Does straight leg raise mean anything in a cast?

A week ago, I fell and fractured my patella in half and slightly displaced it. My doctor asked me to perform a straight leg raise, and I could not. So, he said my tendon, or "sleeve", was most likely ruptured and I would need surgery. Today, a week later, I went in for a follow up, and he asked me to perform a straight leg raise again, and this time I did, and he said I may not need surgery. However, I am in a hard cast from my upper thigh to my toes; so my question is, does being able to do the leg raise really mean anything? The cast is supporting my leg, it's my hip doing all the work.

[S. Kaul, MD]

Hi there!

Yes, it does. Well, this is slightly more complex than what we assume. The same muscle (quadriceps) that causes the knee to be straight (extend) causes the hip to bend (flex). When in a long leg cast, it’s only the movement at the knee joint that would not be possible to evaluate; however the ability to raise the leg when straight/ flex the hip can be tested, to evaluate the function of the muscle/ tendon.
Hope this is helpful.

Take care!

[BrianTheMute]

My leg isn't completely straight though, it's slightly bent at the knee. Does that change anything?

[S. Kaul, MD]

Hi there!

If the leg it still in a cast, it does not make a difference. If out of the cast and you can’t straighten your leg completely at the knee, but can raise the leg at the hip; this could indicate a muscle weakness/ stiffness as occurs after a period of immobilization or minor injury to the tendon, inflammation or related causes. This is likely to respond well to conservative management, not usually requiring a surgical intervention. You may like to discuss this in detail with your doctor.
Hope this helps.

Take care!