Ruptured Quad Tendon

Not sure if this is the best place for this, but here goes. I’ve been training since I was 50. I'm 65, 5'8", 195 lbs. Working with a Starting Strength coach online for the last two years, reading the books, following Starting Strength and Rip since the CrossFit years.

I was on a nice progression, squat and deadlift going up 5lbs a week, hitting PR's every week. Program was heavy sets of 2, back off sets of 3 (and a lighter day

Did the first of the two squats at 325, filming for my coach, looked great. Second rep, BAM, quad tendon ruptured, broke my ankle on the way down. Safety bars saved my life. For real. Saved my life.

So here are the issues: No previous symptoms or warnings. Lots of contradictory information out there about quad ruptures. Young athletes get them, older guys get them the most. Some of the literature says that as we age, tendons get brittle, other literature says that exercise keeps them healthy, working the tendons makes the stronger. Of course my friends all think the weight is crazy high, and think I should do lower reps or hot yoga, but never mind all that.

So how do I know the other tendon won’t just go? What is too high a weight (if any). How do I think about this. My coach and physical therapist, the great Nick D'Agostino thinks it was just "shit luck" and might not have happened another day, but the surgeon thinks it was just inevitable, eventually it was going to go. Would it have happened on the 10th rep of 135?

Anyway, I'm immobilized for 6-8 weeks of recovery, (can't weight bear on the ankle, knee has to stay straight) figured the wisdom of the group would be interesting and helpful and keep me somewhat more sane.

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Originally Posted by mbdonner

So how do I know the other tendon won’t just go? What is too high a weight (if any). How do I think about this. My coach and physical therapist, the great Nick D'Agostino thinks it was just "shit luck" and might not have happened another day, but the surgeon thinks it was just inevitable, eventually it was going to go.

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You don't. It is not always possible to predict an injury based on technique or anything else. If I was to bet, I'd bet that your knees got forward on that rep, but maybe not. You can't always tell. At any rate, it will be time to switch to a paused box squat when you start back after it heals up enough. Don't plan on doing a normal rebound squat for 18-24 months, and you should have no trouble with it.

And ask the surgeon how many of these he's fixed on lifters. If it was just inevitable, it would have to be hundreds of patients, right? He won't appreciate that question.

I don't think the surgeon was suggesting that it was going to go because I was a lifter, but because the tendon itself was somehow compromised and eventually going to go. I have a friend who ruptured his playing basketball. I was filming it for Nick, and he thought it looked pretty good until it didn't. I looked at it once, can’t bring myself to look again.

Thanks for you input on the box squats, and your generosity to lifters. I’ll return to working with Nick once I can start to train again.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mbdonner

So here are the issues: No previous symptoms or warnings. Lots of contradictory information out there about quad ruptures. Young athletes get them, older guys get them the most. Some of the literature says that as we age, tendons get brittle, other literature says that exercise keeps them healthy, working the tendons makes the stronger.

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Any medications or prescriptions leading up to the injury?

PSA - Can Common Medications Affect Your Tendons?

Personally I've heard of a few of these cases over the decades, but it was the supinated bicep tendon on the DL....maybe an Achilles on one.

"uh oh, I took Cipro"

I had been on a 10 course of prednisone. Not sure if there is any relationship.

Could be a problem, but not like Cipro.