Anyone ever dealt with a tibial tuberosity injury?

[Lopez27]

So I got sick on the latter part of last week and I hadn't squatted since last Monday (used to squatting MWF). My PR is 375x5 and today I decided to work up to 365x5. I was feeling good but on my top set I was wobbly and sloppy form wise. On the second rep I went too low and then my back folded, knees shot forward and caved, I went ATG, and I heard/felt a crack in my tibial tuberosity on both legs. However, I still got the weight up even though my form collapsed. I then racked the weight as I didn't want to mess myself up anymore. Right after I could feel some pain when standing but wasn't too bad, but any attempt to bend my leg hurt like hell. It's been about an hour and it's still there. I can move my leg, step fine, and bend it (with pain) so I know it isn't too bad but still.

Anyone have any experience with this?

Thanks.

[jbealsrmt]

So I got sick on the latter part of last week and I hadn't squatted since last Monday (used to squatting MWF). My PR is 375x5 and today I decided to work up to 365x5. I was feeling good but on my top set I was wobbly and sloppy form wise. On the second rep I went too low and then my back folded, knees shot forward and caved, I went ATG, and I heard/felt a crack in my tibial tuberosity on both legs. However, I still got the weight up even though my form collapsed. I then racked the weight as I didn't want to mess myself up anymore. Right after I could feel some pain when standing but wasn't too bad, but any attempt to bend my leg hurt like hell. It's been about an hour and it's still there. I can move my leg, step fine, and bend it (with pain) so I know it isn't too bad but still.

Anyone have any experience with this?

Thanks.

As always, "Go get it properly assessed by your primary health-care provider." If you're sure it's right at the tibial tuberosity, it sounds like you may have an avulsion fracture. Go get some x-rays... If they come back negative, you may have seriously sprained the ligament. In either case, until you get a proper assessment, RICE (rest, ice, compress, and elevate) it.

[TrimLines]

Its not really that important, its just the place where your patella tendon attaches so even if if tears off all you will lose is your entire quadricep, remember we are focusing on the posterior chain so I would just ignore it. Not SRS

[Lopez27]

As always, "Go get it properly assessed by your primary health-care provider." If you're sure it's right at the tibial tuberosity, it sounds like you may have an avulsion fracture. Go get some x-rays... If they come back negative, you may have seriously sprained the ligament. In either case, until you get a proper assessment, RICE (rest, ice, compress, and elevate) it.

Its not really that important, its just the place where your patella tendon attaches so even if if tears off all you will lose is your entire quadricep, remember we are focusing on the posterior chain so I would just ignore it. Not SRS

I think I'm just gonna RICE. I can still move perfectly fine it just hurts.

[HamburgerTrain]

Its not really that important, its just the place where your patella tendon attaches so even if if tears off all you will lose is your entire quadricep, remember we are focusing on the posterior chain so I would just ignore it. Not SRS

This made me lol.

[BigJon55]

As always, "Go get it properly assessed by your primary health-care provider." If you're sure it's right at the tibial tuberosity, it sounds like you may have an avulsion fracture. Go get some x-rays... If they come back negative, you may have seriously sprained the ligament. In either case, until you get a proper assessment, RICE (rest, ice, compress, and elevate) it.

From what the OP said I don't think that there is any evidence to suggest an avulsion fracture or ligament damage. Especially considering that an avulsion fracture is one of the most painful injuries you could ever have. While I agree that he should get it properly assessed and RICE it, I think that he probably just separated a small portion of the tendon from the tuberosity itself or he could have torn the patellar tendons a bit.

[jbealsrmt]

From what the OP said I don't think that there is any evidence to suggest an avulsion fracture or ligament damage. Especially considering that an avulsion fracture is one of the most painful injuries you could ever have.

The OP wrote, "knees shot forward and caved, I went ATG, and I heard/felt a crack in my tibial tuberosity on both legs" (this happened while under a heavy load) & "any attempt to bend my leg hurt like hell". This is enough of a flag for any health-care professional to suggest proper testing to rule it out. I had a patient who suffered an avulsion fracture once while deadlifting. It was missed for several weeks because it only bothered him when trying to lift/pull heavy loads (as with a typical tendonitis). When we weren't getting anywhere with treatment, I suggested a visit to the doc for an x-ray. Sure enough, a small avulsion fracture was evident on his radius.

I think that he probably just separated a small portion of the tendon from the tuberosity itself or he could have torn the patellar tendons a bit.

Depending on which anatomy text you look at, it is referred to as both Patellar Tendon and Patellar Ligament. My comment above about the ligament is in agreement with yours. A sprain is a stretching or tearing of the tissue. However, my use of the word "seriously" may have been misleading. I'm still working on writing on the internet without embelishing.

I think I'm just gonna RICE. I can still move perfectly fine it just hurts.

If it is only slight damage to the tendon/ligament, you should notice improvement fairly quickly using the RICE protocol. That said, if you see no improvement over the next 4-5 days, notice any bruising over the tuberosity, or feel any abnormal lumps/bumps that hurt to touch, don't hesitate to make that appointment.

As a side note, I live in Ontario, Canada where Massage Therapy is a regulated health-care profession. While offering ANY advice or suggestions regarding injuries in a public forum, I will always err on the side of caution for the sake of maintaining my licence and remaining in good standing with my governing body. Without meeting people in person and assessing them properly, there is too much of a risk of giving wrong information. That's why you rarely see Chiros, Physios, Doctors, and other professionals giving free advice. Thus, every post I make regarding an injury will always suggest going to a health-care professional for a proper assessment. I try to follow it up with a "cover-my-own-ass" list of potentially serious injuries as well as some of the more likely minor injuries. I hate to be so convoluted, but I'm sure you understand...