Welcome to the TPF Home Page.
This page has many useful sections with information, and fellow Tibial Plateau Fracture sufferer stories.
If you’ve recently suffered a Tibial plateau Fracture this is the place for you. This site was created after having myself gone through the recovery process of Tibial Plateau Fractures, and this site aims to contain information you need and want to know during Recovery. You can visit the forum to chat and share your story with others. Or, start reading in the Recovery Section Above. In the different pages you will find a lot of helpful information for your recovery period including medical information, first hand accounts of personal recovery stories as well as many useful tips & tricks. It’s Important to understand that this info is based on personal experience and research but that I am not a medical professional. This site is not intended to provide personal health advice. Your doctor is the professional source of information and if any advice your doctor gives you contradicts something written in this site- stick with your doctors opinion.
If you’re asking yourself how long your recovery is going to take, or what to expect, check out the recovery section. If you’re looking for some helpful tips and tricks from people who’ve been there – have a look at tips & tricks. We also have a Forum with recovery stories of different people Containing many inspiring stories and a place to ask fellow visitors questions.
If you’re looking for a community of people who have been through the same also check out the forum, or if you are looking for more information and references, those can be found in “further reading” which contains links to other websites and pages.
This page currently contains mostly information regarding recovery and recuperation after a surgery or non-surgical treatment. If you are still in the hospital and want to know more about your injury this is also the place for you. In future I might add some useful information for your stay in the hospital.
Hope you feel at Home, and feel free to contact about anything at all at [email protected]
Note: This site is currently in building and so some sections might not yet be complete
Shlomi,
September 10th, 2013
*Note: this website is not intended to provide medical advice. Your doctor is a much better source for medical advice. This information is based on firsh-hand personal experience and research*
I am so happy your Dr. has given you that diagnosis!! Mine told me he had never not done surgery for this break, so I definately had some sleepless nights deciding not to do surgery.. Websites like this gave me some peace of mind, due to the rare, but occasional “fortunate” few people that I read didn’t need surgery. Everybody’s experience is different, but just to give you a glimpse into mine when I was at the stage that you were at I had some achiness in my knee, definitely dreaded having to get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, and kind of unsteady on my crutches. The worst pain that I had around that stage was my foot swelling! I turned black and blue all up the back of my leg and around my ankle and foot, and was pretty painful when the blood would rush to that area after standing.I got a couple of ice packs that are long, that fold in the middle, that they can give you at the hospital that were perfect to wrap around my knee, and one of the best tools I had was a walker that had a basket on it to put things in. They say not to sit on them and roll but I did whenever my leg was bothering me. I’m about 6 weeks out and really the only pain I have now is when I’m doing my exercises to stretch out the ligaments in my knee, so there’s definitely a light at the end of the tunnel! 🙂 I wish you all the best, and if I can help answer any of your questions please let me know!
i have the same and had my opp only yesterday in leeds (uk) all i know is the paiin is unreal and cant wait to recover
Good luck Mike. I had TPF type 4 last March in Halifax UK . This was caused by a motorbike accident, I got hit from behind by a car!! There is no rushing this injury I am afraid to say. As long as you do the physio exercises and elevate your leg things improve slowly. I used ice packs and a bean bag to help elevate the leg. Try stay positive, and accept all help offered by who ever wants to provide it. We are very fortunate to have the NHS in this country after the stories you read on here.
Take care of the injury and all the best.
Sorry to hear youre going through this Mike. Wish I was told up front TPF is v.serious injury and will be 3-4 mos. no walking/on crutches and more mos. of a slow recovery – I’m the kind that wants info, facts, straight answers up front. My dr.is a man of few words. This site has been informative & offers good support. Might as well get your mind set for several mos.recovery – – For me, deep muscle+tendon massages & stretching your injured leg will help w the pain & stiffness.
Hello all! On May 26th while running my usual route in my neighborhood I tripped over a crack in the sidewalk, and hyper extended my knee resulting in a non displaced TPF.. After a LONG back and forth with my Dr (ortho surgeon) who did want to do surgery, and the certainty of God’s voice telling me he was going to heal me, I chose to not do surgery.. Being that the fracture was non displaced, and I wasn’t in excruciating pain in my knee, I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling I had about having surgery. Turns out I made the right decision. My Dr. told me that he is pleasantly surprised by how quickly I’m healing.. My question is, since he told me in his own words that he hasn’t ever had anyone not do surgery for this break, does anyone know how long I should be non weight bearing? In my x-rays my fracture is nonexistent, but the Dr says he wants to see some calcification around where the fracture was to feel confident in me being weight bearing.. Does anyone have experience with healing a non surgical TPF?
Becky I am so grateful to have found this site and your posting. On vacation July 1st we went on a deep sea fishing trip. Rough seas and we bounced around. I fell, twisted my knee and knew I had done something bad. Finally got off the boat after 5 + hours and headed to an ER. Xrays showed a mildly displaced TPF. They braced me up, gave me crutches and I made an apt with my Ortho surgeon for the day we got home from vacation. I had been told surgery, screw, etc. My surgeon came in after viewing the xrays and said he felt surgery wasn’t necessary and it would heal without that invasion. I also have been praying and have had healing before, so I am confident all will be well. In fact, getting another day July 21st as we head for Colorado to visit our son. It’s a 2 day drive for us. Doctor says to just sit in the back with my leg up. Once we get there we have plans and will be somewhat active, but I expect all will be fine. I so appreciate the encouragement of your experience and know mine will be ok, too. Thanks so much!
Really appreciate this site. However I feel it would b easier and better if the order of the posts started with the most recent rather than the way I see them (on my android phone) where the older posts (from 2013) are first and you have to scroll for a long while to see the most recent postings. In fact it’d be further beneficial if it was mobile phone friendly – Im sure many like me are on the couch or in bed on their mobile phones. Also Ive tried to comment more on certain posts but the comment box is all the way to the end of all the posts and between constant ad popups and not conducive to my android phone I either give up trying to comment or dont. Just my 2 cents…
Hello, I had my accident on 2/26/15 and surgery within 24 hours for a closed fracture of right tibia plateau – one plate, 5 screws inserted and then the next phase as I call it. Recovery was/is a blur the first 4-6 weeks as NWB I have never experienced before! Husband was 100% care giver and I was most fortunate in that.
After 2 months I began doing stretches in bed with my leg lifts, etc. Sitting for 2 months is NOT good and I kept trying to think of ways to get moving. PT is going well, I have not missed one appt and have met their challenges. Have managed some of my mental issues, like the fears (of falling, being hit, etc) are subsiding a bit but this has rocked my world completely.
I would suggest anyone in a bed situation to think of ways to move their body every morning and night. While hearing recovery is 12-18 months has been frustrating, through baby smart steps I hope to get going sooner with my smartness I’ve learned.
Thank you for this site! I felt alone and frustrated w this injury. Wish I found it sooner (injury in April) those were dark times early on. Glad I can see Im not alone and see that many have recovered successfully. Thank you again!
Ok so I am 33 years old and on 6/7/2015 I broke my tibial plateau. It required surgery with hardware on 6/9/2015. I was placed in a brace and recommended no weight bearing. Well being the no helmet wearing disregard all safety kind of guy I am, I have begun my own physical therapy. I have been working my stretch and flex, lots of exercising, and have now moved on to full on walking. Yes less than 3 weeks after surgery and I’m walking. Now I have a severe tolerance to pain but feel very little pain or discomfort while doing this and keep getting better each day. My leg strength has already increases by at least 10% so far. I Will update you in a few days as I go see my doctor for the first time since surgery.
Mate, thanks for sharing. That is some seriously impressive progress. Very happy for you. I’m about 2 weeks in now and so tempted to put a bit of weight on every once in a while. Feels perfectly normal. Doctor recommended 8 weeks of no weight bearing but I can just feel how it’s getting stronger every day. Currently fixated with 2 screws and wearing nothing but one of those compression sleeves. How have you been lately, can you keep updating us? Really interested in the further developments of your rather unconventional approach. All the best!
It’s been a lot of hard work but it’s helping immensely. I went in for my 3 week check up with my OS. He was surprised at how much ROM I have at this stage, and said PT won’t be needed. He also said I shouldn’t walk on it until the bone has healed more, so maybe in another 3 weeks I will be ok to go FWB. I still exercise this knee a lot each day and am going to try swimming soon. Thanks for the support.
I am a new ,tpf on May 3.
Good luck, I recommend you learn as much as you can about it. You will have plenty of time so might as well read up.
I am 20 yrs old. 10 sept, I face an accident and that time my tibia bone fratured doctor fit a metal plate inside my leg but 8 months passed I cannot run , and also cannot sit on indian pot is it normal …or doc told me for exercise but it is not working , I want to know that when my leg work; properly every activity
How long does the pain last… Surgery April 3. Starting to WB, & only taking Advil. But this is beyond tolerable at this point.
I fractured my tibea plateau 3 months ago. I have been on FWB for the last 3 weeks but am struggling with it. I walk with a limp and my knee is still very stiff. My foot suffers from hot flushes and by the end of the day it feels numb underneath my foot in the arch area. I wear orthotics and this makes the numbness worse. I have been to the physio and do my exercises religious. As a result of the long period NWB I now have back problems and to top it all off I have a husband who thinks I should be running marathons by now. From what I’m reading here I have a long way to go. I don’t really have much pain in my knee just lots of stiffness. Is this normal?
Hey Fay, so your husbands a funny guy huh ?! Lol jk . My wife was the same . I am 10 months out of surgery and continue to experience stiffness and some swelling depending on what I do. I would dare to say, perfectly normal . I to experience most of my discomfort in areas other than my knee. 3 months of NWB really does a number on the body. The majority of my pain is in my shin, lots of pressure there, and I to had to purchase orthotics because of the fractures and the surgery. It really does throw your body off . Recovery is going to be long and hard, took me 4 months just to relearn to walk after the 3 months of NWB. Keep your head up, stay patient and work smart and hard, it will come ! Good luck !!!
Yes Fay sorry to say I have slot of same issues seems to be par for the course 5 to 6 month recovery will still having ectv12 mos
I got my TPF in Feb.2014, when my knee became too intimate with a New York slab of street ice. BLESSEDLY: I did not have to get a surgery. By September, I was able to walk without the crutch/cane.
HOWEVER: on Christmas Eve, I fell at home, slipping (yes…running around the apt. in my house slippers!) on ouir cat’s hairball/liquid that I did not see. My knee (YUP…the same one that recovered from the TPF) went smashing into the hardwood floor: breaking the Patella (kneecap) into two. Surgery followed 12/29/14, and I am still on physical therapy, on a cane, and in PAIN! (today is 5/18/15).
Anybody know how I can get in touch with folks that got a patella surgery….two screws & figure eight wires? I feel for all my friends with TPF issues!!!!!
Oh good god man I feel for ya ! That there is pretty crappy luck !! And it gives me the heeby geebies just thinkin about it. I would think you could find a forum regarding Patella injuries similar to this one out there on the net somewhere. Hope you find what you’re looking for, good luck Bobbie! …….oh and tell the cat to clean up after itself !!
Hay guys.
I had am accident on 15th April. This left me with a type CO Ltd and foot fractures. I have been post ok for three weeks now. I have been told that I’m nwb for 3 months. Currently I’m in a hinged cast with full Rom. Just wondering if you guys could give me some idea of average time scales.
Hey Edward. Glad to hear you’re at least in a hinged cast with full ROM, unlike Lee who was immobilized, and I still can’t believe they did that but maintaining your movement throughout NWB is pretty critical. There are so many different variables when it comes to recovery time but with NWB alone I would venture to say a year minimum. The one thing I never did that I wish I had while sitting there for 3 months; be as active as you can be; upper body, lower body, whatever you can do is going to help down the road. Good luck to you !
Hi Terry. You were fortunate to have had therapy after 1 month. I had a full cast for 8 weeks and was only allowed slight movement After that. I had a NHS physio which was ok, but I had to do everything. I was told by the consultant and physio that I wouldn’t get full ROM. I am doing more or less same as you as far as streaching and excersises, but probably more cardiovascular than muscle. I’m hoping that I will still get more ROM in the next couple of months. I will work harder on the stretching. Also going to have more resting. I’ve got a 4 and 6 year boys, very busy. Thanks for inspiration. Lee
Hi fellow middle age man. I’m 42 and had my surgery 8 months ago. Also doing a lot at home and gym. Can only manage about 80 lb of squats at the mo. Glad to know u recovering well. What is your ROM? I’ve also got 12 screws and 4 plates, were 12 weeks NWB, so I’m only getting to 100* at the mo. Would like to get to 120*, any tips?
Hey Lee. It sounds like we’re pretty comparable. I was NWB for 3 months but was in therapy after 1 month. I think for me that was the most critical. Although I couldn’t bear weight, my therapist had me stretching and working her magic right away, which I believe is the reason I have full ROM now. What worked for me; I warm up 10 minutes; heel toe walking, recumbent bike etc. Doesnt matter how, just so the legs are warm. After that I stretch hard for an hour( calves, hamstrings, quads). I stretch hard like that twice a week, and it sucks!! The other 3 days I stretch light, 20 minutes, then work on strength. Rest and recovery time are equally as important so I do absolutely nothing on the weekends. I push hard and I work the legs hard, BUT, I’m smart about it. If I were younger I’d probably end up doing something stupid . I’ve learned that this injury will take a lot of recovery time so it’s very important to be patient . Slow and steady wins the race!! I hope I’ve somehow helped. If I can somehow provide some different techniques let me know. Best of luck to you !!!