Partially torn Quad Tendon (how possible is recovery without surgery)?

Hi, Tex, In my case of torn quad I got a second opinion from another ortho surgeon (the surgeon who replaced both of my knees about a year ago). So it is definitely worthwhile to get another opinion and recommendations for future treatment. Good luck and will be interested in your progress.

Thanks for your note Jim - unfortunately I have to stick with the opinion of the VA (since no finances to visit other doctors) - I am waiting for the doc at the VA to get back with me to tell me when I should start any PT - I will post the progress on here in case it helps any other person (just as the messages helped me to get a better understanding of the situation with my torn quadriceps tendons) - I will keep checking to see if anyone is, or has been, at the same stage of me, and how they progressed. - 4/9/19 1647hrs.

Tex,
If I remember I went for at least 6 weeks (after initial injury) before I did any exercises at all.  At my followup visit with ortho surgeon he instructed me to begin water walking, straight leg lifts, and recumbent bike to strengthen quad. He cautioned me that I will have a weaker right knee (leg) and that it may tear again sometime in the future. It was 6 months before I resumed playing pickleball at a reduced frequency and so far so good. Having said all of this, my injury and your injury are two different situations for sure; so what worked for me may be the wrong approach for you. Please follow your doctor's orders. Hope the VA doctor gets back to you soon. 

I ruptured Quad tendon last Wed, saw ortho surgeon yesterday, is any alternative to surgery reasonable?

John Wren wrote: I ruptured Quad tendon last Wed, saw ortho surgeon yesterday, is any alternative to surgery reasonable?

I had MRI yesterday, need to say yes or no today. Any “expected outcome if nothing is done site?” If you know anyone who did nothing with ruptured Quad tendon I’d be very interested in your observation. I’m also going to post this question on my Facebook newsfeed and story, and on Linked In and Twitter. I’ll post results, if I get any responses, here. Thanks. This is the best online discussion I’ve ever seen, found it through Google search “Alternatives to surgery for ruptured Quad tendon.” 

I’m very grateful to those who post and those who maintain site. Thank you very much.

It really depends on the severity of the tear and the extent to which you need to be physically active after healing.  I had a severe partial tear and wanted to continue hiking, backpacking,  and climbing at a moderately high level. My doctor recommended surgery in my case. It was a long hard recovery process but worth it in the end. I am to do anything I want without any aid, braces,  ect.   Hope this helps.

I agree with Ray Yeary post. You did not state age, level of activity you normally do, etc. In my case (you have probably read my previous posts) I am back playing pickleball, and had my annual followup on latest knee replacement, and all looks good. However, the right knee which had the quad tear is still one that I favor. But, so far so good. I play pickleball 2-3 times a week normally 2 hour sessions.

I tore my right quad, patellar tendon, and partial calf tear all in one shot from a work related accident. I had torn about the same amount as you. I was also told I’d need surgery to fix everything. I went without surgery, had lots of physical therapy over a 1 year period, but was back at work 4 months after the accident. I get around ok, but I still feel pain in my knee everyday. I can tell you when it’s going to rain 2-3 days before it happens because my knee is now a barometer!! The patellar tendon tear should have had corrective surgery, because so much had torn...it allowed my knee cap to move out of “the proper groove”, and wear down into and thru my meniscus. Aside from that issue, the quads healed in time, and I’ve not really had any issues with my quads or calf muscles ever since the accident which was about 14-15 years ago. I’m still working the same job, same industry.... All I can say is that it may be necessary that you do have corrective surgery to keep something else from being injured. It may also not be necessary, just based on how easy you take it, how you go about therapy, and how you treat the quad after you heal...  

Just a follow-up since my last post on 4/9/19 - VA doc said just go ahead with exercises I am doing - straight leg lifts, when lying down, side lifts and keeping elevated when sleeping, all the while still wearing ace bandage wrap and brace. Have graduated to 60 degree position on brace now when sitting at work.  Have started riding stationary bike this week for 10 minutes every 2 hours for the 8 hours before work (work 3p-11p shift until end of month, then 11p-7a next month so will be doing bike after work).  I wrap from half thigh to just above calf, in "X" pattern across knee cap when riding bike so holds quad down when pushing pedal.  As a recap, tore right quad tendon 1/26/19, did not get surgery. Walk with crutches when going up and down stairs still.  Can go up a 2 inch high step but not enough strength for higher normal step yet.  Still have leg go like a "rubber band" once in a while, but otherwise not bad.  Goal is to be able to be back on tennis court by summer of 2020, but may not make it according to other's reports.

Hi all! I have been dealing with knee/quad pain for four months now. Initially I thought it was compensation and muscle imbalances due to hip arthroscopy on opp leg last fall. Yesterday I learned that I now have a bone spur on my patella and doc ordered an MRI to check for Partial tear. Just wondering what your symptoms were like per op? Thanks!

Hi Brittany,  I am no doctor but I know spurs are common. They rub the tendon and cause tendenitis.  Probably something you can rehab.

Ray Yeary wrote: Hi Brittany,  I am no doctor but I know spurs are common. They rub the tendon and cause tendenitis.  Probably something you can rehab.

That's a common belief, and it sounds plausible - but it's actually the other way around. Spurs are the result, not the cause, of tendon problems. In a process called dystrophic calcification, the body deposits calcium compounds in the abnormal tendon. It usually happens at the point where the tendon attaches to the bone, hence the appearance of a spur off the bone. If you see a spur, it's an indicator that the tendon problem has been going on for some time and is pretty advanced.

Tendinopathies are an area of very active research these days, and we're learning a lot about them that is overturning years of traditional beliefs (that were never based on actual data, just on what seemed to make sense). They're rarely actually inflammatory, either, so the term tendinitis is seldom correct. Exactly how and why the nice orderly collagen fibers in tendon turn into a mess in response to injury instead of healing properly is still not clear, but we're closing in on it, and treatments are improving steadily. If you have a tendinopathy, be sure to pick a sports medicine doc and a physiotherapist who are keeping up on the area, not just practicing old dogma.

Hi everyone. New to the forum. Read all the posts. I’m hardly a mountain climber lol.  Elite level powerlifter/bodybuilder here. Tore my right quad tendon 3 weeks ago, surgery 2 weeks ago. Squat machine mishap. 800 lbs fell on me and the right leg caught it.  Currently in a immobilized brace set at 0 degrees for 3 more weeks before dialing it to 30 degrees... long, slow recovery is what I’ve been told. I’m anxious and not the kind  to sit around .. I’m doing ankle ROM and can bear full weight on the leg. I’m 47 and about 300 lbs .. any advice appreciated!

Hi everyone. I am not even sure what site this is but I looked up tears in quad tendons and found this thread. I was on the road with fiancé for a month. Climbing in and out of sprinter van. The day I come home I have calf and ankle swelling after two weeks of calf pain. Dr sends me to er to rule out blood clot. Ultrasound ruled out blood clot yet found mass. MRI of calf suggested ruptured bakers cyst recommend knee mri. Dr said no rest for two weeks it will get better. Two weeks my knee is exploding... Er again to rule out clot again and then dr ordered mri of ankle and knee. Water on knee, bakers cyst actively leaking, significant tear over %50 of quad tendon waiting for ankle mri to be read. I hurt so bad. Any suggestions? What to do while waiting for tests to finish? Thank you in advance.

Rick Erker wrote:...while out trying to secure an elk for the freezer...

I'm sorry, but to me all the way down here in South Australia, that sounds hilarious.  I know everyone's body is different but I have a torn ACL in my right knee, a completely snapped medial ligament in my left knee, and two completely snapped long head biceps tendons; the one in my right arm snapped only two weeks ago and at 57 I'm still climbing...

Stan M wrote: Hi everyone. New to the forum. Read all the posts. I’m hardly a mountain climber lol.  Elite level powerlifter/bodybuilder here. Tore my right quad tendon 3 weeks ago, surgery 2 weeks ago. Squat machine mishap. 800 lbs fell on me and the right leg caught it.  Currently in a immobilized brace set at 0 degrees for 3 more weeks before dialing it to 30 degrees... long, slow recovery is what I’ve been told. I’m anxious and not the kind  to sit around .. I’m doing ankle ROM and can bear full weight on the leg. I’m 47 and about 300 lbs .. any advice appreciated!

Hi Stan.  Any updates?  I tore mine end of September.  Lifter as well.  Wondering how it is going 3 months in.

PAIN
Hey Guys,
I did a partial thickness tear of my quad tendon (1/3 section in middle) 3 weeks ago. Diagnosed 4 days ago (MRI) and recommended no surgery as only partial tear and I can do straight leg raises even with light resistance.
Things were feeling a bit better and I had better flexion than in the first two weeks when I saw the doc. Next day saw the physio and started some no weight bearing leg raises etc. since then the pain abovr my knee has been very bad like it was two weeks ago. Waking in the night throbbing.
QUESTION - what was anyone’s experience with pain that did a partial tear and no surgery? How long did it last and how severe?
I’m staying to wonder if anything missed.
Cheers

My regimen after a quad tear was 5 weeks in immobilizer brace. Then follow up with ortho doctor who had replaced my knees prior to tear. Brace came off then water walking in pool 3 times/week for 4 weeks, then a regimen of recumbent bike, and leg lifts 3 times a week for 30 mins  or so. However, it was 6 months before I was confident to resume playing pickleball. When the barometric pressure is dropping my knees let me know. Night time pain was also my experience during the rehab phase. Maybe the leg lift regimen you are doing is too aggressive too soon. I was 74 when i tore my quad. You may be younger and recover quicker.

Glad to have found this blog, and hear so many different shared experiences from many people. In my case I slipped down the stairs in my home back late February. Went to see my doctor and she recommended an MRI, which revealed a high grade partial torn quad. Was sent to see a surgeon and he recommended surgery right away, which concerened me not just the surgery but also to be cooped up in a hospital in the middel of all this covid-19. Decided to get a second opinion from one of the top orthopedic surgeons in this city (My wife works at a hosptial and she was able to swing that visit), and he rommened no surgery but no movement at all for about 12 weeks and slowly start   Physical Therapy. 12 weeks have passed but not many clinics are open due to this epidemic. So decided to do some basic exercises found on line until clinics start to reopen. It has been now about a month since the 12 week period has passed and with some minor workouts. I am getting better but far from 100%. I would say perhaps about 75.-80%. I know I am no longer a spring chicken (67 years old) but recovery is not going as fast as I would like. The main concern I have is by checking the information online, is that if things don't improve and one waits too long surgery would no longer help. So I will schedule another appointment with the surgeon in the hope he can give me a sense of comfort the right decision was made.

Hello everyone. I hurt my knee last year during skiing and I was wrongly diagnosed saying I had tweaked meniscus. Doctor said that I could go on with all my activities after he examined my knee and looked at the X-Ray.  Therefore I never wore any braces for one year and never had issues in terms of pain or ROM. However I had this knee clicking sometimes. Just for second opinion I went for MRI last week and they said:

Low-grade partial-thickness tear along the medial insertional fibers of the quadriceps tendon on the patella measuring 4.8 x 6 x 3 mm

After I learned about the tear, I started doing deep tissue massage for 20 min as recommended and sleeping with braces on. Deep tissue massage is supposed to break up the scartissues and braces keeps the tendon together. I am on the 5th day and that has reduced my knee clicking significantly.

Now my question is:

1) Even after 1 year, can small tear close up without surgery?

2) Can the tear get bigger by itself?

Thanks!