Recovery


A Tibial Plateau fracture is really not much fun, but it helps if you are prepared and in many cases doctors will not prepare you properly for daily life after your injury. If I had to give you only one piece of Advice on Tibial Plateau eracture recovery it would be: be patient. And in the end, it’s not as bad as it looks.

Below is a more elaborate list of time-tested knowledge and information on different subjects related to your Tibial Plateau fracture. There are also separate sections for the different stages of recovery (from the menu above choose “1-8 weeks” etc.)

*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*

What to expect – overview

You will be leaving the hospital on crutches, usually with a hinged brace. For the first few weeks you will experience quite a few different uncomfortable symptoms but these all pass quickly. Natural symptoms include limited range of motion in your leg (in the knee and ankle joints) as well as pain, heat flashes, edema and stiffness Some of these will be caused by the fact that you are not completely mobile. Things will progress from here until in the end you are (in most cases) completely able to do your everyday activities, but it will take some time and hard work.

Time to recovery

Recovery from a Tibial Plateau fracture is different from person to person. It depends very much on the exact type and specifics of injury, your age, prior issues, level of physical activity, physiotherapy, nutrition and many other factors. Given all of these differences it is still quite safe to say that for most people, if you the injury was treated by surgery, you will still be in some kind of recovery for a complete year after your injury¹. In most cases it will be more than that, Improvement showing up to three years after. This sounds like a lot, and it is, but I can assure you that it does get better and that for most people after a few months your the injury will not prevent you from continuing with you daily life and you will be able to do all your daily activities to some extent including walking short distances, going out, meeting with friends, going to work etc.

Weight Bearing

For a period of about 6-8 weeks after the surgery you will be NWB (non-wait-baring), this means that you can not put any pressure on your knee and leg and will need to use a wheelchair, crutches or both. For some injuries it might take up to 12 weeks until allowed FWB(Full weight bearing). Depending on your doctor and your specific health condition you will be moving from NWB to PWB (Partial Weight bearing) or FWBAT (Full weight bearing as tolerated). This period of NWB will cause many mobility concerns and will affect your daily routine.

Mobility

You will be spending a few days in a hospital bed then progressing to a wheel chair and crutches, which you will be using for about 2 months, possibly followed by a single crutch and walking stick (see paragraph above – “weight bearing”). It could be up to 3 months on crutches, and up to 6 still using a walking stick (but usually much less). Also expect that initially you won’t be able to bend your knee much for a few weeks. This is called limited ROM (range-of-motion). Crutches are hard to use at first, and may be painful on the hands and shoulder, but don’t worry you will get used to them very quickly. And as a bonus you will develop very strong arm muscles. In some cases, overuse and pressure on your hands can cause secondary injuries to your wrists, arms or shoulders. If you are in pain from using crutches take it easy and use a wheelchair for a short while. You should also consider testing different types of crutches. Forearm crutches are usually more comfortable (then underarm) and come in ergonomic varieties. Today many advanced crutches also support ergonomic designs, anti-slip, and special features (link, link). Underarm crutches are usually safer then regular forearm crutches (link), but tend to be less comfortable, and don’t come with as many smart designs. Platform crutches might be good for people with a poor grip, but I haven’t tried them myself. Some crutches will also have shock absorbers to help your wrists and arms absorb shock (link).

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All this will require that you prepare for a period of partial mobility. Things you might be limited in doing include – walking up and down stairs, house jobs (cleaning, cooking, washing), carrying things from place to place (no free hands when using crutches), reaching high and low cabinets, showering. At first, you might also have trouble getting dressed and undressed but this will pass quickly. The best way to deal with this is have friends, partners & family help you with everyday chores and prepare the house as much as possible to make things easier. A few things you could do are:

  • Get a shower chair so that you are able to shower without bearing weight (link) and possibly also invest in some big bags or drycast or other cast covers (link) so that you can shower without taking your brace or cast off during the first few weeks.
  • Be very careful when using crutches in a wet surface because you could easily slip. Even more dangerous is if the crutches are wet and the floor is not. Make sure to dry the bottom of your crutches on a towel before leaving the shower.
  • If your crutches are very old and the tips are cracked, replace the tips with new rubber tips. The come very cheaply (link)
  • Use a gripper (link) to be able to reach those unreachable cabinets and to be able to grasp and retrieve items you would not be able to otherwise while on a wheel chair (link).
  • Make sure that someone prepares food and goes shopping for you. Other options include ordering in prepared food and ordering groceries online.
  • If your bed is on the second floor, Consider sleeping in a different room if you find it hard to get up the stairs. You can also climb stairs with crutches, or sitting down.
  • High and low cabinets are are hard to reach. Try moving things around so that they are easier to reach. Doors on low cabinets can also be unhinged to allow for easier access with a wheel chair. They can easily be put back on later.
  • More useful ideas can be found in the “logistics” section and “Tips & Tricks

Physiotherapy

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Physiotherapy is going to be a regular part of your life. The are several goals: increase ROM, increase muscle-mass, teach your musculoskeletal system to operate as before and increase your stability. It is very very important that you start physiotherapy as early as possible and keep at it until you are completely better. This is the one factor that will affect your recovery more then any other and it is completely up to you. I’ve written a complete section on physiotherapy alone. Usually you will be given exercises to perform from your physiotherapist. At the very beginning you will probably not be able to bend or straighten your knee at all. This can be quite frightening but don’t be alarmed. Initially exercises will aim to teach your neurological system to control the leg again. It might even only be hours before you will start to be able to bend your leg, or it could be a few days.  After this, during the NWB (not in all cases) period you will be performing gentle exercises to enhance your ROM, strengthen your muscles and reduce stiffness, sometimes using stretch bands(link). Exercises might be done at home or in a medical center. It is very important that during this stage you follow PT instructions and do the exercises as soon as possible and as much as possible. This will reduce stiffness, boost recovery and give you a better chance at developing good ROM. When you progress to WB, physiotherapy will include many exercises with weights and machinery with the aim of gaining stability and muscle and to exercise everyday activities like walking. I can not emphasize enough how important it is that you keep at it (even if it means you go to work less). To be able to do physiotherapy at home you can consider purchasing light ankle weights(link).  For more info and tips, have a look at the physiotherapy section.

Medical professional

Several medical professionals will be involved in your recovery process, including the radiologists, the OS (“operating surgeon”), Physiotherapist and sometimes others. You will be having regular checkups with them. It is very important that you make sure your OS is a good one, and that you consult with him on every question you have. Be curious and ask everything you want to know. Sometimes doctors will not be generous with information, make sure that you get your answers. You deserve them. Seek extra information in sites like this one (more sites in the further reading section). In many cases the PT and the OS will be discussing your condition either directly or passing notes through you. Make sure that they talk if they are not already talking, but remember that when they give contradicting advice – the opinion of the OS is always the one to go by. You might also want to consider getting a second opinion both before or after your surgery.

Diet

Bone healing requires quite a lot of nutritional help, especially during the first 3 months(This is when the bone is healing), so make sure to eat well, and consider supplementation. For your healing to progress well you need to make sure that you get a lot of Calories, Protein, Antioxidants and minerals. During the first few weeks of healing your body will consume about 2-3(!) times as many calories as normal. This is about 6000 calories per day, so no need to feel bad if you’re eating a lot and very hungry. It’s all going to healing.

Protein is an Important nutritional ingredient. By volume, roughly half of your bone is comprised of protein, and you will also need to get a lot of it to reduce muscle atrophy as much as possible. If you think you are not getting enough protein consider using protein powder to supplement your daily protein intake (link), or adding protein rich food to your diet (meat, eggs, milk products, nuts & seeds).

Minerals are very important for several reasons. By weight bone is about 70% minerals. These are the building blocks of your bones. The high need for minerals will mean you might no be getting enough of them, which can cause other problems. If you are depleted in magnesium for example this may cause muscle cramps which are not much fun during a Tibial Plateau fracture. Consider using a multi-vitamin(link) containing minerals during the recovery process just to be sure. Studies have shown a lower rate of complications in healing in people taking multi-vitamins (link). The most important minerals to consume are Zinc, Copper, Calcium and Silicon.

Vitamins are the catalysts for the process of healing and are also in high need during recovery.  Vitamins that play an important role in bone healing include: Vitamin C, Vitamin K, the Vitamin B-series. Be sure to eat a varied diet and Consider using a multi-vitamin for Vitamins and minerals (link).

Anti-Infalmmatory Nutrients help reduce inflammation and pain. Bone creates a lot of inflammation which causes pain.  Unfortunately it is not advisable to take NSAID (Non Steroidal anti-inflammatory Drugs) during the bone recovery process as these slow recovery. Natural Anti inflammatory agents that may work to reduce pain include Vitmain C, Omega-3 (link) and others.

There are many foods you should avoid. Some foods will interrupt normal absorption of nutrients and their consumption should be limited. Some of these are:

  • Salt or foods prepared with lots of salt
  • More than one cup of coffee or other caffeine beverages. If possible, avoid coffee altogether.
  • Sugar
  • Chocolate (because to caffeine content)
  • Soft drinks and carbonated beverages
  • Alcohol (it inhibits calcium absorption)
  • Caffeine (it increases rate of calcium loss and inhibits absorption)

Pain

Pain is an unpleasant but normal part of recovery. You will be experiencing different types of pain and discomfort throughout your recovery. Pain might be felt in different parts of the leg, and won’t neccesarily concentrate only around the knee. Most pain comes during the first few days and weeks after the surgery. Pain management is an important part of your recovery and you should not be in constant pain. You should use pain medication as advised by your OS or hospital medical staff. If you are unable to use the medication prescribed by your doctor or are more comfortable using a different type of pain medication remember that some types of painkillers should not be taken for long periods of time(read the label!), and that you should never take NSAID as pain-killer while the bone is still healing. These types of medications will postpone healing. Brands included in the NSAID group which you should not use include Aspirin, Motrin, Ibufen, diclofenac, naproxen and others. Don’t use these. Instead use what is recommended by your medical staff or another medication that is not a NSAID. In some case, mostly in the first days you might experience more severe pain that can be treated with stronger drugs. This is normal, but if you experience abnormally strong pain or other abnormal symptoms, get yourself evacuated to a medical center as this is usually nothing but could be a sign of a complication. Make that in the first few weeks you have a bottle or box of painkillers in your pocket so that it’s always handy. Remember – liquid pain medication usually act faster then the tablet equivalent of the same brand.

Staying at home/Mental Health

You might be staying at home a lot and will be quite immobile for a while. This can get affect your mood very much and can at some point get depressing, especially if you are used to being very active. There is no magic pill for this, choose a good book, and a good TV series and try to regularly talk to as many friends, family and close people as possible. The proximity of  friends and close ones is very important. You might also want to find a community of people who have suffered from Tibial Plateau fracture before who share your experiences and feelings. There are several such communities, and some of them they can be in the further reading section of this website. Also, try to do as much exercise as you possibly can. Even if this means exercising while sitting or lying down. This can give real boost to your mood. Another good Idea is to start watching a new TV-show you’ve never had time to watch, or subscribe to online video providers like netflix or amazon prime (link). If in need, consult a psychologist or mental health professional. It is quite normal to be affected by a prolonged period of immobility and recovery, and a psychologist will be able to help with this.

Physical Activity

You will eventually probably be able to do anything you were able to do before your injury. However, this might take a long time (1 or more year for some sports) and you might have to be careful when doing extreme sports. There is a limited amount of things that you may not be able to do exactly as before, for example some yoga postures will not be possible with limited ROM, but you can always work around these limitations by doing things slightly differently. Also, you might experience some pain which will be limiting. If you want to take up a fitness activity shortly after the injury bicycling and swimming are both good options which will also help with recovery. Upper body weight training might also be a good option but will not directly advance your recovery.

Work

You Might be dying to get back to work or could be in need for a vacation. Going back to work is something that very much depends on you and on your specific job and state of mind. Some people go back to work on crutches after 4 weeks (me, for example), while others might wait a whole 6 months.  There is a good side to going back to work (aside from money) since you will be interacting with people all day long and will not be bored. The important thing to remember is that you must avoid overworking and stressing yourself out. When you go to work it is important that you leave enough time and mental energy to be able to do your physiotherapy as much as you need, to rest, to relax and to visit your medical professional. This will allow your body to recover. You might be tempted to sacrifice your physio for your career. Don’t do that. Your career will still be there when you recover, the condition of  your leg is something you will be living with forever.

Sex

There is no physical limitation from having sex as soon as the initial pain has subsided, but this injury can affect your sex life, something which you will not find a lot of information about and your doctor might not tell you. Decreased mobility in one leg and one leg which is half the strength of the other can naturally affect sex. This gets better as your leg heals and strengthens, and you will need to ask your partner to be patient as you progress through the recovery process.

On a good note

Tibial plateau Recovery takes a long time but at the end of the process you are looking at excellent recovery and usually a fully functional life.  Moreover, trying to find the good embedded in the bad, this injury can help you put things in perspective and appreciate all the things you have in life: friends, family, health, a loving spouse. It gives you an opportunity to stop and think about what matters most.

2,212 thoughts on “Recovery

  1. I’ll be 6 months out of surgery shortly and so glad I found this site. My injury was from skiing (was an awesome powder day) and this is the first year I didn’t buy a season pass for the upcoming ski season as I don’t think my knee is ready. I’m 61 and have skied all my life, avid backpacker, windsurfer… but this has been difficult missing out on all of the summer backcountry trips. Following the information from those who have had their hardware removed and sounds like that is the route to go. I think my biggest struggle was needing to rely on help from my husband and family as I am too independent for my own good (must be my German background 😆).

  2. I’m in my 6th month of recovery been able to go back to work, still having problems sitting for long periods of time get pain in my upper thigh and lower buttocks,still having problems with my foot large toe hurts when walking.im able to ride a stationary bike for 30 minuets with little to no pain,Doctors keep telling me my pain is from my swelling any body still having these problems

    • I am in 7th month of recovery. I am having issues with foot, knee and hip pain. My gate is a problem. Sitting for long time is the enemy.
      I am interested in anyone who can tell me if they were able to gain back normal walking ? And when?

      I did 6 months of PT.

      I am doing low impact aerobics at home and my total gym but my leg/knee is not mine any longer. Doesn’t move like it did before.

      Have total leg and knee awareness.

      Anyone having the same experience?

  3. I had a together fracture 2 + years ago (7 mm compression). The surgeon placed a L plate in my leg. My recovery has been very slow and have done lots of PT to strengthen the muscles around my knee. I tried to ski this past year and when I put pressure on my leg in a turn, I experienced sharp pain in my tibia. I also get aches when I walk too much on uneven ground or when the weather changes. I have a bit of nerve damage that I ignore most of the time. This summer I am trying to do everything that I did before the break. When I do, I need to take it easy for 2 days. I am thinking about having surgery to remove the plate but I am freaked out. I worry about the recovery and complications – not sure how likely they are. I was totally unprepared for the recovery with the initial surgery (found this site about 3 months post op) and it was really helpful. Any thoughts on plate removal would be helpful.

    • Do it Jo! I am 2 years and 5 months post injury. Had plates and screws. Had it all removed a year and 5 months ago and am so freaking glad I did. I’m much better and have almost returned to my pre-injury status. My recovery was just a couple of weeks. Highly recommend!

  4. I fell in the back yard April 15th and got a TPF about 1 inch long I also had a slight depression on the plateau of 3-4mm .Dr did not operate to push it back up and decided to just let it heal. pain was bad for about 2 weeks. Was in a brace from upper thigh to right above ankle with no range of motion for 4 weeks while wearing it. Was allowed to take off in bed and stayed in bed the first week. May 9 they set range of motion 90 degrees while wearing brace…felt great to be able to bend the knee freely. knee is a little sore at this point but swelling is gone..I had started light bearing with no pain but Dr said no weight bearing for another 4 weeks. Have lost a lot of muscle tone in bad leg .Go back june 6 hopefully I can walk some then. I have crutches , wheelchair and a hugo walker. Lots of info here but was hoping healing would be done in 2-3 months…does age have anything to do with taking so long..I am 53 but healthy and active life. Dr did say I could swim last week after I begged for 2 weeks. I do think it has helped.

    • I broke my tibia plateau on lateral side Sept. 17,2018 . No surgery with 2-4 mil. displacement. I had a splint on for 6 weeks, a lot of tingling and numbing sensation and swelling on the inside of my knee. Doctor is not concerned but I sure am.. Really is this normal? On my 7 week visit just said to take the splint of and start bending my knee and that may help. Now I am 9 1/2 weeks and its still the same. Doctor { orthopedic surgeon} also told me no weight bearing for 12 weeks. Its like in and out of the room in a minute or so and no time to explain anything to me. Now I am 9 1/2 weeks and its still the same. I mostly use a wheelchair because I fine that with crutches its to much stress on my other leg. I was wondering if weight bearing before 12 weeks would I damage the bone? I am 64 years old but up to now has been very active and love to hike.. I did this break by tripping over my little dog in my kitchen. That\’s how fast your life can change,

      • Be patient and keep off it. Broke mine to bits 4.5 years ago. Did as I was told no weight bearing for almost 14 weeks. Mostly in a wheelchair because of 3 German shepherds in house. Did my physio lifted weights for arms etc. I did it at 60 and can now walk hike . ride horses do whatever.It was a long prosess but glad I followed instructions. Ps I also lost weight go figure

    • Hi Shelby- I just suffered a TPF after a fall on the cobblestones in Rome. The fracture was not seen until I had an MRI back home – it didn’t show up on the X-rays. I’m curious how your recovery has been. I’m 52 and before my fall, I swam a mile approx. 4 times a week and practiced yoga often too. My fracture is non displaced and I am on my 3rd of 8 weeks in the full brace and on crutches. Because we are a similar age, I am wondering how your healing is going and how soon you were able to swim?

  5. Good Morning! I am 19 months post surgery for Schlakter IV tibial plateau fracture. I had most of the hardware removed this past November and that relieved some of the extreme pain that I was dealing with. I also had 16 weeks, 3 times a week, physical therapy. However, my pain level is still pretty high. My surgeon says there is no reason for this pain. My entire leg is still very swollen. Do you have any ideas as to what it might be or where I should go from here? Any help you might be able to provide would be very appreciated. (I stepped off of the top rung of a 5 foot ladder, like I was stepping off from the bottom rung. What a ditz!)

    • I think you need a second opinion, and maybe to get back into PT. I don’t think you should still have swelling. I’m 6 months post hardware removal, and have some scarring and fascia tightness at the surgery site. My PT breaks it up for me. Also riding the recumbent bike and doing your elevated ankle pump exercises should help. Unfortunately, some doctors will totally gas-light you and brush off your pain. If so, you need another doctor. Trust your body.

  6. I am scheduled for surgery on Tuesday, April17 for a fractured Tibial Plateau. Any advise on how painful this surgery is going to be?

    • Poor you! I broke mine over 3 yrs ago! I think you will feel much better once fixed in place and can think about getting mobile again!
      Good luck

    • The pain after my first surgery was severe. They installed an external fixator that was screwed into my femur and tibia. I had barely any mobility at all for a few weeks and couldn’t even go to the bathroom on my own. The pain can be managed, but my advice is to set an alarm and take pain meds per the directions like clockwork. Do not skip doses. As a few weeks go by, you can begin to taper off. This will not be easy. The recovery is long and you will need patience. Hang in there and you will be fine.

  7. Me encantó la gran parte del artículo, hubo una parte que se repitió pero la información me pareció tan real y propio a lo que uno vive tras una lesión así.

  8. Hello I am 8 weeks out from a TPF, no surgery, little pain. I am gaining much better ROM and strength. What I having difficulty with is getting off the walker. I don’t know if I am just scared or if my leg is just saying I am not ready yet. MY orthopedic said I could do FWB at 6 weeks. I hang on to the pt’s arm and hand and walk very haltingly and am scared the 2 to 3 times I have tried. At home I at times take steps where I feel I am barely leaning on the walker and taking most of the weight in my leg. These last couple weeks I have felt I am actually seeing glimmers of growth which I hold on to, but am frustrated over not being able to get off the walker. I am presently on a fixed leg walker, my husband just brought home some slides and wheels. I wonder if this will help me to see that I can walk with little weight on the walker with a smooth gait. On the fixed walker it is “step, stop lift,step stop lift” so I can’t really get a good feel with this. Has anyone else had this issue or maybe most have I have only talked briefly talked with a gentleman in the lobby of pt office waiting on his wife. He had 2 TPF’s at same time, he seems to be doing great he scrunched his legs up close so I could get past him for my appointment, so I did not get a chance to hear his experience.m Just tried the wheels it is a little smoother gait and I feel I am working my leg more this way. If anyone can give me feedback it would be appreciated. Reading these posts and info has been so helpful to me. Andrea

    • Hi Andrea: I’d be looking for a second opinion on the status of your TPF. Did you have a full fracture without bone displacement? If that was confirmed by x-ray that you saw, you may want to have another one taken just to be sure that there is still no displacement and that bone healing has started.
      It also may be your fears are ungrounded and you just need a little confidence and encouragement to try weight bearing.
      I recall having a torn ligament in my knee and when the cast was removed, I was told to walk but couldn’t bring myself to try. I had become so used to the cast support that I couldn’t bear to try to walk without it.
      Good luck.

    • I had both a left tibia plateau fix and a left shoulder fx, both were pretty bad..had been skiing…was in local hospital for 3 days ( pretty much zoned out) till I got to a bigger hospital with a trauma surgeon….who put both pins and plates in both shoulder and leg.
      Leg was done on 4 th day after accident, arm..done 2 days later..I was at hospital for 2 weeks on pain medication and in bed..I tried to tell them no one stays in hospital for 2 weeks…since I could not use crutches or walker, because of Fox shoulder..I really hated the 4 weeks in rehab..but they got me to a wheel chair and then a walker. I am almost at 3 months now, 50& weight bearing on leg, 3 afternoons…pt, I take a couple small walks every day with walker……very impatient, I want to walk, actually like getting in my car ( left leg so thank goodness can drive) May take a few steps..I feel ok with that…my problem is I get tired so quickly and then both leg and arm hurt pretty badly..

      • This my story too! I’m almost 12 weeks out. Except I did it playing softball and I didn’t need surgery on my shoulder, just a simple break and dislocation.Dazed in the hospital for a week and 4 weeks in rehab facility. I too am in a wheelchair due to the shoulder injury. I just have started taking steps with my walker. PT and OT have me working on weight baring and bending the knee and ROM in my shoulder. The process is brutal and requires a lot of patience. Just trying to trust the orocess

    • I am not quite that far along but I feel the same fear right now having to go over threshold or small step. I’m afraid I will also be afraid to get rid of my “crutch”. My husband has little patience and thinks I should be up hopping around. Please keep me posted on your progress. I guess I’m googling symptoms too much and keep hearing how hard some people have trying to walk again.

  9. Teresa,
    120 degrees is damn good at 4 months. I wasn’t even close to that at 4 months. I’m 2 years out and would say I probably have 130-135 in my bad leg. I still struggle with stairs, but only when my leg is really tired. ROM will still improve if you work on it. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise. The main thing I cannot do is squat all the way down on the floor. I’m very athletic so I was hoping to totally regain ROM. I continue to work through it.

    • My tibial plateau fx, was 2 yrs ago and still hurting, still have the limp which causes my other leg to hurt, along with hip pain, I was wondering if you have experienced this, ty

  10. I had the FX almost 2 years ago and just last week I missed a step and lunged onto my affected foot no fall but jammed effect occurred My plate according to my primary doctor and a week before seeing surgeon said it looks on x-ray that plate has moved. Swelling and more pain. Do surgeon generally remove hardware without putting in a new knee?I did exercises

    • Hi Jeanill,

      I am 2 years and two months out and had my hardware removed a year ago. No, they do not need to replace the knee unless there’s some other reason you might need that. In other words, hardware removal does not in itself, necessitate knee replacement. Best decision I ever made to have it all removed.

  11. Last March I fell skiing and suffered a TPF. I had surgery in April 2017. Plate and nine screws. I was back to 100% in August. Been skiing already this year and have another trip planned to Colorado…

    • Glad to hear that you have recovered and you are skiing again. My TPF accident was from skiing 3-5-18 surgery 3-7-18 with a plate and 6 screws and I live next to a world-class ski area. This accident has been devasting and I worry that I will never ski again. At this point in my recovery, I am using a crutch and moved to a cane. My OS has kept me out of PT because he said all they would do at this point was ROM and I was at 120 already. Tuesday I will be seeing the OS and hopefully released to Full PT. I have a pain when I walk a certain way I think from my stretched meniscus. I think I am in better shape then some on this forum but those still in agony past 6 months is worrisome. My OS whos my friend tells me its 12-month recovery

      • Hi Ron

        I like you, have a TPF from a skiing accident (racing). Fractured it Mar 24, ORIF Mar 29. My OS started me in PT post op. I chose to go to PT at a sports medicine facility connected to my OS. I’ve been every regiminted in following the PT instructions but also talked about my desire to return to skiing and my willingness to do what ever it takes to do so to make it happen. I do my homework religiously even if it means doing it in my office (I’m known as a ski nut). I talked about my stupidly high pain threshold with my PT and we set limits for me to watch for in while I’m away from PT. I’ve just been moved to FWB, one crutch and hit 142 degrees ROM last Friday. In a nut shell, do your PT, if it hurts – stop, discuss your definition of hurt with your PT and establish your own limitations with your PT. Everyone is different. BTW, I’m one of those skiers who volunteer to wear a first aid vest and show up at the crack of dawn on the ski hill (to get the best snow of course).

        –TBF, plate 6 screws, bone graft, manisucs repair and damaged ACL (no tear).

  12. Hello,
    I recently had an accident while downhill skiing.I ended up hitting a tree stump that was buried under a lot of snow. Two weeks ago today. I had surgery on my right leg. The injury described on paper was a displaced distal Tibia plafond fracture. The operation the OR Surgeon performed was an Open reduction internal fixation right cominuted tibial plafond fracture.
    I go back to see this surgeon this upcoming Wednesday to get staples taken out. Hopefully I find out more detail on what exactly they ended up putting in my leg!! Doctor only mentioned screws and plates when I last saw him hours after surgery.

    The past two weeks at home have been tough and I believe what they put in my leg was a partial cast so that I could still ice the front part of my shin where I assume the incisions are.

    Long road ahead and I will miss being able to be at my kids sports games in the short term. Also I’m hoping to research more on physio and what I can do and when I can start.

  13. Hi!
    It’s been a while since I have been here for a visit. I had my surgery June 27/17 and I’m getting back to normal as each day passes. I’ve been walking since August, not pretty at first, much like a newborn giraffe. It has been a good recovery and I’m very grateful for my wife and family as well as friends and neighbors. One of the things I read when this first happened, was you realize who really cares. Truer words have never been spoken.
    Read alot!
    Subscribe to Netflix!
    Before you know it, you’ll be dancing!

    • Hi David. i remember your first post, because I suffered my TPF 3 days before you. I’m glad to hear how you’ve progressed, but I gotta say I can hardly believe it. I’m having the worst time getting back to normal. I can walk(not good mind you) with a cane, and sometimes without, but with a noticeable limp. My swelling is out of control and the pain is almost unbearable. Mine was a category VI break, what was yours? I could sure use some tips you may have cause this is terrible. I do my exercises without fail everyday but it still feels like a swollen mass just dragging around, not a knee that’s for sure. Hoping to hear from you,

      Mike

      • Hi Mike. I have a cat vi also. Motorcycle accident. Left leg I Shattered the left side of my TP, broke the right side in 3 pieces, split the tibia straight down middle, tore my acl and torn my mcl completely off. My accident was 11/9/17. 1 week in hospital. 1st surgery was same day as accident they put a external stabilizer and 5 days later the operated for 5 hours reconstructing my knee with plates and screws. Gotta day recovery has been tough. I’ve been NWB for almost 3 months as they wanted everything to lock up to heal. I just started PT 3 weeks ago (whole different round of torture). I have a ton of swelling still, atrophy in calf and constant aching. Can’t really say I have pain except PT days. I go to the doc this tuesday and truly hoping he says I can partial weight bear. I’ve been stuck in a wheelchair or using a walker and it’s getting old. I went back to work part time after 4 weeks and have just this week been able to work almost 40 hours (minus time for PT and not being able to quite get around fast enough in the mornings to make it by 8 am). I totally agree it feels like dragging around a lump not a knee. I try to practice keeping my knee bent as much as possible when walking with the walker. I asked my PT yesterday about the swelling and numbness as I was getting concerned. She told me it’s completely normal and may be numb and/or swollen for a year especially due to Major damage like this.

        In the same boat and happy to find others like me, though not happy you suffering. I pray you start feeling better soon. Here if you want to talk.

        • Hi Lisa. Sounds like our injuries were similar, yours being tougher with the torn acl and mcl. Mine happened late june last year, so it’s not quite a year yet, but I still have so much more to get better or I’m gonna be a gimp forever*(god, i hope not) I was forced to go back to work way earlier than i should have for $ reasons and its been real tough. I walk with a major limp and stairs are a joke.Orthopedic says everything is healed inside and looks good, but the swelling is still out of control and the pain walking, in the knee itself is crazy.It still feels like a dead limb attached to my hip, not like a knee at all. I continue to do my exercises from pt religiously, hoping with time it gets better. I hope better results come your way, would love to hear from you, good luck,

          Mike

  14. HELLO MY NAAME IS NAJI .I HAD AN BIKE ACCIDENT AT BEGINING I WENT TO HOSPITAL IN GHANA AFRICA AND THEY SAID IT WAS JUST A SMALL FRACTURE AND NO NED CASTING EVEN ,SO I TAKE MY MEDICATION AND LEFT , I BOUGHT A BRACE FOR LEG AND N
    KNEE AND PUT IT ON,AFTER 5 WEEKS I DID A CT SCAN AND THE DOCTOR TOLD ME I NEED SURGEY CAUSE I HAD A 3 PLATEAU FRACTURED ,SO I WAS CONFUSE AND I SAW ANOTHER DOCTOR HE TOLD ME I SHOULD NOT DO THE OPERATION NOW . CAUSE HE CAN SEE THAT ITS HEALING ALREADY AND THE BONES GETTING HARDER THAT I SHOULD BE TAKING CLUCOZAMINE + CALCUIM AND WAIT FOR MORE 8 WEEKS AFTER HE WIL SEE IF IT HEALS ALONE ,OTHER WISE AFTER THAT , WE CAN DO OPERATION IF NEEDED.
    BY THE WAY I DONT HAVE ANY PAIN IN IT AND I CAN BEND IT BUT NOT ALL .PLEASE NOW IM MORE CONFUSE I NEED TO KNOW HOW TO ACT ,
    THANK YOU .

    • So sorry to hear of your accident! My opinion would be to get another opinion with a well-respected orthopedic surgeon. You may or may not need surgery but there are certain things you should be avoiding during the first 12 weeks. I had surgery 2 years ago and am doing great now. I wasn’t allowed to put weight on my leg for 12 weeks and had to do lots of physical therapy. You may or may not need surgery, but you need to get a doctor’s advice on what you should be doing. Try to find a well-respected surgeon with good reviews. Good luck and keep us posted

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