Tibial Plateau Fracture Recovery

[kimzz53]

Hi, all -- has anyone had meniscus repaired after fwb? If so, How did it go?

OS let me know from the beginning that he was concerned about the tpr and wasn't waiting for a soft-tissue MRI before surgery. He said if there were problems, we'd know after FWB. Well, it's been a month for me since FWB and I continue with shin-splint type pain, considerable knee swelling, and a great deal of pain when turning the knee, as well as issues walking up or down ramps or uneven ground. Sometimes walking makes the joint feel like it's bone-on-bone. We are waiting until the next appt, basically 5 month post-surg visit, to determine if surgery is required.

Good news to this point: bone graft is good, ROM is excellent and I can hyperextend (normal for me), and the quad and calf are back (thank you PT and pool!). Neither OS nor I expected to get full ROM, so I am really grateful.

And I am finally coming out of that weird otherworldly stupor from the surgery and immobility. Feeling " normal" again!

Injury: 9/5/12
Surgery:9/13/12 screws, plates, bone graft
Pt: 10/24/12
PWB: 11/20/12
FWB:12/13/12

[peaton]

I have almost ever sensation you describe. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one in this boat. My surgeon said he wouldn't consider disturbing the inner knee/soft tissue until I made it a year. Considering I WAS a waitress, dog sled and horseback ride, it has been a long wait. I guess at least I am walking. Let me know how things go for you.

Hi, all -- has anyone had meniscus repaired after fwb? If so, How did it go?

OS let me know from the beginning that he was concerned about the tpr and wasn't waiting for a soft-tissue MRI before surgery. He said if there were problems, we'd know after FWB. Well, it's been a month for me since FWB and I continue with shin-splint type pain, considerable knee swelling, and a great deal of pain when turning the knee, as well as issues walking up or down ramps or uneven ground. Sometimes walking makes the joint feel like it's bone-on-bone. We are waiting until the next appt, basically 5 month post-surg visit, to determine if surgery is required.

Good news to this point: bone graft is good, ROM is excellent and I can hyperextend (normal for me), and the quad and calf are back (thank you PT and pool!). Neither OS nor I expected to get full ROM, so I am really grateful.

And I am finally coming out of that weird otherworldly stupor from the surgery and immobility. Feeling " normal" again!

Injury: 9/5/12
Surgery:9/13/12 screws, plates, bone graft
Pt: 10/24/12
PWB: 11/20/12
FWB:12/13/12

[peaton]

I too was 14wks NWB in a straight leg brace, not allowed to do any real PT. It is a long process.

Shmoopie, Wow! That is a lot of non weight bearing time, I'm so sorry. Why did your surgeon want you to wait the additional time? My surgeon gave me a script for PT right away I was just struggling with finding in network and all that HMO jazz. I can't do much but I can do leg lifts, ankle flexion, hip movements and very small ROM. Nothing with weight bearing of course. Good luck and I hope we all heal quickly.

[itsdeenah]

Hia, I had meniscus surgery right before X-mas. I was FWB in Sept. and had the same feeling in my leg. The OS went in arthroscopically and removed 75% of my meniscus the only part that survided was the piece he stitched in my big surgery (shocking) I was having a high level of pain infront and behind my knee, ROM couldn't bend past 105 on my own and I'm still having trouble straightening all the way. Overall I'm very happy with the scope it still feels stiff when I first get up from sitting or laying but once I start walking a couple steps zero pain and I can strike my heel like a "real" step. It will be 1 yr. in April but I have a feeling I'm always going to baby that leg and it always feels like bone on bone or should I say on bonegraph ughh gross. Anyway, good luck with yours and keep us posted. I'm glad I went back and had the 2nd. surgery hope all goes well for you!

Hi, all -- has anyone had meniscus repaired after fwb? If so, How did it go?

OS let me know from the beginning that he was concerned about the tpr and wasn't waiting for a soft-tissue MRI before surgery. He said if there were problems, we'd know after FWB. Well, it's been a month for me since FWB and I continue with shin-splint type pain, considerable knee swelling, and a great deal of pain when turning the knee, as well as issues walking up or down ramps or uneven ground. Sometimes walking makes the joint feel like it's bone-on-bone. We are waiting until the next appt, basically 5 month post-surg visit, to determine if surgery is required.

Good news to this point: bone graft is good, ROM is excellent and I can hyperextend (normal for me), and the quad and calf are back (thank you PT and pool!). Neither OS nor I expected to get full ROM, so I am really grateful.

And I am finally coming out of that weird otherworldly stupor from the surgery and immobility. Feeling " normal" again!

Injury: 9/5/12
Surgery:9/13/12 screws, plates, bone graft
Pt: 10/24/12
PWB: 11/20/12
FWB:12/13/12

[tinka333]

Hia, I had meniscus surgery right before X-mas. I was FWB in Sept. and had the same feeling in my leg. The OS went in arthroscopically and removed 75% of my meniscus the only part that survided was the piece he stitched in my big surgery (shocking) I was having a high level of pain infront and behind my knee, ROM couldn't bend past 105 on my own and I'm still having trouble straightening all the way. Overall I'm very happy with the scope it still feels stiff when I first get up from sitting or laying but once I start walking a couple steps zero pain and I can strike my heel like a "real" step. It will be 1 yr. in April but I have a feeling I'm always going to baby that leg and it always feels like bone on bone or should I say on bonegraph ughh gross. Anyway, good luck with yours and keep us posted. I'm glad I went back and had the 2nd. surgery hope all goes well for you!

I'm 14 weeks post surgery and I have been FWB now for about 4 weeks and have been crutch/aid free for about 2 full weeks now. My main issue is terrible pain directly above/below and behind my knee cap.

Is this what you all have experienced with meniscus tears??

Its such an intense pain i can not do a straight leg lift / Can not lay on my back with my leg raised and straighten at the knee / Can not sit in a chair and straighten my leg out in front of me (and if i do it kills to release it!!) and get intense pain when walking up and down stairs (all around the knee cap). when i was NWB and PWB i had no knee pain and could straighten my leg in this way with no worries but after FWB the pain in my knee cap is so "sharp" I cant do it (even though my quads are stronger now)

My O/S cleared me last week saying unless i have any concerns i dont need to see him again but im worried about this pain.
My kneecap was getting "Stuck" when i straightened my leg (locked my knee) a few weeks back but that seems to have passed but the pain is still there all the time???

meniscus tear???

[farawaydave]

hi all i stumbled across this forum in a google search of tibial plateau recovery and has been a great read. im currently 6.5 weeks out from breaking my left tibial plateau on a motorbike so far i have been increasing the flex every 2 weeks currently at 60 degrees going to 90 on friday. im still non weight bearing so on crutches. went for an xray and a check up at the 4 week mark and the surgeon said everything is as it should be which is a big relief got another at the 8 week mark so fingers crossed. after reading this thread i think i have a long road ahead of me. i wish everyone here a speedy recovery.

thanks.

dave.

[leejem]

6 months down the track from a displaced TPF and shin fracture, plate and 10 screws. I have almost full range of movement back. Ankle slightly less flexible than my other but working on that. I did my first yoga class the other night and did much better than I expected, bit slow to move into poses but could hold most of them. I cycled 40km the same day...couldn't do that pre-fracture!

My bad leg is around 1 inch smaller around the thigh that the good leg. Still alot of muscle wastage and I have to concentrate while cycling to make the bad leg work hard.

I have pain with every step, around the knee and also down the inside of my shin. Not sure if that's muscular, or caused by the screws or just normal. Some days it's more bearable than others, I rarely need to take pain killers but it sometimes causes me to limp. I'll persevere and hope it goes away, if not go back to the ortho at 12 months and discuss hardware removal.

I don't send off the sensors in the airport

5 months until our ski season starts. No idea if I'll be able to ski (mine was a ski accident) but I'll be giving it a good try.

So that's me 6 months out. Still feel like I have a long way to go, but if I look back 6 months I can see how far I've come.

[Casper2012]

I had my TKR surgery 10 days ago..staples come out on Monday and I think the worst of the surgical recovery is over. I still have pain and taking full doses of meds but swelling has gone down and the pain is manageable. Initial measures are 68 ROM and 8 ext so I have a lot of PT ahead of me but looking forward to positive progress after 10 long months!

[Melismis]

I have a quite amusing story of how I did this, but I can honestly say it's the worst pain I've ever felt.
After surgery, it does get better, but I still feel trapped and overly dependent on others for things I had never remotely considered.
I broke my tibial plateau on November 6, and I just got the okay for some weight bearing a week ago. Physical therapy seems to be going well, but it's so frustrating to be so limited.

[Melismis]

I recently shattered my tibia plateau and it was very bad, im just a week out of surgery, lots of pain, no weight, no bending. Its going to be long for me considering I am extremely active. A kid cut out from a trail while skiing, completely outta control, took a ski boot to the knee! if i didnt carve left he woulda been dead, I was steaminnnnn down the slope. Worst thing Im experiencing right now is the achiiles tendon/calf tenderness and tightness. Anyone else suffer from that? any way to reverse the tightness? any help would be great!

Yes! Same Achilles pain for me. The only thing that's helped is pointing and flexing my foot, massaging my Achilles, and icing the heck out of everything

[Melismis]

https:// www.facebook.com/ groups/ tibalplateaufractures/

Remove the spaces!! lol

I sooo need this group! People just do not "get" what it means to fracture your tibial plateau...game changer!!!

[ATLRunner]

1 YR anniversary checking in. Hooray! Greetings to all who frequent this site. I have been meaning to post for some time, but now that I have reached the 1 year anniversary, I couldn’t wait any longer. I know for me this site was a lifesaver for me after my accident. I didn’t know anything about the fracture or anything about the rehab process that was ahead of me. If you are here, you joined a club you never intended to join. I found it somewhat comforting when I read about others who had gone before me and that they were indeed back to their once active lives and that give me encouragement. Like anything, I initially felt it was apples and apples and didn’t comprehend the different degrees of he fractures. Mine was a level 5. I knew I was in for a long fight and many months of healing would have to take place before I could ditch the crutches and begin to learn to walk again. Something I never thought about when I had my accident. Learn to walk again? What? I thought I would simply jump out of bed and start walking when given clearance, but didn’t think there would be a limp. Naive I was indeed!

My low point was the morning after my accident when I woke up and thought it was a bad dream. I couldn't believe I had broken my leg and had no idea what I was in for. I was a pretty active runner ( tons of 10Ks and a marathon just 7 yrs earlier ) and an avid golfer and didn't know if I would ever do either once again. I remember having a 45 min pity party and then something inside me snapped. I knew this would do me no good and the neg thoughts would not help me in the rehab process. I began reflect on the many seriously injured solders who were returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who were waiting for their prosthetics to be made for them. It put it all in perspective for me. Yes, I was injured, but I would most likely walk again. I was determined to do anything and everything to get back to 100%. The one thing that hit me was a phrase my dear aunt used to tell me. You know that aunt who would always hug & kiss you, give you candy and tell you how great you are? She used to always tell me "your health is your wealth!" Of course at 8 or 12 or 25, I couldn't relate with that phrase. It was one of those things that sounded wise, but it had no application for me. I'd never had a set back and life was grand. However, I had never forgotten that phrase and it rings truer than ever! My dear aunt passed away about 8 years ago, but I have never forgotten that phrase along with many other pearls of wisdom she would throw my way.

I'm glad the "dark days" are behind me, but I won't ever forget them. The pain, swelling, lack of sleep (esp that first week ), the pain meds ( I was fortunate I didn't stay on them long - 4 days ), having to get up and down my 3 level home, navigating the bath and shower, etc. Everything took 2-3x longer than before. I'd never thought about putting in contacts while on crutches. I couldn't carry anything while using the crutches, but like most of you, I learned some tricks along the way. I'll never forget the feeling of that 1st shower and how good it felt despite the fear of slipping and going backwards with my healing process. As I was progressing, I started to realize it was as much mental as it was physical. I knew that the physical part would be lengthy, but it was the mental part that would help keep my sanity. Being the impatient person that I am at times, I wanted to know what my future would look like. I was making lists like a maniac for my next OS or PT visit. When would I run again? Could I run again? ( Btw, my OS said that he doesn't want me to run again....ever. ) Could I play golf? If so, could I play as well as I once did. I'm a 5 hdcp. Could I navigate stairs? All of these things that I NEVER thought about were now front and center for me. Again, my PT and OS didn't have all the answers, but both were very encouraging along the way. I told both of them from day 1, "don't sugar coat anything!" I just had to do what they said to do, be a good patient and trust in the process. I can't go any further without acknowledging how important my faith was during this process. I have always been told that God won't give you things you can't handle and I had to believe that and trust that God would see me through this and I would be ok eventually. To date, God has indeed blessed me with healing bones, a good body and a determined spirit. I again had a dose of perspective after returning home from the hospital. I had to ride in one of those carts at the grocery store that I thought I would never, ever need to ride in. Once I got my groceries, I would need some help getting them out to my car. I encountered a young man at the local Target who was kind enough to help me. Of course as many of you know, when you are on crutches, everyone wants to know how you broke your leg. I thought about making a flyer for strangers. I had my macho answer which was either Seal Team 6 or X Games Aspen and not the real one....a ladder collapse helping a friend get pine straw off the roof. Anyway, back to my friend at Target. After I told him about my accident and how I was now much more sensitive to ADA issues, curbs, etc. He said he was indeed sympathetic to my situation as his 24 yr old g/f had a fall at work a year earlier and is paralyzed from the waist down and in a wheel chair. Yes, it was pretty sobering to hear that story and realize I didn't have it so bad. After all, this was just a temp set back and I had to continue to tell myself just that.

I think the key is getting through the NWB portion. To me, those 50 days were pretty boring and there wasn't a lot I could do other than the few exercises my PT gave me. Any movement is good to keep the atrophy from getting worse. You just don't want to have a set back. I focused on my diet and doing puzzles, reading and looking up stuff on my iPad. The iPad was a lifesaver for me. I read a bunch about the rehab process as well as other things unrelated to health care. Movies were good too. Keep the mind active and stay positive. A good support system is key. I hope you all have that. All of my family is out of town, but my brother did come to stay with me for 2 weeks once I returned home from the hospital. Fortunately, it was my left leg and I was able to start driving 3 weeks after surgery. As most of you know, your diet during the healing process is key. Yes, you need more calcium. Since you are not burning the normal calories as you were when active, make sure you taking in a balanced and healthy diet. Fortunately for me, I lost 17 lbs during the process.

Once I got to PWB and then later to FWB, the process picked up and wasn't as boring. I was moving again and that gave me hope. However, I didn't just get up and run. It was B-A-B-Y S-T-E-P-S! I moved much slower than I thought I would and that was discouraging. I never thought I would have to relearn how to walk. Learning to retrain my gait was something I didn't know I would have to grind through, but I did and you will too. Without getting into specifics, I will share what my PT told me. Listen to your body. If you can push it and it doesn't hurt, push it. But if you have pain and discomfort, then back off. Yes, I know. It's common sense 101, but I used it to perfection. One of best days I can remember was on April 30th, when I returned my crutches to the hospital. To be able to get out of my car and return them to the ER was a great feeling!

I'm glad to report that I'm now walking with no noticeable limp. I can play golf and do just about anything as before except for run. I have changed gyms and have found other things that I enjoy such as biking, swimming and walking. I feel that I'm still healing in a sense. I know I need to get my muscle strength back. I don't know what the future holds as far as running. I'm going to explore getting the hardware removed and will be going to see a new OS in my home town ( my OS is 120 mi away and I feel he did a good job, but want to get a 2nd opinion from a sports med OS locally ). I've read some of the pros and cons and know that some of you have had your hardware removed. The "idea" of getting it out is exciting and know it will feel better, but it's another surgery, risk of infection, more rehab, but not to the extent of the 1st one, and so on. For now, I'm enjoying my new mobility and life is indeed richer.

In closing, I want to thank all of those who proceeded me and contributed to this site. You never know how much that helped me to read your stories. It was great to read the multitude of practical tips to help get though the day and to give me hope for the better days ahead. To those of you who are new to the site and your TPF is more recent, I want to encourage you and let you know that it does get better. There will be hurdles along the way, but trust in the process. I hope each and everyone of you have a great OS as well as a great PT. I was fortunate to have both and to me, they both were great at answering questions as well as providing me with steps to aid in my healing process. If you have any questions, I'll be glad to answer as well as I possibly can.

I wish you God's blessings and great healing to you all!


1/15/12 - TPF - Level V
1/19/12 - ORIF - 2 plates, 9 screws
2/13/12 - Begin PT, ROM 105
3/9/12 - PWB
4/4/12 - Ditch crutches, riding stationary bike 20-30 min
5/13/12 - walked 2 miles, noticeable limp, sore, swelling
7/4/12 - walked 10k, moderate swelling, limp getting better
9/22/12 - walked 27 miles over 4 days, slight limp, no pain
11/23/12 - limp virtually unnoticeable

[Casper2012]

Atlrunner. Thanks for your post. I'm sure that many will find it most encouraging. I can't agree more that keeping a positive attitude is crucial to recovering from this injury. Like you and most of us I had no idea how serious of an injury this is and would never have imagined that 10 months post surgery I would be now be recovering from a TKR, my 3rd surgery. I also found that thinking about others in much worse health situations made my injury seem less daunting and gotme through some of the dark times. In a way I feel like I'm starting over currently non weight bearing, lots of pain but I'm so ready to begin moving forward albeit my progress will be slow. It's you and others on this forum that post your victories that help the rest of us through this and give us hope of returning to a normal life.

[itsdeenah]

Hi Tinka333,
Yes that is exactly what I was dealing with - same places same pain same inability with ROM. At first my OS said keep going with PT thinking it was all scar tissue. But I went back twice and demanded an MRI I knew something was wrong like way wrong. I couldn't do the leg lifts at all either or the stairs. After the MRI they clearly saw my meniscus was 75% torn and ripped away sticking out all over plus the scar tissue built up what a mess! My leg is still a little stiff when I do the leg lifts and it still pops just a little but without any pain. This weekend I went up the stairs without using the railing and not one at a time but really walking up the stairs. It sounds so minor but for me it's huge haha. Hope this helps my advice would be to insist on the MRI let them get a clear look at it and then they can decide what's best. Good Luck keep us posted on how it goes

I'm 14 weeks post surgery and I have been FWB now for about 4 weeks and have been crutch/aid free for about 2 full weeks now. My main issue is terrible pain directly above/below and behind my knee cap.

Is this what you all have experienced with meniscus tears??

Its such an intense pain i can not do a straight leg lift / Can not lay on my back with my leg raised and straighten at the knee / Can not sit in a chair and straighten my leg out in front of me (and if i do it kills to release it!!) and get intense pain when walking up and down stairs (all around the knee cap). when i was NWB and PWB i had no knee pain and could straighten my leg in this way with no worries but after FWB the pain in my knee cap is so "sharp" I cant do it (even though my quads are stronger now)

My O/S cleared me last week saying unless i have any concerns i dont need to see him again but im worried about this pain.
My kneecap was getting "Stuck" when i straightened my leg (locked my knee) a few weeks back but that seems to have passed but the pain is still there all the time???

meniscus tear???

[drob2342]

I found this forum via google after suffering my fracture on 1/14/12. My leg simply gave out on me while making a move playing basketball. I had surgery on 1/18/12....in at 6 am in the morning and checked out at 11:30 that same morning. I tell people that timeline and they are very surprised...is that normal? 2 plates and 7 screws. I'd post the pics but I don't know how to get them off the cd the images were burned on. Dealing with the pain now and the inability to sleep through the night. Just can't get comfortable!

[lgillingham]

I have a triumph to share. I'm 54, avid runner, and had my tpf on march 7, 2012. Six screws and a plate. Nwb six weeks and fwb as much as tolerated right away. I trained for six weeks from the moment I started to walk again for a marathon and did it in 6:32! My personal worse marathon but a triumph. I walked trails all summer long working on strengthening my muscles. In sept. my surgeon released me to run again. I started right up with three miles and got up slowly to five, then eight, and kept adding. I made my big return to a trail run this past weekend. I ran (yes, I ran the whole race) a 30 k (about 19 miles) and I came in second for my age division. The best part was seeing a female runner at mile 18 and deciding I could race her to the finish. I overtook her, and beat her easily by a couple of minutes. I'm now training to run a marathon on June. I feel fixed although I still feel the knee. It's a nagging shin splint feeling but it comes and goes and the more I run the less I notice it. I know that sounds counter intuitive. I'm more of a jog than a solid run but I can run and I am getting faster. I'm running a 9 min mile pace but on the trail ....much slower.

My advice is to walk and work on kicking out the leg to force the extensions you need. Babying this injury is not necessary. My surgeon gave me no limitations and told me he thought I'd be able to run marathons again. During my dark days ( weeks 2-4 were the worst) I never would have believed it. It hurt when I started but I never gave up and kept pushing it and each day it was better. I had the foot pain, the numbing, swelling, etc. I think we all shared those parts. But the healing can happen. Just don't sit around and wait for it. I am whimpy on big rocks with some fear of it giving out, but it doesn't and I keep working on learning to trust it will work and it does.

Just wanted to share.

I actually felt very vulnerable to not be running for safety reasons alone...so to be able to run means the world to me.

Best of luck to all. I have loved reading the stories as well.

[kmrrdb]

ATLRunner. I could not agree more and everything you said lines up with my experience so far. I am almost 5 months post op from my displaced/depressed TPF. 1 plate and 4 screws. NWB for 8 weeks, PWB into 12 weeks and then also had to learn to walk again. Although not much of a runner, I did bike alot and golf 1 to 2 times weekly. 7 hcp at the time, wondering how that will be when I get back to that, although not sure my wife and kids are real excited about me getting back out on golf course. I have been walking now for about 6 weeks and getting better each week. Strength continues to improve at PT each week. Currently 144 on flex and 1 on extension. My PT runs out this month, but I plan to purchase another month or stay with it until my flex is 100%. I do really believe my dedication to PT and pushing a little harder each week accelerated by recovery. Now that I am almost 5 months out and getting back to a normal life and as much as the 1st month really sucked I believe this experience has given me a better outlook on life. I also used the comparison of other injuries or illness to help me. In reality its just a broken leg and just temporary. Cancer, mlitary injuries and all the other crazy things that we watch on the news daily makes this look like nothing. If you just accept it and move forward with getting better, the time seems to go by much quicker and you probably heal faster.

[lgillingham]

P.S. I bought a Tommie cooper sleeve that I really like and wear it when I run. It's like a compression sock but it covers the knee down to my ankle.

[imajypsee]

I take it that you don't have medical insurance? Other than that, I can't speculate as to why you were released so quickly. What does the surgeon say regarding post op weight bearing, etc.

I found this forum via google after suffering my fracture on 1/14/12. My leg simply gave out on me while making a move playing basketball. I had surgery on 1/18/12....in at 6 am in the morning and checked out at 11:30 that same morning. I tell people that timeline and they are very surprised...is that normal? 2 plates and 7 screws. I'd post the pics but I don't know how to get them off the cd the images were burned on. Dealing with the pain now and the inability to sleep through the night. Just can't get comfortable!

[drob2342]

I take it that you don't have medical insurance? Other than that, I can't speculate as to why you were released so quickly. What does the surgeon say regarding post op weight bearing, etc.

No I have very good insurance, thank God! I can't imagine if I didn't. My surgeon has encouraged me to put weight on it with crutches of course. He wants me to walk as normal as possible with the crutches and utilize the range of motion machine he ordered up for me. So far I am at a full 90 degrees. 10 to -5 degrees is the most painful. I'm off the pain meds because of the crazy side effects. I'm taking Aleve instead.

[imajypsee]

I'm guessing that you didn't have a compression of any sort, so no bone graft? Frankly, everything I've read says no weight on the knee is critical. The fact that you have plates indicates that the bone was in pieces. If it were me, I'd get another opinion.

No I have very good insurance, thank God! I can't imagine if I didn't. My surgeon has encouraged me to put weight on it with crutches of course. He wants me to walk as normal as possible with the crutches and utilize the range of motion machine he ordered up for me. So far I am at a full 90 degrees. 10 to -5 degrees is the most painful. I'm off the pain meds because of the crazy side effects. I'm taking Aleve instead.

[peaton]

I was only in the hospital 24hrs after my surgery, multiple fractures w/compression, 1 plate and 6 screws. So that doesn't sound unusual to me. However, seems very early for any weight bearing. I too would get a second opinion. I was 14wks with no weight bearing.

I'm guessing that you didn't have a compression of any sort, so no bone graft? Frankly, everything I've read says no weight on the knee is critical. The fact that you have plates indicates that the bone was in pieces. If it were me, I'd get another opinion.

[bking210]

First of all, thanks to everyone who has shared their story. It has given me great insight to what to expect.

I had my TPF on 1-3-13 while wake boarding over the holidays. Iced and elevated injured leg for 2 days thinking it was an ACL, MCL tear. After two days, felt I could walk on it, so I did for two more days. Got home from vacation on the third day and leg was in terrible pain. Saw knee doctor one week after accident and he confirmed I had TPF but ligaments were all okay. I thought it was certainly the best of the worst. After reading this blog, I began to wonder if it was the case based on some of the challenging stories.

Well, I had surgery 2.5 weeks ago to have 10 screws and a plate installed. Virtually no pain although I was taking light pain meds in the hospital. Released the following day after surgery and haven't taken more than 2 - 500 mg Tylenol twice a day. That only lasted about 4 days. After staying on my back for the first week, which by the way was the hardest thing I have done, I had my 1 week post op check up. ROM was 90, 0 on my extension. Just had my 2.5 week appointment and I have ROM of 141 versus 146 on my good leg. I feel very fortunate and pleased with my progress. Still NWB for another 2 weeks when I will have another xray and determination if I move to PWB and possibly start riding a stationary bike. Just wanted to share my progress and again, thank everyone for sharing their situation as it certainly is comforting to know and compare what others have dealt with this fracture.

[smilybeck]

Thank you for your post ALTRunner!! Having this injury has given me a greater appreciation of life and how easy it is to lose something. Like you said - learning to walk again...mission and a half.

During my "dark moments" I would remember my old youth group pastor who became a quadriplegic just by hitting a tree while mountain biking - that would sober me up!!

I've been going to a sports physio from the get go and he's quite confident that I can run again. We've been working on running movement, the only thing that's holding me back is muscle building in my hip.

[drob2342]

I was only in the hospital 24hrs after my surgery, multiple fractures w/compression, 1 plate and 6 screws. So that doesn't sound unusual to me. However, seems very early for any weight bearing. I too would get a second opinion. I was 14wks with no weight bearing.

I will double check with the doc. Keep in mind any weight bearing needs to be with crutches. I was surprised to hear so many folks on the board state that they can't put any weight at all on it. I'm probably putting 5-10% of weight on the leg.

Give me a remedy for the numbness in my calf and foot and I'll be good!