Dr. Timothy K. Durnin - 11/1/2007

Question
My husband fractured his patella horizontally and it was displaced.  He had surgery two weeks ago and had screws and wires placed.  He still has pain and swelling, especially after he is on his feet - even if he walks from one room into another.  His knee feels warm, not hot and he does not have a fever.  Do you think this could be a hematoma or can we expect him to continue to have pain and swelling for a while?  His ortho said he could put weight on his leg.  He has 23 staples and will have them removed this week.  How long will the pain and swelling last?  If it were infected, wouldn't he have a fever?  The color is still pink around the incision.  Thank you.

Answer
Hi Laura,

Six weeks minimum for that to return semi-normal. Pink is good, I doubt infection is there but a fever is NOT a good indicator of many pathogens that cause infection, especially in the early stages. Ice the area as frequent as possible and keep it dry and clean, staples should be removed within 14 days, 10 preferably. Follow up with the OTC supplement glucosamine sulfate at 3 grams/day to prevent the otherwise inevitable arthritis that WILL develop if this precaution is not done. Take it for life, research it if you want to see the evidence, it is crucial he takes that if he wants a good knee 5 years down the road. Any abnormal discharge, disproportional pain with pressure next to the incision or color abnormalities require infection as a possible cause.

Good luck and thanks for asking!

Dr. Timothy Durnin