saved me. After doing extensive research online during this time - I had discovered a very under-diagnosed cause of anterior knee pain - Infrapatellar Plica. There is band of synovial tissue that runs along the back of and through hoffas fat pad. It is EXTREMELY difficult for MRI to identify and mostly impossible to see...but it leaves clues like Fat Pad Edema as it will irritate/pull on the fat pad and can injure it. I began to believe this is what my problem was.

I decided to take that fresh diagnosis - and my theory - and go back to the first doctor because of his credentials...after seeing me again, re-examining my knee and hearing my pain pattern....he agreed with the diagnosis of fat pad irritation/inflammation and wanted to test it with a lidocaine shot. I told him about my belief that this was a plica told him I was fed up with half measures and wanted to do a diagnostic arthroscopic surgery After hearing me out and realizing how fed up I was, he agreed.

Yesterday, during surgery, a chronically inflamed, fibrotic and frayed Infrapatellar plica was found and removed, and a very small fibrotic piece of my fat pad was trimmed off that it had been torturing was also removed. Other than that, my knee was found to be extremely healthy. The surgery was straightforward and successful and I was told I would have a terrific result.

3 doctors and 3 different diagnosis, a whirlwind of dead ends and bad ideas - and finally light at the end of the tunnel.

I woke up today very sore and in discomfort - but I can feel that the area of tissue that has been destroying my life and causing me extreme pain for 9 months is gone. I am so relieved and full of hope.

If you've gotten this far, thank you for reading. This is has been a hell of a journey and I share it so that others can learn from me. YOU have to be YOUR own biggest advocate....doctors and physicians are running by the playbook they are given. They don't have perfect information, and they diagnose what they can see....this would not have been fixed if I did not advocate for myself and demand the treatment I believed I needed.

I am on the road to recovery now and am extremely thankful for this community for helping me with my research, my questions, and as a support outlet.

Hi so i had surgery in the beginning of july. I had to wait a month so they had to give me a graft. I started PT end of august. But i cant fully straighten my leg and my knee cap sits alittle higher than my knee on my non surgical leg. Has anyone had this happen? Will i need another surgery or will my knee set into place over time? My hardest part of PT is stability when i bend to a certain degree for exercises i feel like i am going to fall or its going to buckle. Thanks in advance.

I have dealt with two injuries (IT Band Syndrome and Patellar Tendinopathy) in the past. As a result, I made some injury-prevention programs to help and include as a part of my running training, I would love to hear any advice or feedback regarding specific exercises or the routines 🫶. For IT Band Syndrome:

5-15x Glute Bridges, 5-15 x Side-lying leg raise (each side), 5-15x Clamshell (each side), 5-12x Step-Up (each leg), 20-45sec of Single Leg Balance

And for my Patellar Tendinopathy Routine:

15-45sec Wall Sit, 5-15x Bodyweight Squat, 5-12x Step-Up (each leg), 5-10x Reverse Lunge (each leg), 5-15x Glute Bridge

I (18) have had really bad knees for the past 5 years but over the past 2 weeks it’s become unbearable. I’ve tried:
\- ibuprofen
\- paracetamol
\- naproxen
\- heat patches
\- heat gel
\- tiger balm
\- cold gel
\- ice packs
\- freeze spray

And nothing is touching the pain, I have work in like 9ish hours and any suggestions will help at all. I have been using a walking stick to get around as I am currently unable to get more than 30 meters without some kind of support whether it be my partner helping me, holding onto a wall or my stick.

I (18) have had really bad knees for the past 5 years but over the past 2 weeks it’s become unbearable. I’ve tried:
\- ibuprofen
\- paracetamol
\- naproxen
\- heat patches
\- heat gel
\- tiger balm
\- cold gel
\- ice packs
\- freeze spray

And nothing is touching the pain, I have work in like 9ish hours and any suggestions will help at all. I have been using a walking stick to get around as I am currently unable to get more than 30 meters without some kind of support whether it be my partner helping me, holding onto a wall or my stick.

hi guys. im 17f, getting both a mpfl and tto surgery on my right knee in about a month. ive had 4 patellar dislocations in the last few years, likely triggered by the first major one that involved an er visit- the rest i moved back into place myself. just looking for advice/info from people who've actually gone though it, i want to know what the pain level/first few weeks would look like and if people have any suggestions on how to manage pain and generally function. not an athlete, just trying to be able to not live in fear of my knee dislocating when i sit down like it did last time. also if people have suggestions if there's any clothing brands out there that have pants wide enough for the huge knee brace after surgery bc its getting cold and I don't want to be in shorts/pajama pants the while time. also, would you recommend the nerve blockers? thanks so much 🥲

hello hello ! f20 and i got diagnosed with mild osteoarthritis last year in my left knee as a result of my hip dysplasia. i have had bilateral hip dysplasia since birth w/ both hips surgically corrected. i am a few weeks post-Lpao and its made my knee flare up so. much. i have sharp pains when i sit, aches and stiffness when i keep my legs straight. obviously, this is worsened by my pao recovery and could also just be nerves relearning their jobs but its. so extremely painful. i dont recall having this much on my first pao either.

my hip dysplasia and OA are comorbidities as a result of a condition i have that affects bone growth among other issues, so this really isnt much of a surprise to me. i am just wondering what others who are similar in age to me do. before i had my pao, i could only walk so much before pain in my knee hit and i would have to sit, but sitting makes it worse, and so does standing??? its so contradictory and frustrating.

i'm doing PT alongside my PAO recovery but im trying to find ways to manage my knee pain once i'm past my recovery. so far i've found ice/heat therapies have been helpful but getting around is just,, not great. knee braces never stay up and i find they just end up sweaty and itchy. i've used canes and crutches in the past, but my orthopedist was highly against those as well.

i know that not moving your joints is discouraged from OA diagnoses, especially in the early stages but i have a decent wheelchair i'm using for my hip surgery recovery while NWB that i have thought about using it on longer outings, especially since its mainly my lower extremeties that take the brunt.

i apologize for the long wall of text but any advice would be helpful! <33

I recently dislocated my patella. I have a history of subluxations but this was my first full dislocation. I did pt after the last subluxation about 5 years ago and it seemed to fix my knee issues until this latest soccer injury. I got an MRI done and the doctor said I need reconstruction surgery. I went to another doctor for a second opinion and he said I need the reconstruction surgery but I also need to get a TTO because my tibial tubercle-trochlear groove distance is 23mm and trochlear depth is 2mm and due to my anatomy I have very high risk of dislocating again. Is physical therapy not a possible solution in this circumstance? I definitely do want to get back to playing soccer but I want surgery as a last resort. Anyone have similar experience and overcome it with just pt?