The patella (kneecap) is a flat, round bone that protects the knee joint. Having a broken kneecap can be painful, but in most cases a child will heal by wearing a cast for several weeks. Usually, kids wear a brace (a knee immobilizer) or a splint (partial cast) for the first few days, then get a cast. Here's how to keep your child comfortable as the injury heals.

• Your child should not put weight on the leg until the health care provider says it's OK.
• If your child has crutches, make sure they're used safely.
• To control swelling, for the first 2 days after the injury:
  • Put ice in a plastic bag wrapped in a towel and place it on the splint or knee for 20–30 minutes every 3–4 hours. Do not put ice directly on the skin.
  • Raise the knee above heart level by resting it on a pillow as often as possible.
• Follow up with the orthopedic specialist as directed.

For pain:

• Give your child acetaminophen (Tylenol^® or a store brand) or ibuprofen (Advil^®, Motrin^®, or a store brand) as recommended by the care team. Follow the package directions for how much to give and how often. 
• If your doctor prescribed a pain medicine but your child still has pain, ask the doctor or pharmacist if it is OK to also give your child acetaminophen or ibuprofen. 

Daily splint or brace care:

• Make sure your child does not pick at or scratch the skin under the splint or brace.
• If your child has a splint, don't try to remove or adjust it. 
• If your child has a knee brace, don't remove it unless the health care provider says it's OK. 
• Check daily to make sure the foot and toes are not pale, blue, numb, or tingling.
• Do not get the splint or brace wet. To protect it:
  • Put a plastic covering over the splint or brace when your child bathes and prop it on something, like a milk crate, to keep it completely out of the water.
  • Give sponge baths to kids under 5 years old.
  • Older kids should bathe instead of shower.
  • If the splint or brace is accidentally splashed, use a hair dryer on the cool setting to dry damp edges.

Your child:

• has pain that continues and is not helped by pain medicine
• has pain or swelling that gets worse

• Your child's foot or toes are tingling, numb, or blue.
• The splint or brace is damaged, gets wet, or has a foul odor.

How does a broken kneecap happen? Kids can get a broken kneecap from a hard blow to the knee or by falling on it. It usually takes a big force to break the kneecap, like during sports, rough play, or a car crash. 

How is a broken kneecap treated? Health care providers treat a broken kneecap at first with a splint or knee immobilizer (brace). These are like a cast and support the knee, but are soft part of the way around the leg to allow room for swelling. When the swelling goes down after a few days, the splint or brace may be changed to a full cast. The cast is usually removed after 4–6 weeks. Sometimes the brace can be used for the whole 4–6 weeks instead of a cast. Some fractures that do not heal well on their own may need surgery to bring the broken pieces of bone together.