24 Oct Patrick Mahomes Suffers Patella Dislocation
If you were watching the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos on Thursday Night Football on October 17th, then you witnessed the unfortunate fate of the Chiefs’ superstar Quarterback, Patrick Mahomes. With ten minutes left in the game, Mahomes attempted a Quarterback sneak, a strategy that leaves the QB vulnerable to the defense. When Mahomes was tackled by a member of the vaunted Denver defense (not quite the old-school orange crush but still pretty solid), his kneecap, medically known as a patella, was dislocated from his knee socket, medically known as the trochlear groove. A patella dislocation usually occurs when the foot is planted while the knee is twisted oddly, leading to the kneecap popping out of place. Yet, another cause can be a hard blow to the knee. While it’s difficult to see exactly what happened in the replay, it seems that Mahomes’ knee hitting the field was all the impact he needed to dislocate the patella tendon.
What is a Patella Dislocation?
As already stated, the patella is the kneecap which is seated in the trochlear groove and is structurally supported by the surrounding ligaments. While the patella can be popped back into place, most of the damage comes from destroying the trochlear groove or the ligaments. The trochlear groove and the ligaments may not be affected, but that is something only an MRI could indicate. Patella dislocation is very common in athletes or those who have loose ligaments, or hyperlaxity in their ligaments. A complication can be identified by swelling, immense pain, and instability. An orthopedist in NYC at New York Sports Medicine Institute will be able to identify the injury and prescribe treatment for it accordingly.
How to Treat a Patella Dislocation
Patella dislocations can often be treated without surgery. After receiving the injury, the knee should be immobilized for about a week or two, meaning no weight should be applied to it. This helps to ensure that the ligaments have time to stop swelling and heal. After the first week or so, and after slowly becoming more active, through therapy from an orthopedist in NYC, will help keep the knee functional and in full range of motion. In theory, a full recovery can be made around five to six weeks after the injury. Kansas City estimates that Mahomes will likely return to action in approximately 3 weeks. If loose ligaments are present, this can be a setback during the healing process. Loose ligaments can lead to a recurrence of the injury while trying to heal, making the recovery a bit more arduous.
Patella dislocations may also need surgical intervention if there are any displaced fragments of ligament or bone in the knee. An orthopedist in NYC would have to reconnect the fragments to the tissue or bone by the use of absorbent pins. These pins help to keep the fragments in place while the body begins to heal itself and mend the fragment back into its original placement.
Orthopedist in NYC:
Fortunately, in Patrick Mahomes’ case, surgery will likely not be required, due to his injury being less severe as he did not suffer any ligament damage according to his MRI. He should be returning to the field within a few weeks with the help of an expert team of physicians. An orthopedist plays a large role in a patient’s recovery from a patella dislocation injury. From identifying the injury to administering any shots or injections, walking you through physical therapy or even surgery, your orthopedist will be the main factor in relieving your pain and restoring your knee so that you can return to healthy living.
An Orthopedist in NYC, like the ones that make up our team at New York Sports Medicine Institute, will help you choose a treatment option that is best for you. Whether you need surgical or nonsurgical treatment for your orthopedic injury, New York Sports Medicine Institute will help you get your life back on track. Contact us today to learn about the orthopedic conditions we treat along with the remedies that we offer!
