This is a serious injury where you break your kneecap, usually in a fall. If the broken pieces are still lined up, you’ll get a cast to hold everything in place as you heal. Sometimes, you can still put weight on your knee. In other cases, you might be off your feet for 6 to 8 weeks.
For a more serious fracture, you typically need surgery. Your doctor may use screws, pins, or wires to hold the bone pieces in place.
In either case, you’ll need physical therapy to work through stiffness, get your range of motion back, and build leg strength.