Treating Knee Fractures

As experts in physical therapy after a vehicle collision, sports injury, or everyday accident, we make sure that your treatment begins as soon as your knee is able to cope. If you have undergone surgery for a knee fracture, then we will normally advise that you wait up to six weeks before physical therapy begins. Once you start being able to move your knee again without undue pain, we will then create a personalized treatment plan that will work to build and regain your strength, mobility and flexibility.

With the experience of our physical therapy team, we can help you get back the motion of your leg and knee to pre-injury conditions. We tailor your physical therapy so that it includes weight-bearing exercises that are gradually increased, and we work too on the muscles surrounding the knee. This not only speeds up recovery time, but it also helps to support and protect the knee from further damage.

As well as our clinic-based treatments, the Icon Medical Centers team will also advise you on home safety and health practices, which can help speed up recovery.

The best type of physical therapy after a knee fracture will depend on your existing levels of health. Ideally, we will focus on low-impact exercises and those that involve little in the way of weight-bearing exercises, to begin with. Physical therapy for a knee fracture will avoid putting undue pressure on the knee itself while ensuring that strength and mobility can be regained and then maintained for the duration of your recovery time.

A knee fracture can be incredibly painful, and that pain can often be ongoing even after surgery and initial treatment. We make sure that you have the medication you need to reduce your pain levels and regain your quality of life. Looking at your medical history, the team at Icon Medical Centers in Miami will generally prescribe over-the-counter medicines such as acetaminophen. However, not only is this not an option that is suitable for everyone, but it is also not going to be effective for all. If your over-the-counter medicine is not alleviating your pain sufficiently, then we will prescribe a brief period of stronger medication types.

Most cases of a knee fracture will be caused by direct trauma to the front of the knee. This could be due to your knee hitting the dashboard of your car during a collision, a high-impact tackle in a sports game, or even a slip on ice. If you have an impact on your knee, it does not always lead to a fracture, and in many cases, the pain will subside naturally. However, you may have fractured your knee if you experience any of the following symptoms:

• Intense/severe pain on the knee itself or the surrounding areas
• Swelling
• Moving your leg causes pain in your knee
• You have difficulty extending your leg
• Deformity of the kneecap
• Pain when pressure is applied to the kneecap

Diagnosing a knee fracture will require an examination and some questions about your accident. A brief physical examination will often confirm whether you have a knee fracture or not. If a knee fracture is suspected, then an X-ray may be taken to confirm the injury. It is at this point that you will be told whether surgery will be required or whether you will be treatable with a simple cast or splint.

No matter what caused your knee fracture, the team at Icon Medical Centers is here to help you get back to pre-accident levels of health. A fractured knee can be incredibly painful and failing to treat it can lead to additional issues that could have long-term effects on your health and your life.

If you have recently been involved in an accident, whether it was in a vehicle, on the sports field, or simply walking around your home, then contact the Icon Medical Centers team in Miami today. The sooner that you address the pain of a knee fracture, the quicker and easier it is to treat the issue and get you back to living a life free of knee pain.