The complete broken femur blog

[JimLad]

15 weeks to the day since my surgery. I have seen some improvement in the last month. The pain has subsided a bit and I am able to walk around a lot more now before any real discomfort. Been on holiday and was walking around sometimes for well over an hour. Hoping to get back to a more normal existence and get back into employment soon.

[Superduper]

4 months after surgery

I have had a good three weeks vacation doing nothing exercise wise and most of the pain I had some weeks ago are gone. Took a new x-ray on friday and everything is healing well and looking good, so according to the ortho I´m looking to operate out the compression hip screw sometime after my ski trip to Engelberg in february 2011.

I will now start up again with my exercise programme, as previously posted, but I´m gonna make sure to take it easy this time and only exercise a total of twice a week for the next couple of months.

[thin cover]

JL and SD. very good to hear that you guys are on the mend and walking! Keep going I am hoping to draft you guys on the way

[ahuramazda]

Hi, 5 months after surgery for me now and so far so good. Just had a couple of weeks resting the leg after working it pretty hard for several weeks. Getting the right combination of rest and exercise is important for sure. Interesting to hear that the removal date for you, Super, is Feb 2011. I'm going to see the Dr. again in late Sept and see what he says.

Good luck and keep updating.

[Superduper]

Hi again folks !

I´m now 4 1/2 months out after surgery and things are looking up. As I previously wrote the bone has healed well and the bone growth has been very good so a few days ago I incorporated 5 min. jogging into my warm up routine prior to doing my excercises in the local gym. I gotta be honest and say that it was a little awkward, but without any pain. Now a few days after I am still fine so it seems the little jog did no harm and I can continue doing it.

Hope the rest of you guys are having a good recovery as well.

[Superduper]

Now almost 5 months since the break and the recovery process is going well. Have done four days of exercise at the local gym in the last couple of weeks, all with a warm up jog of around 12-14 mins. I do feel the hip but and definitely good enough to let me keep jogging. Will try to slowly start building muscle mass in the legs in a month or so, with some squats with weights. Right now I´m doing balance board squats without weights.

The break doesn´t affect my day to day life anymore and in no way inhibits my range of movement.

I´m a happy camper !

[ahuramazda]

6 months now since the break.

I'm not limping any more, but of course there's still some pain.

I ran about 4km today - stop/start - but no big reaction in the leg. So, all things considered, I have to be happy. I'll see the Dr. at the end of Sept to determine when I have the rod removed - probably Nov time.

Nearly there!

[Superduper]

6 months now since the break.

I'm not limping any more, but of course there's still some pain.

I ran about 4km today - stop/start - but no big reaction in the leg. So, all things considered, I have to be happy. I'll see the Dr. at the end of Sept to determine when I have the rod removed - probably Nov time.

Nearly there!

Great stuff !

I ran a 7k myself the other day and did feel some pain in my hip a couple of days after and it is slowly subsiding. A few days ago there was a marathon race here in my town, and my goal now is to participate in a half marathon within a year.

[Superduper]

9k today and no pain during or after !

[Superduper]

6 months now since the break.

I'm not limping any more, but of course there's still some pain.

I ran about 4km today - stop/start - but no big reaction in the leg. So, all things considered, I have to be happy. I'll see the Dr. at the end of Sept to determine when I have the rod removed - probably Nov time.

Nearly there!

Hey - that´s great !

[ahuramazda]

I did a couple of 40km rides last week with no reaction in the hip. So, I have to be happy with that.

[ahuramazda]

Got a date in January 2011 for rod removal now - 9 months after the break, which is about normal from what I've read elsewhere. Apparently I'll be limping around for a month or so after the op and then it'll be sore for another 2 months as bone and muscle returns.

If you have any information on the operation and post-op stuff then that'd be handy.

[Superduper]

An update here now - still ok progress. I work out at a local gym twice a week. I run anything from 3-10 km and do weight exercises afterwards. Have started with some seated squats with weights and so far so good.

The other day though I was out watching my son play a football match and by chance the ball came towards me. I kicked it back rather hard and that motion was definately not something that felt too good. But I keep reminding myself that I really haven´t had more than 4 months of slow training and that the 6 weeks non bearing (or 25%) in the beginning prior to these months really set me back .

I have been ice-skating indoors with the kids and that wasn´t a problem at all. The real acid test will be in a month or so when it´s time to ski again....

By the by - I am keeping the rod removal on hold for now. As long as it doesn´t bother me I might as well leave it in.

Good luck to everyone !

[ahuramazda]

I'm either running or cycling most days now. Bit by bit the strength is coming back. I'm doing two 7km runs a week now with cycling and walking in between. So, I can't complain - just need to continue as I am.

I'll feel much better when the metal is removed; naturally, it causes the hip to move differently and so why have it in there if it has done its job?

Another thing that would be a good idea is to have some padding over the scar when doing activities - like they use in ice hockey or cricket.

Good luck.

[Superduper]

Another update. I have stepped down the running and are now doing 10-15 mins on the crosstraining machine followed by 10 min. cycling. Guess those long runs were too much. I still feel that there is something in my hip that is not supposed to be there and are thinking more about a removal next year. It has been 8 months since the break and a little over 6 months since I parkee the crutches so I guess there is supposed to be still some pain...

I might take the kids skiing tomorrow and in case I'll post how that went.

[Bobcat Sig]

It's been over a decade since I blew out my femur. Skiing at Big Sky on closing weekend and managed to break it clean in three places.

By fall, I was able to run short distances and I got a full and normal season that winter.

There's not silver bullet getting back, but I will tell you that I did my recommended PT double over what the docs said. I also worked in a lot of what did for dryland training when I used to race. Stretching was also crucial. Stretch, a lot.

[Superduper]

Ok, so I went skiing with the kids today....Can definately "feel the steel" but at least I´m fully able to do carving turns without too much discomfort. Weren´t able to do any full runs full speed down the slope as I usually do but I´m happy none the less with what I got. Hopefully I´ll get another run in a week or so and then I´ll give it full throttle to see if the hip/leg holds up. Right now, a few hours after skiing, there isn´t any special discomfort, but this might come tomorrow - time will show.......

[ahuramazda]

Hey there, 9 months now since the break. I have to be happy with the recovery. Of course there's still pain but at other times I hardly notice it.

I have a date in Jan for pin removal and so not long now. I'll update after the operation.

Also, from now on, I had the genius idea of wearing protective shorts with hip padding when cycling; there are many types for mountain biking, snowboarding etc.

[JimLad]

Yeah I'm getting some Dainese shorts, with plastic over the femurs which I will live in from here on out

[ahuramazda]

Happy 2011 fellow femur fracturers.

Had the rod removed and it was fine. I was worried one of the screws may have frozen in or that there was too much bone growth, but no issues. I was in and out of the hospital on the same day, which was nice as they're generally dismal places.

So back to physio now; the post-op experience is similar to the first time but just less painful or severe. 2 months til I can run on it again and so I guess I'll be on the exercise bike. It's also nice to have my leg back (minus half a femur).

Good luck and definitely have it removed if possible.

[JimLad]

Good to hear. You are in the UK right? How is the waiting time for the surgery? I'm seeing the consultant in April (1 year since injury) to discuss/schedule removal.

My hardware is different to yours though, as I have the full rod inside the femur as well as a hip screw. If I have a choice I think the end of summer would be ideal for me so I don't miss another summer of biking, but I guess I'm at the mercy of medical recommendations.

[Superduper]

Goong in for the comression hip screw removal in two weeks time.

Anybody know if one is able to walk without crutches? If not, then for how long?

[Superduper]

Taking out the steel on Friday, hope all goes well!

[Superduper]

All done - The CHS is out and I´m back home same day without crutches. Oh joy!

[Superduper]

Just another update here, week and a half after surgery I'd say I'm back to 75% already which is gooood news. Some pain still from the operation sore and stitches itself and a little stiff around some of the surrounding muscles but nothing else.