Tibial Plateau Fracture Recovery

[justathought]

My surgery was Nov 9 - I also had the pins and needles feelings... they have tapered off considerably

[tinka333]

I AM WALKING!!
Well kind of

My BF had a block of chocolate and 1 piece at a time he made me follow him around the house with no crutches getting a "treat" with every step I took. Nothing like the motivation of chocolate to get me going!!

It was easier than I thought, Don't get me wrong, I only lasted about 2 mins and every step I felt my knee was going to collapse, my ankle took most of my weight and is very unhappy about that today and the bottom of my foot was extremely tender and sore with each step but I did it!!

My main prob seems to be that I cant lock my knee. I'm still 20 degrees off full extension under my own muscle power and that means I'm stepping onto a bent leg..... Limp!!
Physio said it should get better the more I do it and the exercises so I'm trying really hard.

Honestly I'm amazed at my recovery. 1stly I know some on here have had long horrible recoveries and I had resigned myself to the same and 2nd, even 2 weeks ago I would never have thought i'd be taking even 1 step on my own . Everything felt so hopeless for so long that I had moments where I almost gave up and just didn't see any possibility of getting through this but I tried really hard to stick with the exercises and keep my spirits up and here I am taking my first steps!

Same with ROM. 3 weeks ago it seemed absolutely impossible that my leg would ever bend past 60degrees, like someone telling you to bend your elbow backwards... just cant be done. Yesterday at physio i hit 100 degrees flex and it wasn't until I really looked back all those weeks that I noticed the progress I am making. sure its been, to me, unnoticeable slow but its been happening.

Hang in there everyone, there will be a time when you all get to take that first step and as far from normal as it is, its a step and then its 2 steps and then a little more every day and then there is a light at the end of that tunnel you have been in for so long.

[Anna2]

justathought - hi and welcome aboard

My surgeon said the hardware was permanent too, and would not be removing it unless it was causing problems or until I require a knee replacement.

78 degrees ROM at 5 weeks stage is fantastic.....welll done you! Keep up the reps on a daily basis and hopefully you will be amazed at how quickly ROM continues to increase.

The most important exercise I was given from the start is to lay on the floor and push the back of the knee against the floor, lock it, hold for 5 seconds and release. Reps of 10, several times per day.

Also lying on your back or sitting, do plenty of briskly bending and straightening of your ankles whilst keeping your knees straight to help strengthen your calf muscles and free off your ankles.

Put a dressing gown cord round the ball of your foot and gently pull the cord and feel the stretch on your calf muscles 20 seconds at a time.

All these exercises are great prep for when you try to start weight bearing. Walking lightly between parallell bars to start with is very reassuring. You will feel discomfort in your feet and ankles for the first few weeks, but this is completely normal.

tinka333 - great to hear your good progress too! Onwards and upwards!

[justathought]

justathought - hi and welcome aboard

My surgeon said the hardware was permanent too, and would not be removing it unless it was causing problems or until I require a knee replacement.

78 degrees ROM at 5 weeks stage is fantastic.....welll done you! Keep up the reps on a daily basis and hopefully you will be amazed at how quickly ROM continues to increase.

The most important exercise I was given from the start is to lay on the floor and push the back of the knee against the floor, lock it, hold for 5 seconds and release. Reps of 10, several times per day.

Also lying on your back or sitting, do plenty of briskly bending and straightening of your ankles whilst keeping your knees straight to help strengthen your calf muscles and free off your ankles.

Put a dressing gown cord round the ball of your foot and gently pull the cord and feel the stretch on your calf muscles 20 seconds at a time.

All these exercises are great prep for when you try to start weight bearing. Walking lightly between parallell bars to start with is very reassuring. You will feel discomfort in your feet and ankles for the first few weeks, but this is completely normal.

tinka333 - great to hear your good progress too! Onwards and upwards!

Thanks for the suggestions! Some I am already doing, others I will ask my PT about! As so many here have noted -- this is a really frustrating injury and it often feels like no progress is being made, so it was fantastic to find this thread!

[hana24]

Hello!

I found this place while looking for information about TPF I got a TPF on Sunday (12/16/12) while snowboarding. My knee hit a slow sign because I was on ice and couldn't get out of the way since I couldn't get an edge in with my snowboard (pretty ironic I know...going too fast and being stopped by a slow sign). I went to the ER and they told me I have a TPF, but it's non-displaced so luckily no surgery.

Right now I'm sitting at home looking out at a bluebird pow day and it's killing me. I'm going to move back down from the mountain because there's really no point in me living in a resort town if I can't ride.

I'm going to see an ortho this Friday so in the meantime I'm trying my best to rest and keep my knee iced.

[ejk725]

First outpatient physio for my type 2 TPF (just over 6 weeks post-op) was today! I didn't take any pain meds prior to the appointment, as I wanted to get an accurate picture of where I'm at.

During the assessment, the therapist measured a flexion at the knee of 90 degrees actively and 100 degrees passively. She was really happy with that, and so gave me some harder exercises to replace the ones I'm currently doing. These new exercises should have my ROM even more, and increased how often I'm doing the exercises.

I also got on the stationary bike... Could not get the whole way around, by any means... but I did pretty good nonetheless. Used my good leg to actually pedal, going one direction as far as I could then holding for a few seconds... and then back the other direction as far as I could then holding for a few seconds. My butt hurt from the stupid seat of the bike before my leg did. haha. I couldn't use a regular stationary bike (only the recumbent) before the accident because of the knee problems I had previously, but now apparently I'll be able to. :s

Therapist also showed me how to put my foot down and mimic walking while on the crutches, while putting minimal weight on the actual leg. So now every time I'm up I'm heel>toe-ing it. Feels weird, and I have to think about what I'm doing with every step... lol

Next appointments are Christmas Eve and New Years Eve... just to come in and spend 15 minutes or so on the bike (because my PT won't be there those 2 weeks, but someone else who can supervise that will be). Then on January 9th with the PT as my next appointment with the OS is the 10th.
So, in the end, I'm wicked sore and swollen tonight... but I at least feel like I accomplished something. Yay.

[justathought]

So...I am really sore today and likely will be tomorrow. I thought I was getting pretty independent even non weight bearing but perhaps not so much.... My father in law broke his hip yesterday and just came out of surgery today. He is 93 and the break was worse than it looked but he is doing ok. However, I was alone in the house for about ten hours yesterday and today ... Doing pretty much everything myself.... It's clear that my muscle strength is down even with doing the exercises..... And it's incredibly frustrating to be unable to help my husband or father in law .....

[kmrrdb]

16 weeks post op. 1 plate, 4 Screws. Been FWB for 4 weeks and am walking without assistance. Use a cane up and down stairs but think I will be able to get rid of the cane by xmas. Finally, I feel more and more normal with every week that passes. Still doing PT 3x per week. Flex is 132 and extension is 4. There was a time when I wondered if I would ever feel normal again, but its happening. Hang in there everyone you will get there.

[barbarajoharris]

Hello, everyone. I fell on 11-11-12 and fx my tp, and also my shoulder. I have a plate and 10 screws in my leg and 2 screws in my shoulder. I've gotten up to 90 degree flexing my leg but no weight bearing yet. I start back to Physical Therapy next week to increase my ROM and strengthen my leg. I have this heavy brace that goes from my groin to my ankle and I hate it. I can take it off to exercise, and now I can leave it off at night, which is a real blessing. My doctor also gave me permission to start driving again. I walk with a walker that has a special platform attached to it to rest my arm in. I guess for the severity of the injury, I'm doing pretty good for now. I'm so glad I found this site! It's really good to hear from other people with the same injury.

[justathought]

Barbara ... Wow it sound like you are doing great! 90 degrees is fabulous! Can' t imagine how you are dealing with a shoulder at the sme time.... I am also using a walker. I am in a hip to ankle Bledsoe brace and the weight threw me off balance when I tried crutches. The walker seems a safer alternative. I have not driven yet... I think I could but I have not figured out how to get the wheelchair into or out of the car once I'm in...... How do you manage that?

[Markxz]

Hi all, am new to this forum and found it while looking for more strengthening exercises to help with my tibia plateau fracture (also have a compound fracture of the lower tibia and a broken fibula opposite this). These injuries were sustained in a work related motorcycle accident on the 2nd Nov 12 (i'll use this date format as ours differs from yours). All up I had 4 operations and spent 17 days in hospital. For the first week my leg was in a halo with a vac dressing at the compound fracture site, then one week later the doctors decided to nail my tibia and screw the tibia plateau fracture and let the fibula heal itself. Another week on and the vac was removed and that site skin grafted. 6 1/2 weeks on and my 15-60 deg knee brace is off. Have been working on my range and it is close enough to 0-95 deg. Am also allowed to bear 50% weight on my leg with crutches and moon boot, then when 2 weeks are up full weight with moon boot for another 2 weeks.
The skin graft has been a bit slow to mend and at the moment is 85% covered. The tissue hyper-granulated and I lost near 50% of the graft. It has been attended to every 2 days and silver nitrated to knock the hyper-granulation down.
Have lost a lot of muscle tone both on both my upper and lower leg and am under exercise guidance from a Physio Therapist. Sadly because my graft is still healing I cannot go to the pool, it's the middle of summer here and i'm looking forward to when i can. Hopefully in the new year.
Recovery has been a slow and boring process with many a sore arse from either being in bed or sitting but I am slowly seeing good results. Will keep you posted.
Merry Christmas to you all.

[Loophole]

Hi all, I'm new here. From the UK, sustained a large displaced TPF. I'm 9 weeks post surgery (orif, plate 6 screws) and got released to weight bearing last week. I've had pretty much no knee pain for last 5 weeks however after 3 days trying to walk (with crutches) and some brief sessions on the stationary bike I'm experiencing localised pain, soreness and swelling around the fracture and hardware when I flex my knee. I've still got my 100o ROM and can put weight on it without pain. I'm a little worried that I might have over done things and opened the fracture slightly or is this typical of the 1st few days weight bearing?

[tinka333]

Hi all, I'm new here. From the UK, sustained a large displaced TPF. I'm 9 weeks post surgery (orif, plate 6 screws) and got released to weight bearing last week. I've had pretty much no knee pain for last 5 weeks however after 3 days trying to walk (with crutches) and some brief sessions on the stationary bike I'm experiencing localised pain, soreness and swelling around the fracture and hardware when I flex my knee. I've still got my 100o ROM and can put weight on it without pain. I'm a little worried that I might have over done things and opened the fracture slightly or is this typical of the 1st few days weight bearing?

Hey Loophole, Im also 9 weeks post op and FWB is painful! When i started FWB i was in all sorts of pain I wasn't in before. The main knee pain I had was where the hardware is, it felt like it was pulling or something and it was painful to either straighten or bend. I found that heaps of stretching (gently pushing through the "pulling pain") icing and elevating helped calm it down but then the next time I got up and put weight on it the pain and swelling was back. I have been FWB for 6 days now and spent the majority of the day yesterday with no crutches at all!!! No pain yesterday, got a bit stiff and hardware area was swollen and had the "pulling" feeling again by the end of the day but nothing unbearable. Today i woke up really stiff and sore but jumped on the stationary bike, really good stretching session after then 20mins of ice and elevation and Im feeling pretty good again. Im going to stay on 1 crutch today tho as i pushed it pretty hard yesterday.
Every day the pain seems to subside and i seem to get stronger. When i first went FWB it felt impossible due to the pain and weakness now 6 days latter im doing a full day with no crutches (and very little pain)!!
Only you know if something doesn't feel right but my physio says i need to push myself so as long as nothing feels too bad or out of the ordinary, I go for it!!

Im still not able to lock my knee when i step but its feeling stronger and it doesn't seem to be effecting my walking too much. Only a very slight limp so guess i'll just keep working at it.

Christmas tomorrow!! I'm not taking my crutches to lunch!!! Worst case scenario, i'll just sit on the lounge and eat all day!!!

[crystalteras]

Hi. I haven't posted in a LONG time but here I go...
TPF type VI w/ depression on 5/26/12
Surgery w/ 13 screws and 2 plates on 6/1/12
Didn't start FWB til around end aug/beg sept.
so a few weeks ago, I had a test done at PT to test my quad muscles. My good side was at 53 (scale 1-100) and bad side was at 17...that's not good but I do know it's really hard to rebuild quads. Especially when you have so much pain. My patella has been my biggest problem from day 1 of walking. I don't know if it also has to do with the fact that the os tore right thru it durin surgery but I have horrible pain with it. ALSO, since it's been cold my knee KILLS me!!! I could never handle the cold ice packs bc of the metal but really, this is bad. I have y next appt with my os in about 3 weeks and then we schedule a date to take out all my hardware. I have been having quite a bit of pain due to the hardware as well. Then ill be down another 6 weeks while the holes where stuff was taken out, heals....this whole process just sucks. Bad! good luck to everyone else!

[Nlhedrick]

I'm as confused ad u are. I fractured my tibial plateau and fibula. Unfortunately I did not have insurance. The ER tried to kick me out, but then"had to keep me" bcuz I went into shock when I tried to stand. The OS told me surgery would heel the same as not having it. I trusted him and 2 1/2 years later I'm still walking with a cane. And I'm only in my forties. I've researched and done all physical therapy by myself. I do have full range of motion. But my leg is crooked and a recent X-ray shows my left leg is almost an inch shorter due to the TP collapse. I try to strengthen my leg. And it's working. But I'm not sure what surgery I need or who to trust. I'll follow your posts and look for advice from fellow sufferers.

[robatsu]

Hi All,

I'm discovering that there is a community for everything, including sufferers of Tibial Plateau Fractures.

I got mine a few days ago, 12/23/12, on Niseko Mtn. in Hokkaido, near the top. Seemed like an unextraordinary spill until I felt the crack in my right knee/leg, which I knew was not good. Tried standing up and immediately collapsed from excruciating pain. Got a ski patrol ride to the bottom of the mtn. A taxi ride to the local clinic for some first aid indicated a break, which did surprise me and my wife a little, we thought it was some extreme sprain.

Fortunately this happened right at the very end of our trip. The clinic was not equipped to really take care of this and we were going back to Osaka early the next day. The clinic set me up w/some crutches, painkillers and a leg brace. The 800 mile or so trip back was pretty painful/exhausting, especially where changing modes, from bus to plane, etc. My 9 year old son was also with us and was a perfect angel the whole way, helpful, non-fussy, etc. Good kid.

By the time we got to Osaka, 12/24 it was getting pretty late and a lot of medical services were closed as it was a national holiday (Emperor's Birthday). So we waited until the next morning to go to our local municipal hospital.

By this time, my leg (knee/calf/ankle) had swollen up crazy big, lots of bruising beneath the knee, and was extremely tender. More painful than when I broke 9 ribs/collarbone/chipped vertebrae 3 years ago on bicycle.

Next morning at hospital, (12-25, Merry Christmas!, but regular workday in Japan) we got into the system. The upshot was Tibial Plateau Fracture, Type II, non-displaced and not enough depression to warrant surgery.

This was very welcome news, I'm not crazy about surgery of any type.

The Dr. did caution that displacement can still happen as it is so early after injury, although odds are in my favor. They put a top of thigh to toe half-cast on the back of my leg, as I am to come back (12-28) for more X-rays and to allow some blistering from the extreme swelling on my leg to heal up a bit.

Assuming everything continues to look non-displaced then and blistering is improved, they intend to apply a full cast from upper thigh to toes which they say I'll have to wear for about 4 weeks.

Not much word on what happens after that, but Japanese healthcare is pretty decent/competent, so I'm going along with the program.

Best wishes to all and thanks for all the information that has been posted on this type of injury. I see I have a long recovery process to traverse..

In case anyone is interested, I'm 53 years old, pretty active/athletic.

[justathought]

Another question -- for those of you further along... I am 6 weeks post surgery and it looks like I now have 0 to 90 degrees range of motion (although from 80 to 90 takes a fair amount of effort and some pain) -- when I extend my leg after bending I have a click I can feel on the outside of my knee... the PT is not concerned and it is not painful - but it is a significant click and it is consistent.

Anyone else have this type of thing?

[hobblerguy]

22 weeks post injury
20 weeks post surgery

Went in to see the OS today for the 20 week appointment and all seems to be healing/going well. Both plates and all the screws are where they need to be. They tested the extension, flexion and watched me walk around and sent me out the door. I must give kuddos to my OS, he is great. Anyone that has this injury in the front range of Colorado needs to go see this guy. This is what he does and lives for. I thank the stars that the OS in the hospital where I was originally sent had enough sense to send me on to the right person for the job.

I believe on my last post that I was experiencing severe pain on the medial side of my knee. This has since passed, thankfully. It went away about a week after Thanksgiving after I had a brutal massage by my massage therapist. He really worked both scar areas thoroughly and at one point I kicked him in the head (not on purpose) with my good leg because it was causing a great amount of pain. I have found that the massage therapist is another (along with PT) key to recovery. If you can afford one (I pay way less to him than PT), I highly recommend it once a week. The PT people do a pretty cursory "soft tissue" massage which is just right around the knee. As we all know from this injury, the whole leg/foot hurts when you start to bear weight. The quads are tight, the hams are tight, glutes are tight, the knee is stiff, the calf is tight, the shin is tight, the foot and ankle hurt. The muscles are a jumbled tight mess (and weak) after no weight for 3+ months. I called him originally because I was sore and tight from sleeping so f-d up (external fix, leg brace, broken knee) for the first couple of months but he has done wonders for the leg in keeping it stretched and somewhat limber.

So everything seems to be going ok. Still pretty sore and swollen at the end of every day. Wake up sore and go to bed sore but at least the excruciating pain has left for now. It pops and creaks and twinges. Trying to wean myself off of the percocets. I am down to 1/2 to 1 pill per day. The physicians assistant asked if I was using it for pain or to sleep and I responded yes. I tried to sleep the other night without taking any but annoyed my wife to no end, so I ended up taking a 1/2 of one and fell right to sleep. So they have prescribed Tramadol which is a non-narcotic pain pill and I'll see how that works. I have a feeling that I am addicted and just need to have a few sleepless nights (or nights at the gym) to kick the habit.

I did manage to have a good holiday vacation to Mexico that included lots of swimming and snorkeling (snorkeling is good exercise for the knee). I walked around some old Mayan ruins the day before the end of the world. It was challenging but good for me to walk around the resort and up and down the beach and up and down the stairs and swim, etc.. It was fun and good therapy.

I have also been able to make it out into the field to work a bit as well. I am a surveyor so I need to be able to walk around (quite a bit) on all sorts of varying terrain. Again, challenging but good.

My extension is still good and my flexion is now between 120 and 125. My OS has stated that I will see the most improvement in the first 6 months post-op and then from 6 months to 18 months will be pretty gradual and virtually unnoticeable and once I reach 18 months then I am fixed where I am at. If at 18 months it swells, hurts, doesn't flex, etc. then that is the way it will be. So I am continuing to do everything I can to get the knee back.

So I am continuing to keep on keepin on. Hoping to be on the skis on the bunny hill in April or May. If not, I'll try to swing the golf clubs.

And again, thank you all for the posts. I read them all and find most of them, in their own way, helpful to my recovery.

[tinka333]

Another question -- for those of you further along... I am 6 weeks post surgery and it looks like I now have 0 to 90 degrees range of motion (although from 80 to 90 takes a fair amount of effort and some pain) -- when I extend my leg after bending I have a click I can feel on the outside of my knee... the PT is not concerned and it is not painful - but it is a significant click and it is consistent.

Anyone else have this type of thing?

90 degrees at 6 weeks is good!
my PT told me to go through my full range of motion each exercise session but only focus on 1 thing a session. When I push my flex it pops and cracks and makes all sort of protests each time I put it back straight again and when I work on my extension it hates bending afterwards. My Pt said the same, As long as it doesn't "hurt" its not a worry
After any exercise session the most important thing is to STRETCH / REST / ICE!!!

9 weeks post surgery and I have been crutch free for 2 days now!!
My limp gets pretty bad as the day goes on cause I still cant lock my knee and I am using the crutches when I first wake up but I'm walking!
I now think I missed the use of my hands way more than the use of my leg!! I can carry things again!!

[justathought]

90 degrees at 6 weeks is good!
my PT told me to go through my full range of motion each exercise session but only focus on 1 thing a session. When I push my flex it pops and cracks and makes all sort of protests each time I put it back straight again and when I work on my extension it hates bending afterwards. My Pt said the same, As long as it doesn't "hurt" its not a worry
After any exercise session the most important thing is to STRETCH / REST / ICE!!!

9 weeks post surgery and I have been crutch free for 2 days now!!
My limp gets pretty bad as the day goes on cause I still cant lock my knee and I am using the crutches when I first wake up but I'm walking!
I now think I missed the use of my hands way more than the use of my leg!! I can carry things again!!

tinka -- Wow!! Sounds like you are doing great 9 weeks post surgery. I'm impressed that you are crutch free! Are you finding the crutches easy to manage -- I am currently using a walker to hop around (the crutches did not give me enough balance on a non-weight bearing basis)

I am 58 - very active (but overweight) and my surgeon said no weight bearing until 8 weeks - hopefully at my next visit on January 7, I'll get partial weight bearing. I guess older bones heal slower... and he was pretty forceful in saying I would not be full weight bearing until 12 weeks...

What you describe is exactly what I experience - pops and slicks etc - and that stuck feeling after extension. Stretch, rest and ice have become a fixture in my life! Its reassuring to hear that others experience the same thing.

Thanks for the response!

[hmsolomon]

Robatsu, I'm 54 and broke mine Aug 19th. Surgery was Aug 22nd. Mine was a minor displacement, 2mm. I was given 2 choices. No surgery and crutches for 3-6 mos with a full knee replacement in 20 years. No more running (I was training for a 1/2 Iron when I broke it trail running) was likely with the non-surgical approach. Both Doc's said that given my 6 day a week workout habit, surgery was my best option.

So, fortunately for me - and potentially you too - Medtronic came out with a new surgical device that minimizes the cutting & drilling. They use this "pump" tool to restore the Tibial Plateau to it's former flat configuration. It gives the surgeon precision that a lever can't provide. Then they lock the fragment in place with tiny holes with needles, pump some cement below it and reinforce the newly restored plateau with a plate and screws. It's out-patient surgery but brother, it is surgery. I'm 4 months post-surgery. I do PT 3x/week. And I've returned to cycling and rock-climbing. Tomorrow morning will be my first run, likely 20 yds x 3 - all uphill because that feels normal. Flats and downhill throw too much load for this knee right now.

I'm glad I had a CT scan the day of the injury so that the Ortho's could see a fine grain picture of the damage. MRI showed no soft tissue damage in my case - just a clean bone break.

Good luck and a speedy recovery!!

[Anna2]

Another question -- for those of you further along... I am 6 weeks post surgery and it looks like I now have 0 to 90 degrees range of motion (although from 80 to 90 takes a fair amount of effort and some pain) -- when I extend my leg after bending I have a click I can feel on the outside of my knee... the PT is not concerned and it is not painful - but it is a significant click and it is consistent.

Anyone else have this type of thing?

Yep, my knee clicks quite often too and I've been told it's normal and not to worry.

Keep up the good work folks and hopefully you'll be walking again sometime soon. I would never have believed when I initially sustained this injury that I'd be back walking 12 miles a day again at the 6 month stage I'm not risking running as both my OS & PT have said it's too concussive and will greatly heighten my chances of developing arthritis in the joint.

Shoes going back on the horses soon. Bursting with excitement to get riding again

[dnabike]

32 weeks post accident
31 weeks post-surgery

Looks like an interesting device. Yours sounds different than many of the TPFs here. I had one of the top docs in the country (former head of orthopedic trauma at Mayo) and I did not have any option that was no surgery. 2 plates and 15 screws to fix 9 major pieces and a bunch of small ones was the only option I had. I also had external fixation (to keep alignment and length while waiting for inflammation to go down) for 10 days but I have heard of others that had it for months. The different procedures that many have had hardware in/hardware out, braces/no braces, from 4 weeks non-weight bearing to 4 months (my case), external fixation/no external fixation and sometimes surgery/no surgery is quite confusing. What we need is a first class orthopedic surgeon to explain all these differences.

Jim

Robatsu, I'm 54 and broke mine Aug 19th. Surgery was Aug 22nd. Mine was a minor displacement, 2mm. I was given 2 choices. No surgery and crutches for 3-6 mos with a full knee replacement in 20 years. No more running (I was training for a 1/2 Iron when I broke it trail running) was likely with the non-surgical approach. Both Doc's said that given my 6 day a week workout habit, surgery was my best option.

So, fortunately for me - and potentially you too - Medtronic came out with a new surgical device that minimizes the cutting & drilling. They use this "pump" tool to restore the Tibial Plateau to it's former flat configuration. It gives the surgeon precision that a lever can't provide. Then they lock the fragment in place with tiny holes with needles, pump some cement below it and reinforce the newly restored plateau with a plate and screws. It's out-patient surgery but brother, it is surgery. I'm 4 months post-surgery. I do PT 3x/week. And I've returned to cycling and rock-climbing. Tomorrow morning will be my first run, likely 20 yds x 3 - all uphill because that feels normal. Flats and downhill throw too much load for this knee right now.

I'm glad I had a CT scan the day of the injury so that the Ortho's could see a fine grain picture of the damage. MRI showed no soft tissue damage in my case - just a clean bone break.

Good luck and a speedy recovery!!

[robatsu]

Robatsu, I'm 54 and broke mine Aug 19th. Surgery was Aug 22nd. Mine was a minor displacement, 2mm. I was given 2 choices. No surgery and crutches for 3-6 mos with a full knee replacement in 20 years. No more running (I was training for a 1/2 Iron when I broke it trail running) was likely with the non-surgical approach. Both Doc's said that given my 6 day a week workout habit, surgery was my best option.

So, fortunately for me - and potentially you too - Medtronic came out with a new surgical device that minimizes the cutting & drilling. They use this "pump" tool to restore the Tibial Plateau to it's former flat configuration. It gives the surgeon precision that a lever can't provide. Then they lock the fragment in place with tiny holes with needles, pump some cement below it and reinforce the newly restored plateau with a plate and screws. It's out-patient surgery but brother, it is surgery. I'm 4 months post-surgery. I do PT 3x/week. And I've returned to cycling and rock-climbing. Tomorrow morning will be my first run, likely 20 yds x 3 - all uphill because that feels normal. Flats and downhill throw too much load for this knee right now.

I'm glad I had a CT scan the day of the injury so that the Ortho's could see a fine grain picture of the damage. MRI showed no soft tissue damage in my case - just a clean bone break.

Good luck and a speedy recovery!!

Hi hmsolomon...

Sounds like thinks are working out well for you & thanks for the info.

I'm in the Japanese healthcare system at the moment, fwiw, in Osaka, Japan.

Anyhow, accident was 12/23/12, got some first aid at ski resort in Hokkaido that evening, travelled 800 miles home to Osaka on 12/24/12. Been on a temporary cast since 12/25/12 when I got xrays/ct scan, diagnosed as type 1, non-displaced. Today, 12/28/12, I went in for more xrays, fracture remains non-displaced, so they did me up in a full toe-thigh cast.

I have to wear cast for 4 weeks now, after that they will start a couple of months of rehab, according to my doctor.

My (Japanese) Doctor here indicates that this course of non-surgical treatment should return me to a fully functional state, run/bike/ski. I'm inclined to go with the program, Japanese professionals/medicine are quite competent. Beyond that, this particular hospital specializes in orthopedic stuff.

I'm also relaying stuff to my sister, an internal medicine Doctor in the U.S. and she is consulting w/her orthopedic buds, so I'm sort of getting long-distance second opinions. She says in the U.S., her orthopedic colleagues will operate on almost all TPF's. Mine is a bit of the best case, in that non-displaced/non-depressed, and at least so far, doesn't look like meniscus or cartilage tears, so maybe even in the U.S. they wouldn't have recommended surgery.

Anyhow, tomorrow we return to hospital to make sure the cast setup ok. Then on 1/11/13, back for more x-rays and possible cast replacement if my leg has atrophied and cast become loose.

Happy New Year and speedy recovery to everyone!

[Markxz]

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justathought is online now Minion

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Dec 2012
Posts
7

Another question -- for those of you further along... I am 6 weeks post surgery and it looks like I now have 0 to 90 degrees range of motion (although from 80 to 90 takes a fair amount of effort and some pain) -- when I extend my leg after bending I have a click I can feel on the outside of my knee... the PT is not concerned and it is not painful - but it is a significant click and it is consistent.

I'm at seven weeks today. At six weeks I had the same range as you (90deg)
Yesterday was PT for me and I had extended that to 103deg. The PT massaged and pushed my leg back while I was seated over the end of a massage table and got it to 113deg. No clicking but was sore and very tight.
This morning I think I got it even further. Really have to keep up the exercises and push that little more each time.