Dislocated Patella
Two weeks ago at rugby practice I dislocated my right patella (knee cap). The doctor at the ER pushed it back into place with no problems. The following week I went to to doctor and I am now waiting to get into Phyical Therapy.
The doctor recommended I buy a knee brace, but when I went to purchase one the women at the medical center discouraged me from the purchase. They said they would cost anywhere from $200 to $2000 for the type I’m looking for.
My questions are, how long can I expect to be away from rugby? We have a tourney at the end of June and I really want to be part of it. And, can anyone recommend a good knee brace? I may be able to afford $200, but $2,000 is out of the question.
Does anyone have any thoughts?
1 Comment found
runnerchick
I would strongly recommend getting the brace! Patella dislocations have a high rate of reoccurance, the suprpatellar and infrapatellar tendons that attach to the top and bottom of your patella were stretched by your dislocation, making it easier to happen in the future. Also, the more it dislocates the more stretched the ligaments become. This is quite often the case with someone who has suffered from a shoulder dislocation, he/she will more likely than not suffer from reoocurent dislocations and subluxions in the future.
Although this may seem to be bad news, getting the brace will probably prevent your problem from deteriorting further. My assumption is that the brace your doctor prescribed was meant to hold your patella in place in order to prevent future dislocations. If this is the case, I would be willing to pay the $2,000 because you would probably end up having to pay that much if not more in the future for surgery if your knee problems develop further.
Chances are that the person you talked to may have not completely understood your condition. Also, take into account that your insurance will probably pay for a large portion of the cost for your brace. I know for a fact that insurance has covered for over half the cost of my orthotics and walking boot.
Anyhow, I hope that this answers your question!
runnerchick