Tibial Plateau Fracture Recovery

[sbarbu]

Hello I am Scott 51 years of age, had complex TPF (9 easy pieces) on New Years Eve 2012 skiing at Holiday Valley NY (hey, at least it happened on a black diamond). had four screws, multiple wires and plates, plus a side bracket "installed" on Jan 15th at Wash U Center for Advanced Medicine (St Louis), started PWB March 7th, was off crutches/cane by May 7th. Still have pain and minor swelling esp late in the day. Never dreamed mowing the lawn with a push mower can be so tough. Gaining strength back slowly, work out on bicycle and can actually "run" on a non-impact elliptical trainer. Also since the pool is now open I am working out in water as well, like every one else progress is slow but sure. One of the most difficult things to do even late in the game is lay on my back, bring my knee to my chest, and then extend the knee up towards the ceiling. Anyone else having trouble with this?

[crystalteras]

Hey....I just wanted to get on this forum again and see. I got a type VI TPF w/depression on memorial day 2012, so it has been just barely over a year. I had 3 surgeries and I didn't walk for nearly 6 months. I'm gonna say that it has not been easy. I'm sure you all know that by now. I'm 26 years old now and so I'd assume I'd heal quickly but I STILL feel it every single day. It's a daily fight. I will say that the pain has slowely numbed...as if my body just is getting more and more used to it. I take tramadol 2 daily and it's the only thing that ever seemed to work for me. Granted in the beginning I could take 6 tramadol, 3 percs, oxycontin...you name it, nothing helped. It gets better! Beware that patella pain has been the worst since my actual break! But there's nothing you can do about it, you have to power thru. Everything made it hurt, just lifting my leg up off the bed to NOW, when I walk downstairs or even still just lift my leg up. It's been over a year and I STILL haven't gained muscle back into my leg. Well...13 screws, 2 plates good luck everyone! It's tough but it only makes you tougher!

Sent from my HTC One using TGR Forums

[itsdeenah]

Hi LacyLou,
Deeply sorry to hear of your accident You've deffinately dealt with alot with your injury and I believe most of us here have flashbacks and bad dreams b.c of it. I've been diagnosed with PSTS since my assault last year. I've seen 2 psych. dr's. with not much help. The only thing I've come to understand from it is that once your body goes through a tramatic event your central nervous system puts your mental status on high alert. I replay the incidient several times a day and have endless nightmares or don't sleep at all. If I come across any better advise I'll be sure to pass it on. Wish it would get easier too!! I guess we have eachother on here that's helped me alot. Good Luck going forward and concentrate on how strong inside and out we'll all be in a few years when this is behind us

Ah, misery does love company. Found this forum and read it until 5:30 am. Hi, new girl here. Just a quick introduction. I fell from a galloping horse and collided with a fence post in October, you guessed it,TPF. I was taken to a local hospital where I was promptly stuffed into another ambulance and brought to a trauma hospital in Boston. It was determined that I had compartment syndrome and I was moved to the front of the line for surgery. Woke up with a fasciotomy and an external fixator. Had two more surgeries and was released 9 days later. One week after, I developed a fever and on Halloween was readmitted with a secondary infection of a pin site (released four days later with a PIC line). Visited OS 4 weeks later and a blood clot was found so I was put on Coumadin. That is my story and I am sticking with it.
I am now 6 months post op. Still on blood thinner but otherwise ok. Physically I am where most of you are. Stiffness, intermittent, spontanoeus pain, limp etc,... My concern is my mental state. I have dreams and flashbacks to the injury. I still have my horse and aspire to riding again but am understandably terrified after having suffered so much. A friend told me I may be suffering some post traumatic stress. Any one else have the same issues? Would love to hear from you.

[sbarbu]

One of the things I constantly catch myself doing is what I call "helper behaviors" - that is, when the "good" parts of your body automatically carry the weight of the "bad" parts, best example is getting up from a chair. Since the injury, I instinctively put my arms in a push-up position to lift my body weight into a standing position. While this was the right thing to do in the NWB and PWB phases, it probably can lengthen the time it takes to get full functionality back in the FWB. My arms feel great but my leg is still weak. gotta stop this!

[bmccann]

Hey everyone, unfortunately I've joined our unlucky club, but this thread has been a god send. I now realize I'm not the only one with this injury and that has made me feel at least a little better. Well I broke my left lateral (outside) tibial plateau on 05-04-2013 while mountain biking, I clipped a pedal on a rock and got launched over the bars. It wasn't the fall that hurt, but the landing was pretty rough. My knee impacted a rock and I bounced off of the trail over the side into the bushes (luckily). Anyway, from what I understand I have a Type II fracture and a meniscus tear. I had an open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) surgery was on 05-09-2013, 11 screws and 1 plate down my tibia. I have been going to PT twice a week and have been able to get to 120 degrees of flexion, but I still can't get to full extension. Hopefully I will be cleared for weight bearing at the end of July. Do any of you who are farther down the road have any advice? I am planing on getting a stationary bike soon, so I can start spinning my legs again, but other than PT and spinning I don't really know what else to do. Any advice anyone can offer would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance!!

[itsdeenah]

I would ask your OS if you can use pool therapy for resistance while non-weight bearing. I started about 4 weeks after surgery and it felt great getting into the pool. Not sure how much it helped but it felt amazing!

Hey everyone, unfortunately I've joined our unlucky club, but this thread has been a god send. I now realize I'm not the only one with this injury and that has made me feel at least a little better. Well I broke my left lateral (outside) tibial plateau on 05-04-2013 while mountain biking, I clipped a pedal on a rock and got launched over the bars. It wasn't the fall that hurt, but the landing was pretty rough. My knee impacted a rock and I bounced off of the trail over the side into the bushes (luckily). Anyway, from what I understand I have a Type II fracture and a meniscus tear. I had an open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) surgery was on 05-09-2013, 11 screws and 1 plate down my tibia. I have been going to PT twice a week and have been able to get to 120 degrees of flexion, but I still can't get to full extension. Hopefully I will be cleared for weight bearing at the end of July. Do any of you who are farther down the road have any advice? I am planing on getting a stationary bike soon, so I can start spinning my legs again, but other than PT and spinning I don't really know what else to do. Any advice anyone can offer would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance!!

[bmccann]

I would ask your OS if you can use pool therapy for resistance while non-weight bearing. I started about 4 weeks after surgery and it felt great getting into the pool. Not sure how much it helped but it felt amazing!

Thanks!! I'll do that!

[amoparker]

Hey Everyone. I have been away for a long time now--mostly because the healing started really progressing, and I have felt so great! Just to recap--here's what the initial XRay looked like after a ski injury in February of 2012:

Post Surgery:

I had recovered quite a bit, but by December last year I was having worsening pain, especially when the cold weather hit. I decided to go ahead and have all the hardware removed this year in February. Here's what they took out:

And let me tell you guys...best decision EVER! My recovery was super fast, I only used crutches to get out of the hospital and back to the car, but by that night I didn't even need them. My pain has dropped to a point where I sometimes forget I ever even had the surgery--and up until I got all that crap taken out, there was never a 5-minute waking period when I didn't think of the injury, or live in some kind of pain.
I just wanted to come back and spread the news that you shouldn't be scared of getting the metal out if it is bothering you. It seriously has been wonderful. And the biggest indicator of all is that I am seriously contemplating trying to ski again this winter. I never thought I would consider that again. Ever. I will be terrified, but the fact that I am even considering it is a huge deal for me. I wish all of you suffering in the early stages of this awful injury the best of luck. Have hope though!

[MotionDoc]

Hi everyone! I'm Mindi. Looks like I have a new club to belong to, go us!

I was doing the Tough Mudder in NH on June 2nd and in a freak accident, landed wrong while jogging, hyper extending my left knee and giving me a tibial plateau fracture. I'm told my tibial plateau was in 5-6 pieces. I had an external fixator put on the next day, and a little over a week later got the ex-fix removed and internal hardware in place. If I can figure out how to upload pics, I'll post my before and after x-rays.

I have a follow up appt with my orthopedic surgeon on Thursday next week, and I think that I'll be getting the staples out (my leg looks like Frankenstein's monster!). I had my first home PT visit yesterday, and was given a few exercises bending my leg, and while standing and bracing myself working on hip motion (flexion, extension, and abduction).

I'm told I'm going to be NWB for probably another month, then I can progress to PWB.

I'm going crazy stuck in bed, not working out, not being outside, not working at all. I'm a chiropractor and I'm not able to practice for obvious reasons. There isn't really "light duty" available in this field!

I do also teach, and I'm scheduled to be teaching two lectures starting in July. I'm finally getting my brain power back so I can actually prepare for the lectures. It will be interesting being stuck sitting for a lecture, I'll have to be creative to keep the class' attention, I'm guessing!

I'm hoping that sheer determination will get me through this rehab quickly, but reading through this thread my timeline is getting longer. Sigh. Anywho, that's my intro, looking forward to getting to know others in the same boat and having some hands to hold and shoulders to cry on from those who really get it.

[k2thed]

Hey Everyone. I have been away for a long time now--mostly because the healing started really progressing, and I have felt so great! Just to recap--here's what the initial XRay looked like after a ski injury in February of 2012:

Post Surgery:

I had recovered quite a bit, but by December last year I was having worsening pain, especially when the cold weather hit. I decided to go ahead and have all the hardware removed this year in February. Here's what they took out:

And let me tell you guys...best decision EVER! My recovery was super fast, I only used crutches to get out of the hospital and back to the car, but by that night I didn't even need them. My pain has dropped to a point where I sometimes forget I ever even had the surgery--and up until I got all that crap taken out, there was never a 5-minute waking period when I didn't think of the injury, or live in some kind of pain.
I just wanted to come back and spread the news that you shouldn't be scared of getting the metal out if it is bothering you. It seriously has been wonderful. And the biggest indicator of all is that I am seriously contemplating trying to ski again this winter. I never thought I would consider that again. Ever. I will be terrified, but the fact that I am even considering it is a huge deal for me. I wish all of you suffering in the early stages of this awful injury the best of luck. Have hope though!

Hello all. I'm Kay. Fractured my tibia almost 1 year ago in a bus crash. Had a plate and 6 screws inserted. Was on crutches for 3 months. Walked the 1km stretch of the Victoria Falls 5 months after surgery. Not the longest distance, but maybe useful info those out there wondering about timings. Found this forum while searching for advice on hardware removal. A lot a useful information, and kind of comforting reading about others' experiences and recoveries. I think my recovery has gone well. I'm on my feet a lot and do a lot of walking. No running yet. My only issue is that I have a constant achy feeling in my knee. Not really painful, but more discomfort, especially on stairs, or if I slip or take a misstep. Have been contemplating hardware removal as was told this was up to me and would only need to be addressed after a year. The thought of more surgery is quite daunting, but interesting to read of some quick recoveries and positive outcomes.

[justathought]

7 month update - just returned from my first working horse show since the injury...only one horse but I groomed, bathed, filled and carried water buckets, mucked stall, walked the entire show grounds... The leg, type IV, held up pretty good -some pain and a fair amount of swelling - but it git better each day. Still have not returned to riding for two reasons, the horse is a baby and I am not ready to ride the young ones and two need a little more strength for mounting since its my left leg. Overall, I am aware of the injury everyday but I am also able to do most things I want

[SHAZ2051]

Hi everyone,

I've been reading the threads on this site over the past few days and I think I may have had the least exciting accident so far .

I'm 44 and was walking my two dogs on June 13th when a black Labrador ran into my left knee. The impact didn't even knock me over but my knee swelled straight away and hurt like hell. I thought it was a soft tissue injury though so after my husband helped to get me home I used RICE. I went to A&E the next morning because the pain and swelling was worse and was shocked to find that I had a type 2 tibial l plateau fracture. The irony is that I recently gave up horse riding after I had a bad fall and fractured my sternum. Dog walking was meant to be a less dangerous hobby!

They admitted me to the orthopaedic ward and the plan was for me to have surgery the next day. However, the on call trauma surgeon felt that I needed to see a knee specialist. I was given a splint and told I could go home as everything was stable. I saw the knee specialist 5 days later and he explained that I would definitely need surgery and that I would be NWB initially and that it would take at least 6 months to recover. I was also told that I would need a bone graft from my hip. (Not many of you mention whether you had grafts or bone cement).

My surgery is tomorrow morning (11 days after my accident) and even though I'm dreading it, I've got to say that I feel way more prepared for it now that I have read the posts on here. I have learned so much and want to thank everyone for taking the time to share their experiences.

I live in the UK and it will be very interesting to see how my journey compares to the people on this forum.

Wish me luck!

[CLDrgon]

Hello again to all. I am now going into my 5th week of NWB. No one responded to my first posting. I am in an unusual situation where I have fallen from a ladder 25 feet and landed on my left leg as well as bruising ribs on right side plus many contusions and abrasions. The latter is healing but the Tibia Plateau Fracture is still mending. Unlike most of you who could have surgery, I cannot. About 10 years ago I had a half knee replacement in that particular leg. The fracture rests below the plate for the half knee. I also depressed the tibia therefore it sits at a tilt as well.
So I have to be NWB for at least 8 weeks and then ???? not sure of what is going to happen. I have been advised that I will need a total knee revision in the near future (over this next year). Currently my leg sits at a 10 degree left angle, therefore the accident will most likely leave me knocked kneed.
So as I sit patiently I am getting much better with crutches as the pain from the other injuries subsides. I am doing leg lifts and many quad exercises to begin the recovery process. The first four weeks was spent with a brace keeping my leg straight, the second four allows me to have the brace bend but again NWB.
It is hard for me as I don't necessarily see an end in sight. Also no one responded to my plight as others have received messages from this forum.
I am doing my necessary exercises daily, also using weights for the upper body to help strengthen so that I may get around on crutches better. This was hard at first as my right side was badly bruised. It is now getting easier.
In all that I have read on this blog I can honestly say that this is difficult for me as I am not given any solutions as of yet, just NWB.
I have been off work, I am a family and child therapist but do not work in an office setting, I go where my clients are; into their homes, schools and communities. NWB does not allow me to get the job done LOL.
So i sit and read, watch movies, work on treatment plan goals, so forth and so on. I exercise daily.
When I come out of this NWB phase I am fearful that pain will become my friend. While exercising my knee and ankle swell or just when I am moving around on crutches. This, of course, takes me back some 10 years ago when i blew my knee out and had the implant of the prosthetic device.
I know that this is a painful process and that the TPF is one of the worst types of fractures. Is there anyone out there that may be in the same situation.
They fear that if the bone does not heal properly that it may be difficult for total knee revision which will change the way in which I live.
I am a very active person, now reduced to sitting at home and waiting, waiting and more waiting. I also know that I am not a patient person but am learning as this characteristic is required. I am also a realist and can be optimistic most of the time.
So I thought I would become a part of this blog and receive some type of feedback, but nothing has come. Just looking for some type of affirmation and support from this community. I know that I am doing everything possible.
What I did not expect was to be NWB for another 4 weeks or until further notice when I go back in for another set of XRays to monitor the healing of the bone.
SO no plate, no screws, nothing at all except NWB. I have now named this current state of affairs 'Limboland'.

[eurotrash]

I have pain behind my knee. It's hard to describe exactly where but I would point to the very top of my calf, just below or in the crease of the knee. It is very sharp and activates when I take a step on the leg. Does anyone share this symptom? Story below....

I joined this club (TPF) on christmas of last year, so today I am 6 months out. I fractured my TP skiing: typical last run of the day, nothing fancy. I had surgery that night, plate and some screws, blah, blah, blah. Recovery was going quite well but has taken a recent turn backwards. About a month ago my hip started bothering me (I've had previous hip problems and a labral reconstruction about 14 months before this accident) when I was doing quite a lot of cycling. Well I'm a month now with very little activity (rest) and the hip is not improving and the knee is getting worse and worse.

I am mostly curious if anyone has experienced this pain in the back of the knee?

[itsdeenah]

Hi CLDrgon, very sorry to hear of your accident and all that you're dealing with. Life slows to a hault when you're NWB but it does get better it's just painfully slowwwww! Seems like you're already doing the right things i.e. exercises etc. More than some of us at that point I guess. I did nothing for 13 weeks last summer my leg shrank up and it still looks terrible even after all my PT, swimming, electrodes, etc. So interested in knowing what "type" TPF 1-6? Maybe all you need is NWB until the break heals? Better than all the hardware installed and honestly most of us will prob. end up having FKR down the road it's fairly common with the joint placement and load bearing area. I've come to just accept it and push every day to get more mobility. What else can we do right? lol Good Luck and keep posting pretty soon you'll be an expert on your particular case and can share advise with others who will be truly grateful for it.

Date of Injury 4/20/12 (Assault - domestic violence incident)
Surgery 4/27/12
Type IV TPF with 1+" communited depression of the plateau surface
and a 4" fracture down the right tibial shaft
Shattered medial meniscus
MCL & ACL damage
2nd. Surgery 12/4/12
Removal of 75% meniscus and scar tissue
3rd. Surgery TBD- FKR

Hello again to all. I am now going into my 5th week of NWB. No one responded to my first posting. I am in an unusual situation where I have fallen from a ladder 25 feet and landed on my left leg as well as bruising ribs on right side plus many contusions and abrasions. The latter is healing but the Tibia Plateau Fracture is still mending. Unlike most of you who could have surgery, I cannot. About 10 years ago I had a half knee replacement in that particular leg. The fracture rests below the plate for the half knee. I also depressed the tibia therefore it sits at a tilt as well.
So I have to be NWB for at least 8 weeks and then ???? not sure of what is going to happen. I have been advised that I will need a total knee revision in the near future (over this next year). Currently my leg sits at a 10 degree left angle, therefore the accident will most likely leave me knocked kneed.
So as I sit patiently I am getting much better with crutches as the pain from the other injuries subsides. I am doing leg lifts and many quad exercises to begin the recovery process. The first four weeks was spent with a brace keeping my leg straight, the second four allows me to have the brace bend but again NWB.
It is hard for me as I don't necessarily see an end in sight. Also no one responded to my plight as others have received messages from this forum.
I am doing my necessary exercises daily, also using weights for the upper body to help strengthen so that I may get around on crutches better. This was hard at first as my right side was badly bruised. It is now getting easier.
In all that I have read on this blog I can honestly say that this is difficult for me as I am not given any solutions as of yet, just NWB.
I have been off work, I am a family and child therapist but do not work in an office setting, I go where my clients are; into their homes, schools and communities. NWB does not allow me to get the job done LOL.
So i sit and read, watch movies, work on treatment plan goals, so forth and so on. I exercise daily.
When I come out of this NWB phase I am fearful that pain will become my friend. While exercising my knee and ankle swell or just when I am moving around on crutches. This, of course, takes me back some 10 years ago when i blew my knee out and had the implant of the prosthetic device.
I know that this is a painful process and that the TPF is one of the worst types of fractures. Is there anyone out there that may be in the same situation.
They fear that if the bone does not heal properly that it may be difficult for total knee revision which will change the way in which I live.
I am a very active person, now reduced to sitting at home and waiting, waiting and more waiting. I also know that I am not a patient person but am learning as this characteristic is required. I am also a realist and can be optimistic most of the time.
So I thought I would become a part of this blog and receive some type of feedback, but nothing has come. Just looking for some type of affirmation and support from this community. I know that I am doing everything possible.
What I did not expect was to be NWB for another 4 weeks or until further notice when I go back in for another set of XRays to monitor the healing of the bone.
SO no plate, no screws, nothing at all except NWB. I have now named this current state of affairs 'Limboland'.

[CLDrgon]

Hey Deenah
TPF type 5, depression of tibia, knocked kneed at this point and the half knee replacement is just not doing well. I am able to exercise, NWB of course.
I did not read all of your situation and feel so bad as to what all was created from a bad situation. Mine was just good old poor judgment. I am now heading into six weeks i think. Accident was on 5-26-2013.
My leg is 10 degrees off due to knocked knee. Still don't know the extent of cartilage and tendon damage but healing just the same. I have an appt with the doctor on the 18th of July.
I could not have any surgery as they were afraid to repair and then i suffer bone loss and lose my chance of having a knee revision. My quad and calf are so small compared to the tone and muscle that i once had. Even with exercise I am not seeing any progress but at least have flexion and it is not nearly as painful as it was in the beginning.
I will have to build the quad and calf back before knee revision but chances of this being a necessity are high and they are not sure if the joint will ever be the same due to the depression caused by the fall.
So I have ups and downs. Can't work right now during NWB time. The type of job I have requires travel and steps and so forth. So I can say that this is totally depressing at times and then I work out and feel better. I am a very strong person but not used to this at all. I have always kept in shape and when told that about needing a half knee I took it in stride. Had the surgery and never looked back until now. I wish we could go back in time and change the things that we do and then maybe none of us would have to be on this site. Ha Ha.
I am pushing the exercise as much as I can. It hurts like a M.... but you have to do it or you fail. So I do it. Will let you know what happens. I also wish you luck as you have been through it!!! Thanks for replying to me and acknowledging!!! It is appreciated.
Happy Fourth of July. It is Independence Day LOL; and right now all I can do is depend on others to help me out.
This too shall pass!!!

Hi CLDrgon, very sorry to hear of your accident and all that you're dealing with. Life slows to a hault when you're NWB but it does get better it's just painfully slowwwww! Seems like you're already doing the right things i.e. exercises etc. More than some of us at that point I guess. I did nothing for 13 weeks last summer my leg shrank up and it still looks terrible even after all my PT, swimming, electrodes, etc. So interested in knowing what "type" TPF 1-6? Maybe all you need is NWB until the break heals? Better than all the hardware installed and honestly most of us will prob. end up having FKR down the road it's fairly common with the joint placement and load bearing area. I've come to just accept it and push every day to get more mobility. What else can we do right? lol Good Luck and keep posting pretty soon you'll be an expert on your particular case and can share advise with others who will be truly grateful for it.

Date of Injury 4/20/12 (Assault - domestic violence incident)
Surgery 4/27/12
Type IV TPF with 1+" communited depression of the plateau surface
and a 4" fracture down the right tibial shaft
Shattered medial meniscus
MCL & ACL damage
2nd. Surgery 12/4/12
Removal of 75% meniscus and scar tissue
3rd. Surgery TBD- FKR

[LacyLou]

Hi justathought,
I have a thought for you! I too injured my left leg and have been back to horseback riding. I have taught my horse to be as comfortable being mounted on the right as on the left. At first it felt really awkward getting on from the right but now it's all good. It's good for the horse too. I remember the first time I was able to carry a water bucket after the injury. Sounds crazy but it was a big deal! Welcome back!

[ileneroberds]

I'm a 31 year old female, healthy and all that. My tibial plateau fracture happend on may 11th. I had to go to the ER while we were on vacation in California by way of ambulance! I was on my husband's motorcycle which is twice as big as mine. I killed it in the middle of a turn and thought I could actually hold the bike up as it was tipping over....durrrrrr. My femur crushed my tibia...a sound I will NEVER forget. I had surgery 2 days later in the hospital, had a plate and 8 screws put in.

I was instructed to see an orthohpedic doc as soon as I got home to Utah for follow up care, so I did. Upon seeing the new doc and getting new post op x-rays, it was determined that the surgery wasn't done correctly the first time and surgery had to be redone. So, I had surgery again on May 28th. I'm just over 5 weeks into recovery from the second surgery and things are going smoothly I guess. I have 2 plates this time around and 9 screws as well as bone from an anonymous donor. Freakin' sucks.

Starting next week, I can put 25% weight on, the week after I'll be good for 50% and then 100% the week after that. I am almost at 90 degrees when I bend it now and almost completely straight when I need to straighten it. I told myself I would have full range of motion by the time I hit my 6 week check....boy was I wrong.

I feel much better with my progress from reading this forum. It is easy for me to get frustrated when I use the stationary bike (I have only done it twice) because I hate that I can't just make a full rotation like I used to. My doc confirmed with me at my last appointment a couple days ago, that I will never be able to bend my leg the way I used to. He thinks the furthest I will get is 110 degrees. We'll see if I can prove him wrong, but I'm not counting on it. I have 8 weeks of scar tissue that I'm working to breaking down.

My goal is that I will be able to wear my new Christian Louboutin high heels by Christmas. I figure that's more than a realistic goal, right?? I miss my heels....

Anyway, Like I said before, I'm so glad that this forum is here. Keeps me from feeling discouraged about my recovery time. We'll see where I'm at in another 6 weeks!!!

[Ernest Curry]

Hello all! I am very glad to have found this forum. I'm sorry that all of you have suffered because of your tpf. But it is comforting to me to know that I am not alone.
On April 29th, I was involved in an automobile accident, in which I banged my right tibia against the dashboard of my car. This caused the tpf which I am recovering from.
I was fortunate to be able to have surgery the very next day. The doc inserted a plate, screws, and pins. Fortunately the components of my knee socket were not harmed by the accident. I have been nwb for almost 10 weeks now. I have been going to PT about twice per week since the end of May. I have been very fortunate to regain almost all my rom in extension and flexion. My doctor told me that I would be fully weight bearing at 12 weeks. I am concerned about the transition from nwb to fully weight bearing suddenly. I am very excited to get back to walking normally, but realizing that it will likely be a slow process, as so many have experienced here. We are planning a trip to Estes Park Colorado in early August.(This trip had been preplanned prior to my accident.) I will have been fully weight bearing for about 9 days before the trip. My concern is how much I will be able to walk on my trip. There is not much flat land in the mountains. Many of you have told about difficulty with climbing or descending stairs. I am concerned that this will be a problem for me on our trip due to the lack of flat walking surfaces. My question is, Should I walk as much as I want and just try to bear through the pain with pain meds? or should I try to limit my activity. I definitely don't want to re injure the leg, but I also am motivated to strengthen it through activity. How much pain is too much? I was very athletic before the injury and want to strengthen it back as soon as possible.
For those of you who have just had your injury, take heart, the 12 weeks has gone faster than I was afraid it would in the beginning. Now with just 2 weeks left of nwb, it doesn't seem long at all.

[Ernest Curry]

I forgot to mention, I am 55 years old and the tpf is a Type II. I also have swelling in my lower leg every day, but it is not painful, also I only have pain around my knee after PT. For those early on in recovery, the pain gets a lot better within a couple of weeks. My doctor did not allow me to take ibuprofen at all. He said research is showing that ibuprofen can inhibit bone healing. So acetaminophen when the pain is not severe and hydrocodone occasionally when the pain is more severe.

[Mariehibl]

Hi, my name is Marie and I am 61. I fell off my horse while mounting (June 6 )and have a TPF of the left leg. I had surgery on the 7th and spent 6 days in the hospital. I was told I had lots of little bones and some like crushed crackers... I had to have donor bone and have a plate and about 8 screws. It has been 4 weeks of nwb. My foot was numb for a long time but my husband rubs it twice a day and I am starting to get feeling back in it.. the big toe feels terrible! In two more weeks the dr. said I could start pt and wb. I have been doing some exercising here and can bend my leg a little. I am still on pain meds. Yesterday my back went out... too much sitting around I guess...After reading all the post I am worried it is not going to be as good as I am expecting it to be... But I will stay positive.... Wishing you all the best with yours.

[Ernest Curry]

Hi, my name is Marie and I am 61. I fell off my horse while mounting (June 6 )and have a TPF of the left leg. I had surgery on the 7th and spent 6 days in the hospital. I was told I had lots of little bones and some like crushed crackers... I had to have donor bone and have a plate and about 8 screws. It has been 4 weeks of nwb. My foot was numb for a long time but my husband rubs it twice a day and I am starting to get feeling back in it.. the big toe feels terrible! In two more weeks the dr. said I could start pt and wb. I have been doing some exercising here and can bend my leg a little. I am still on pain meds. Yesterday my back went out... too much sitting around I guess...After reading all the post I am worried it is not going to be as good as I am expecting it to be... But I will stay positive.... Wishing you all the best with yours.

Hi Marie, I too had my back go out a couple of weeks ago. I'm sure it was because of compensating on the crutches and while sitting.
If you are able, the best thing would be to see a chiropractor to help align your spine. This has helped me immensely.
I wish you the best on your recovery!

[amoparker]

Hey everyone.
I am really hoping to go try skiing again this year. Skiing is how I broke the leg originally, so I will be freaking terrified, but I want to try again. I don't think I want to attempt it without reinforcement on both knees, however, and I am wondering what your experiences have been with this? Not only how the braces feel and function, but what type of brace you would recommend? I don't think the run-of-the-mill Walgreens off the shelf kind is going to cut it.
Thanks!
-A-

[SamIam326]

Hello All,
I joined this club on June 9th but my story is a little different then most I've seen on here. I am the GM of a concert venue and on June 9th I had a sold out (1000 people) show with Lotus. I was outside helping security keep an eye on the smoking section during the bands intermission and this couple kept trying to sneak in. Long story short we caught them and after they asukted one of my security guards and me we were holding them waiting on the police. The guy tried to swing his elbow at me so I grabbed him, as he did this we twisted and went to the ground. I felt the bottom half of my left leg king of go numb/ felt really weird. I crushed the left side of my Tibia Plateau.

The only lucky part in my whole story is that I have a great hospital in my back yard... Johns Hopkins. I went in on the night of June 9th and stayed until the 11th. My surgeon said that the swelling needed to go down so I had to wait 10 days for surgery.

I'm 41 and in average health, my only real hobby is snow boarding
Surgery was June 19th, I was released from the hospital on the 22nd
I am now the proud owner of 8 screws, 1 plate and a cadaver bone
My Surgeon said that there was a lot of damage and that I 100% will have to have my knee replaced within the next 2-20 years (depending on how long it takes my cartilage to die) but the Surgery went great. When I left the hospital my surgeon told me to start bending my knee as soon as I got home. He wanted me at 90 degrees within 2 weeks and I was at 75 degrees
My 1st follow up appointment was 2 weeks after surgery and I had my staples removed (23 of them). My x-rays looked great and I am healing perfectly

I am currently NWB and will be until my next followup apt on August 23rd (9 weeks from surgery). I was supposed to start PT last week (strictly for ROM) but because this is a workers comp case everything has to be approved and is a process so I start on Tuesday. My I can currently bend my knee to about 85 degrees. Once I am comfortably at 90 degrees I can get rid of the brace. If all is well then I will start PWB and Aqua Therapy until I am FWB and then fully Physical Therapy.

Sitting here right now at 3 1/2 weeks post surgery I am mostly pain free. I stopped my pain meds at the end of week 2 (Oxy Contin and Diluadid). I can feel the hardware at times and It does get sore at times. Today was a little rough until I started stretching my leg and now I feel better. My only real issue right now is that the swelling in my knee started really going down 3 days ago but now my foot is swollen a little more and the skin in the bottom was so dry that it was white and flaking off in places on the bottom. I didn't really know anything was going on until last night and my girlfriend put neosporin of the parts that were cracking a little and then covered my foot in coconut oil and put a sock on my. It feels a little better today but still not good. Anyone else have any issues like this. I'm about to put my foot up as high as I can and I will be calling my doctor tomorrow to ask about it

At my follow up my dad asked my surgeon if I would get back to "normal" and my surgeon said that I will make a fully recovery. he said that I will probably never be able to stretch my leg by grabbing my foot and pulling it to my butt but beyond that I should be good... I just wonder if I will ever snowboard again.

Sam

[Mariehibl]

Hi Marie, I too had my back go out a couple of weeks ago. I'm sure it was because of compensating on the crutches and while sitting.
If you are able, the best thing would be to see a chiropractor to help align your spine. This has helped me immensely.
I wish you the best on your recovery!

Hi Ernest, thank you, I will be starting PT soon and they will work on my back... It has gotten better as I have been doing some stretches while sitting here... I can't wait to start and get on my two feet again.. This has been very hard because I have been doctoring for my other knee before this happened, I need a knee replacement...but will have to wait till the break is fully healed.. Wishing you well too...