Broken Knee Cap Compensation, Symptoms And Treatment

The knee cap, or patella, is one of three bones that make up the knee joint.  The other two bones are the femur (thigh bone) and the tibia (shin bone). A knee cap’s main function is to help provide the flexibility of the extension of the leg.  The quadriceps muscles are located on the front of the knee and the hamstrings are positioned on the back of the knee.  The ligaments surrounding the knee are very important as they hold this joint together.  A broken knee cap can be a small crack across the knee cap, or a knee cap broken into several tiny pieces.  The knee joint is the joint most likely to be injured.  Knees undergo stress everyday and rarely are taken care of properly.  

Causes of a broken knee cap:

• Direct blow to the knee
• Falls
• Automobile accidents
• Sports Injury
• Physical Fight

Symptoms of a broken knee cap:

• Pain in the knee
• Swelling around the knee
• Trouble with normal knee mobility – such as not being able to straighten the leg or bend at the knee
• Alignment looks off
• Could hear a popping sound at the time of the injury

Treatment of a broken knee cap

Treatment for a broken knee cap varies according to the seriousness of the injury.  An X-ray will be given so the doctor will be able to tell the severity of the fracture.   For small cracks, the patient will be put into plaster cast to immobilize the knee for about 6 to 8 weeks.  In some cases the cast will be taken off early and the patient will have a brace put on.  The knee can heal properly if there is not movement during the healing process. These patients will be given pain medication, and be told to elevate the knee.  In more severe cases surgery is required to realign the knee cap.  Usually this is done with a type of medical wire.  When the knee cap has been damaged beyond repair (no way to realign the knee) the entire knee cap is taken out.  The patient will wear a plaster cast for at least 6 weeks to keep the knee joint from moving.  After the knee cap has healed a person will be able to start physical therapy to get the knee back into shape.  Water exercises are one of the better exercises for an injured knee since the water relieves some of the pressure on the joint.

Compensation for a broken knee cap

Many people are unaware that they can claim compensation for a broken or fractured bone but help is at hand. Whether you have been injured at work, on the road, playing sport, in hospital, in the street, in a shop, an office, commercial or public building, at home, a friend's house or any kind of slip, trip or fall.

In addition to claiming compensation for you or a loved ones suffering, you may also be able to claim for medical expenses, lost wages and any other out of pocket expenses.  For an idea of what you could get see some typical compensation amounts.

Pinstripe make it easy for you to claim compensation. All you need to do is complete the simple online form opposite and the experienced and friendly claims team will handle it from there. It's that easy!