Tibial Plateau Fracture Recovery

Hi, sorry about your accident. I can't believe you waited a week for surgery :/

Interesting about the 2 rods, there must be a reason why your surgeon chose that hardware vs. plates--maybe you could ask when you go to have the staples removed?

Have you been given a prescription yet for PT? That will tell you what you're supposed to do from week-to-week. My PT has consisted of working on range of motion for several weeks, followed by strengthening exercises (and stationary bicycle), then toe-touching & gradual weight-bearing (from week 8 until now). I'm @ 11 weeks post-surgery & at least 75% weight-bearing, walking with one crutch (as of yesterday). I hope to be fully weight bearing at 3 months. Along the way, I always felt I should be doing more & that PT was pretty boring b/c you are stuck doing the same stuff. All that said, I have to admit it was all my body could take. Even now, I should be really happy about my progress but it swells like crazy when I use it. That tells me my body is still healing. Oh and, ice is your friend!

Let us know how you're doing along the way. Take care of yourself, and I hope you have a good recovery : )

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Originally Posted by Bpearce2407

I am 20 yrs old i have currently broke my tibia plateau .. i had 2 steel rods and 8 screws to replace it and fix it i am sorry i has a displaced tibia plateau... i broke it two weeks ago and waited a week to get it oprated on and that was done on the 11 of march.. i havent gotten into what i would say PT i am currently at home using a CPM machine and i can bend up to 45 with out pain but i am having trouble going straight i can do that to 0 in the negitive range is a little pain full... i have been told no weight bearing, and i still have my staples i am currently waitng to have them removed, maybe my leg will start to feel better ... i have been reading all over the web and i am not seeing anyone with the same injury any weight bearing before 3 mnths.. i am hoping that i get a little more PT experince..any thought s?

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bpearce2407

I am 20 yrs old i have currently broke my tibia plateau .. i had 2 steel rods and 8 screws to replace it and fix it i am sorry i has a displaced tibia plateau... i broke it two weeks ago and waited a week to get it oprated on and that was done on the 11 of march.. i havent gotten into what i would say PT i am currently at home using a CPM machine and i can bend up to 45 with out pain but i am having trouble going straight i can do that to 0 in the negitive range is a little pain full... i have been told no weight bearing, and i still have my staples i am currently waitng to have them removed, maybe my leg will start to feel better ... i have been reading all over the web and i am not seeing anyone with the same injury any weight bearing before 3 mnths.. i am hoping that i get a little more PT experince..any thought s?

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Sorry to hear about your injury. I am still getting over mine 6 mos post op.

I can tell you that my dr gave me a leg board to straighten my leg. It is a device that props up your leg just behind the heel and you have three straps to adjust the tension. You strap your leg in three areas (thigh, knee, and shin). You tighten straps until you feel slight pain and then you keep it there for 5 minutes, then you tighten it again. You do this for 30 minutes. It helps TREMENDOUSLY with your ability to straighten your leg and you will see immediate results.

Ask you Dr about it. I am not sure what the actual name of the device. Good luck with your rehab...

Hi All,
After 6-weeks on the couch, I have had my post-op visit with the orto. surgeon. X-rays look good. I was unaware that I had so much hardware in my leg (8 screws and a plate), but for the most part things look fine. Two concerns are 1) bone angle looks to be a few degrees more open at the region of injury; 1) cartilage damage to be watched closely as I apply weight over time.

I am to begin PT 3X per week for 4 weeks. Given permission for 50% weight bearing and no limitation on motion, or attempted motion thereof. Stationary bike is in play! (zero to low resistance) It will be great to do anything besides getting friction burns in my armpits. Allowed to be without crutches in another 4 weeks.

No indication whether or not the diet/extensive leg-lifts had an affect, but I lost 15 pounds along the way.

Keep a positive attitude everyone! It is a big part of the healing process.

I will update later as the PT work progresses.
Cheers

Attachment 95282 lookin' good

Attachment 95285 here it is without the blood

I am so grateful to have found this thread! It's given me a lot of insight into not only what to expect in my recovery, but also the diversity of this break.

I was in an auto accident 3-2-11 and slammed my foot on the floorboard (I was a passenger, and someone hit us in the front passenger side of the car) and the force broke my big toe, 5 fractures in the foot, one in the ankle, and the tibial plateau fracture. I had surgery on 3-3-11 and was released from hospitalization on 3-6-11. However, I was still having a lot of shoulder pain at the time, and would be staying with my mother where there is a ramp, so they did not have me walking on crutches, just a walker. I had my first post-op visit on 3-14 to have my staples removed. The doctor seemed pleased with my progress thus far.
My husband and I were scheduled to move that same day, (3-14) and while everything was moved, I was not because I am still using a walker and cannot navigate the stairs. My next post-op visit is next Monday (4-1) and I'm not entirely sure what to expect. I've been doing range of motion practices, and building my upper body strength, but my first formal PT session is 4-2. Hopefully they can get me on crutches and going up stairs soon. I really feel like I am displaced not living at home, but I simply wasn't able to do them right after the accident.

Also, I am in a Bledsoe Brace; it's fairly comfortable (As much as it can be, I suppose) with the exception of the pressure I feel in my thigh from the buckles and the weight of the outside bar. I previously had a femur break (about 4 years ago) and I don't know if that contributes to the pain, or if anyone else gets this feeling of deep bruising (no visible marks).

Hi Everyone,

I'm new to this forum, but have found it very helpful to read through all of your experiences to know that I'm not the only one going through a recovery from this type of injury.

I fractured (and displaced) my tibial plateau on Feb. 12th as a result of a snowboarding accident.

I had surgery the next day resulting in two metal plates, and 15 screws implanted to fix the fracture. Because of the severity of the break and the ligament damage, I also had to have an exterior fixation device attached for 3 weeks - which time I had to stay in a rehab hospital (the removal of this device is a whole other gruesome story I can share if anyone is interested).

After 3 weeks in the hospital, and about a month at home everything has been healing much better than expected. I'm getting around pretty well on crutches and in a wheelchair, and my brace has been unlocked permitting full range of motion in my knee, but no weight bearing for 3 more weeks. At that time, the surgeon said that I should be able to start walking.

Does anyone have any tips or exercises that they've done to help with regaining muscle and increasing range of motion? I'm doing everything the doctors and physical therapists have said religiously - and have been extremely aggressive with the PT. My progress so far has been great, in only a week I've increased my range of motion to 100 degrees and am lifting 10 pounds with the leg. My goal is to have the leg in the best shape possible so that when I get the go-ahead to bear weight and walk I will be ready.

I'm 27 years old and in very good physical shape - luckily no other injuries from the accident.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks, and good luck to everyone!

I'm a pretty active 28y/o male. Do a lot of mtb, road and cyclocross racing. Fractured my lateral tibial plateau on Feb 17th, 2011. I was skiing, and just had a awkward, slow fall where I was twisting as I fell and trying to regain my balance. Felt it, and heard it break. Had surgery 8 days later. I had an area of depressed bone that 3-4 cm below the level of the plateau. I got one plate and 5 screws as well as a graft to help fill in beneath the depressed fragments. In addition, the lateral meniscus was torn pretty good and the doctor said "we put a ton of sutures to hold it down"

The week leading up to the surgery was the worst as the knee was just so unstable. I was fine just laying in bed or on the couch but if my knee just slightly bent, I got severe pain in the inside of my knee (opposite side of where the break took place). Felt like tissues were being pinched or something like that. Immediately after surgery the pain on the inside of the knee was completely gone, and I just suffered from the "general knee pain." I had the surgery on a friday, and by next wednesday/thursday I was completely off pain meds. I would ocassionally wake up and take tylenol or ibuprofen, but really nothing during the day.

10 days after surgery I was back at work. I wore a compression legging to help with the swelling and had to ice my knee every evening. 2 weeks post op had the staples removed and the physician assistant opened my brace to 30 degrees. I quickly found that I could get to about 75 degrees without much trouble. I didn't push it further than that. 4.5 weeks post op I saw the Dr. for the first time since surgery. the xrays looked good to him and he said he was pleased with how things went back together (considering there was bone depressed 3-4 cm (not mm). He said there is one area approaching the middle of the plateau where there is a "step" in the bone of about 1 mm. He didn't seem too concerned with it and said since it's covered by cartilage. Said I will be partial weight bearing at 8 weeks and I now have the go ahead to ride the trainer and push my ROM as much as I can. Right now at 5 weeks I've pretty much got full extension and about 110 flex if i push it. I can tell it's getting better everyday though.

He said PT now wouldn't do much and to save it for when I can bear weight. I try to do quad sets, but feel I've reached a point where without resistance i'm at a plateau.

I've had 2 ACL's on the right knee which gave me trouble before the tibial plateau on the left, so I'm not planning on ever running again. I just want to be strong and race my bikes with no problems. I have a strange feeling though, that I will want my hardware out after 1 year - we'll see.

I just got confirmation that I got entry into the chequamegon 40 mtb race in september. I probably won't be fast like I want to, but I'm aiming for that as my comeback. Anxious to hit the PT hard once I can bear weight. Next years race season will be my real comeback.

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Originally Posted by jb1031

Hi Everyone,

I'm new to this forum, but have found it very helpful to read through all of your experiences to know that I'm not the only one going through a recovery from this type of injury.

I fractured (and displaced) my tibial plateau on Feb. 12th as a result of a snowboarding accident.

I had surgery the next day resulting in two metal plates, and 15 screws implanted to fix the fracture. Because of the severity of the break and the ligament damage, I also had to have an exterior fixation device attached for 3 weeks - which time I had to stay in a rehab hospital (the removal of this device is a whole other gruesome story I can share if anyone is interested).

After 3 weeks in the hospital, and about a month at home everything has been healing much better than expected. I'm getting around pretty well on crutches and in a wheelchair, and my brace has been unlocked permitting full range of motion in my knee, but no weight bearing for 3 more weeks. At that time, the surgeon said that I should be able to start walking.

Does anyone have any tips or exercises that they've done to help with regaining muscle and increasing range of motion? I'm doing everything the doctors and physical therapists have said religiously - and have been extremely aggressive with the PT. My progress so far has been great, in only a week I've increased my range of motion to 100 degrees and am lifting 10 pounds with the leg. My goal is to have the leg in the best shape possible so that when I get the go-ahead to bear weight and walk I will be ready.

I'm 27 years old and in very good physical shape - luckily no other injuries from the accident.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks, and good luck to everyone!

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How did you break it snowboarding? I'm 28, am a snowboarder and skier, but broke mine in a slow ski fall. I don't think I want to ski again but will probably snowboard to reduce the risk for future knee injury? I think you and I are at the exact place as far as recovery. Probably by the time you got out of external fixation I had my surgery.

As far as recovery goes, I should be partial weight bearing at the end of april, but with no weight bearing, I think the recovery is pretty limited until then (if you were active and in good shape before the injury) I've just been spending as much time out of my brace, stretching and working out the rest of my body. Quad sets with no resistance only go so far. Spinning on the trainer and laying on my stomach while stretching my knee and quad with a band.
Good luck.

Broke mine on a Snowboard, hit the knuckle on a 20ft kicker *SNAP*, I get a chill everytime I watch Comps on the tube. I'm 18 weeks out of surgery, riding both road/mountain bikes trying to get some endurance back, however, running is an iffy proposition, I can do it but I pay for it the next day. Still working on rebuilding my quads, I can't believe how fast it atrophied. Heading to Moab next week for a little slickrock action, I call it rehab.

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Originally Posted by stully05

How did you break it snowboarding? I'm 28, am a snowboarder and skier, but broke mine in a slow ski fall. I don't think I want to ski again but will probably snowboard to reduce the risk for future knee injury? I think you and I are at the exact place as far as recovery. Probably by the time you got out of external fixation I had my surgery.

As far as recovery goes, I should be partial weight bearing at the end of april, but with no weight bearing, I think the recovery is pretty limited until then (if you were active and in good shape before the injury) I've just been spending as much time out of my brace, stretching and working out the rest of my body. Quad sets with no resistance only go so far. Spinning on the trainer and laying on my stomach while stretching my knee and quad with a band.
Good luck.

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An out of control skier came out of a closed slope and collided with me. We both had pretty high speeds. I saw him at the absolute last second and tried to stop heel side, which caused me to completely plant my legs. The impact was both of his knees directly into my planted left knee from the side... so as you can imagine, my leg had no where to move to minimize the impact, so the leg took the entire force causing the break to be pretty severe.

Without weight bearing there isn't too much for me to do. It's basically just working on rebuilding the ridiculously atrophied muscles and working on ROM. I have been cleared to use ankle weights to do straight leg lifts for both the quad and hamstring, as well as leg curls (sitting and on my stomach) with the ankle weights. I've also been using bands to stretch and for calf exercises. It was very painful at first, but I'm up to 10 pounds on the leg now. I have physical therapy again tomorrow, so I'll see if they have any additional exercises for me to do. I'll let you know if there is anything good.

Good luck to you too.

Update: 4.5 weeks post op. Saw surgeon yesterday and he is allowing be to bear weight on my foot from those breaks now, and said that instead of 12 weeks no weight on knee, I only need 8. 3 more weeks!

Also, went to my first PT appointment today; I have full extension and am only 5 degrees from my desired 115 degrees. So until I can bear weight we are just strengthening everything until then.

Also, will be getting on crutches finally. The walker is really slowing me up.

Yay for all good news!

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Originally Posted by literatureartist

I am so grateful to have found this thread! It's given me a lot of insight into not only what to expect in my recovery, but also the diversity of this break.

I was in an auto accident 3-2-11 and slammed my foot on the floorboard (I was a passenger, and someone hit us in the front passenger side of the car) and the force broke my big toe, 5 fractures in the foot, one in the ankle, and the tibial plateau fracture. I had surgery on 3-3-11 and was released from hospitalization on 3-6-11. However, I was still having a lot of shoulder pain at the time, and would be staying with my mother where there is a ramp, so they did not have me walking on crutches, just a walker. I had my first post-op visit on 3-14 to have my staples removed. The doctor seemed pleased with my progress thus far.
My husband and I were scheduled to move that same day, (3-14) and while everything was moved, I was not because I am still using a walker and cannot navigate the stairs. My next post-op visit is next Monday (4-1) and I'm not entirely sure what to expect. I've been doing range of motion practices, and building my upper body strength, but my first formal PT session is 4-2. Hopefully they can get me on crutches and going up stairs soon. I really feel like I am displaced not living at home, but I simply wasn't able to do them right after the accident.

Also, I am in a Bledsoe Brace; it's fairly comfortable (As much as it can be, I suppose) with the exception of the pressure I feel in my thigh from the buckles and the weight of the outside bar. I previously had a femur break (about 4 years ago) and I don't know if that contributes to the pain, or if anyone else gets this feeling of deep bruising (no visible marks).

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I got 15 screws, 2 plates and 1 mini plate. Yay

Update: Went to PT on Tuesday, and am up to 119 degrees ROM. They were floored by the progress, only 11 more degrees until I am at the "normal" movement of 130 according to the therapist. Just counting down the days until the 21st, when I am (hopefully) able to bear weight and walk.

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Originally Posted by jb1031

Update: Went to PT on Tuesday, and am up to 119 degrees ROM. They were floored by the progress, only 11 more degrees until I am at the "normal" movement of 130 according to the therapist. Just counting down the days until the 21st, when I am (hopefully) able to bear weight and walk.

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I should be able to start bearing weight on the 25! It's nice to know someone out there is counting down too

You guys are dum have you heard of late collapse? I mean you shouldnt rush to walk make sure its 100% okay to walk without any complications besides the hardware. And it pisses me of on how all you guys think of is going back to stupid skeeing except for that one guy. Yall should focus on full recovery. It does depend on your fracture but it seems most of these are bad like mines. So just be smart

Hi All,

I am a little over 8-weeks post surgery. My foot is no longer purple and most of the swelling in the lower leg is gone, but the knee is still a bit swollen.

I have had 2 sessions of PT. Because my insurance is only good for 8 visits, my PT is setting me up with a lengthy to-do list between the spread of visits. The PT sessions include forcing the straightening and bending of the knee to maximize the range of motion. I am now on a stationary bike and working on a "clean" pedal stroke, with no cheating by pointing my toe downward at the top of the stroke. I am swimming a couple of times per week, mostly working on kicking while floating on my back (usually about 10-30 min).

I am about 50% weight bearing, and should be assigned to a cane in the next 1-2 weeks. Looking forward to biking outside when it stops snowing and I can put full weight on the leg.

Every break is different and everyone is different. Keep a positive attitude! Don't let the bastards drag you down.

Cheers

Just broke my tibial plateau on 4/2/11. Lateral side, 3mm displaced and 3mm depressed. Weird, off balance, twisting fall. Had surgery on 4/5/11 with a plate and 7 screws. Ortho said meniscus looked good but she didn't look for any other ligament damage.

Stopped taking pain meds 3 days after surgery. Pain has generally been gone except sometimes when standing up from sitting with leg raised.

I had my first follow up visit with the ortho on 4/11/11. She was very happy with how everything was progressing and gave approval for non-weight bearing PT.

continued later...

Haus? Haus? Damn, sorry to hear that.
Man, you are the all-time low-count poster of TGR.
Do it at Mammoth?
Heal up, mang.

I had a waterski accident 27 Dec 2010 & operated on tibial plateau fracture 6 Jan 2011. Inserted plate,screws & artificial bone - 3 months not weight bearing & started weight bearing 1 April 2011. It is going slow and sore and I'm still on crutches. Ligament "slack" which leads to wobbly leg. Anyone any advise? So glad to hear about taking it slow as i aleady expected to be walking without any aid.... :-(

Update: 5 weeks since operation; 9 screws and 2 plates, no ligament damage. Swelling has gone away from ankle and foot but knee area still slightly swollen. Pain is non-existent during the day but at night it feels like throbbing around the knee-joint and not the actual break. PT consists of lying on couch and trying to extend then flex the leg. Extension is nearly 90%, back of my knee is about 1" from couch surface. Flexing is about 90% as well, however some days are better than others. I am going to see the doc April 26th, so I will update shortly thereafter. Side note, I happened to meet a guy who suffered a Tibial Plateau Fracture 10 years ago and he said after about 1 year things were nearly 100%. I don't know if this is good or bad news, but just something for us gimps to look forward to. Incidentally he was walking, running and doing everything a normal 40 year old guy would do...
Good luck everyone and remember there's a bunch of us going through this, you're not alone!
Doug

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Originally Posted by Almarie

I had a waterski accident 27 Dec 2010 & operated on tibial plateau fracture 6 Jan 2011. Inserted plate,screws & artificial bone - 3 months not weight bearing & started weight bearing 1 April 2011. It is going slow and sore and I'm still on crutches. Ligament "slack" which leads to wobbly leg. Anyone any advise? So glad to hear about taking it slow as i aleady expected to be walking without any aid.... :-(

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I was 3 months non-weight bearing and when i did start to walk I had the same "loose knee". For me, that feeling went away as I gained strength. Talk to your doctor or PT about it and see what they think would be the best exercise for you. For me, it was on a stationary bike, then a stair climber. I'm almost 2 years out and am a pretty active guy, but my broken leg is still smaller than my good one. Just take it easy, and don't overdo it. Every day is one day closer to being 100% again.

I am 29 yrs old, fractured my Tibial Plateau on March 21st 2011 playing pick-up basketball, it was a displaced fracture which required 8 screws and 1 plate. I had surgery 2 days later and am currently about 5 weeks out from that. Pain was very harsh for 3-4 days after the surgery, they had me on percocet and dilodid for the first couple of days after surgery and switched me to oxycoton and oxycodone in combination and that seemed to work for me staying ahead of the pain. I would recommend to anybody going through this don't try and be a hero, keep up on your meds. I have experienced pain here and there throughout the last 4 weeks but nothing compared to right after surgery. I have really tried to ice the knee 24/7 and did pretty religiously for the first 3 weeks, this really seemed to help the swelling and pain that I had. At 3 weeks I quit the meds cold turkey which was good and bad, I have no real pain but am uncomfortable when trying to relax or sleep.

I did develop a small blood clot in my lower calf but the doctors werent to concerned about it and just had me heat the area and wrapped my leg from groin to toe. One thing that I am really having a problem with lately is sleeping, for the majority of my life I have slept on my stomach and know I am always sitting or laying on my back with the leg elevated. This is probably to worst part for me as I am so uncomfortable some nights I cannot sleep at all.

I have had the use of a pool for the last 2 weeks and have tried doing some hip flexion work and leg extensions while in the water, these seem to be getting easier, i should mention I haven't been clear for and PT yet so I am doing these as long as they don't really hurt.

I have an appt. scheduled for 7 weeks and am hoping to start some weight bearing/ physical therapy then. Not sure if that will be the case, as I have seen a lot of people here post about 3 months with no weight. I am about ready to throw my crutches in the garbage, i despise them! I feel really good overall about my knee and the way I am healing. I have been praying over the knee daily and asking God for healing which i trust he is providing.

I started off at 50 degrees flexion 2 weeks after surgery and am at 90 degrees now, I was told to increase it 20 degrees every 7-10 days, so i am increasing 10 degrees every 5. My ext is what worries me I can get to 0 degrees when I lay it down, but can't get past that. Does anyone have any tips or exercises I can do in the pool to help with the recovery?

Thanks for all your personal stories posted here as they gave me hope for my recovery.
God Bless
JC

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Originally Posted by Lawless

I was 3 months non-weight bearing and when i did start to walk I had the same "loose knee". For me, that feeling went away as I gained strength. Talk to your doctor or PT about it and see what they think would be the best exercise for you. For me, it was on a stationary bike, then a stair climber. I'm almost 2 years out and am a pretty active guy, but my broken leg is still smaller than my good one. Just take it easy, and don't overdo it. Every day is one day closer to being 100% again.

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I broke my Patella in half and experienced a Class 4 Tibial Plateau fracture after hitting a tree skiing on Presidents weekend this February 19th. I am 49 and was in excellent shape prior to experiencing these high energy fractures. I was skiing fast in the woods when I hit a Beech tree head on with my left knee at a high rate of speed. This occured in the back country woods known as the "Orchard" at Sugarbush Vermont. Because I bounced off the tree and landed in deep snow on my back I believe I avoided a number of soft tissue injuries.

They reduced the fractures on Feb. 27th with seven screws and a plate. They were able to get a very good alignment on the tibial plateau. On April 11, X rays showed my bones to be healed and was allowed 25% weight bearing. Today, 4/27 I am at 75% weight bearing and can walk on it. I have complete, normal extension and can bend it about 115 degrees. I am in the gym twice a week (since April 11th) and will increase this to 3 times a week starting next week (5/2) when allowed to walk without the crutch (full weight bearing).

I tossed my brace and have been performing squats, leg curls, riding the bike, etc..
My knee does feel odd at times but it does not hurt. The "floating" feeling was noticible at first but is rapidly diminishing. I expect to make a full recovery if my 8 1/2 weeks of progress is any indication.

It has not been an easy two months for me and it does not look like this will be a devestating injury - just a good bump in the road.

Everytime I look at the X-Ray I cannot believe all of that equipment is in my leg! It doesn't seem right. I expect to be back at the slopes next year although I will be much more carefull in the woods!

Chris

Just saw the Doc yesterday. Healing looks good and he cleared me to start full weight bearing. I will say that after 1 day of walking around, my foot and heel is what hurts the most. Some small aches in the knee, but I have good feeling I should be coming around real quick. I start aggressive PT next week with the goal of racing road and mtb by late july/august. So essentially 13 weeks to get as much strength and endurance as I can, although it probably won't be 100% until 1 year.