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).
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.
Hi
Looking for any younger TPF patients… my beautiful big girl (14) fractured her left lateral tibial plateau on a family skiing holiday on Feb 18th in Austria. What a journey so far. She has an external fixator for ??? months and really would like her to be able to be in touch with other young people who have had this terrible injury. So when it looks bleak she has some hope. Sporty skier and hockey player, a different life for a while I think.
thanks
Michelle
Hi michelle,
You might want to try finding someone in the tibial plateau fb group as well as here. A link can be found in the ״further reading” section.
Beat of luck, and a hasty recovery for your daughter,
Shlomi
Well I can certainly relate to your frustration and feeling that you should be doing better than you are Diane. My tpf occurred on Nov 23 after falling off a step ladder while painting. Fortunately my surgery was the next day; I don’t know how you managed it for a whole week before your surgery; I kept telling people the pain was worse than childbirth. I was too afraid to use crutches so I spend the first 3 months in a wheelchair, using my walker sometimes to keep my other leg strong. I live by myself so it was a real challenge but like you, I have a wonderful family helping me. I started wb on Feb 3 with a walker and a month later I switched to a cane. Since I started wb I cannot remain on my feet for longer than 10 minutes without excruciating pain and discomfort. I do my exercises daily but I honestly don’t feel like I have progressed at all. I can imagine how hard it must be for you having to postpone your pt because of your blood clot.; I’m sure it has impacted on your recovery.
Wow Judy, it has been a long time for you as well. It is so frustrating! I also only used a wheelchair until two weeks ago. Still can’t put all my weight on bad leg. I need and want to get back to work but my job is ten hours on my feet.I don’t know how people do it. Like you said, you have horrible pain after standing just a few minutes. It all can get overwhelming. My family encourages me alot, but everyday just feel I should be better. It does help to see that others are going through the same . Are you going to pt still? Wish you the best in your recovery!
Hello Everyone,Thank you so much for all this input.My tpf happned on 12/15/13.I am 55 years young. I was on the roof of my house taking off snow and I fell off the ladder coming down off the roof.I landed on one foot.My right!! I knew I broke something but not sure what.My problem was,I went to the hospital and they took X rays and said nothing was broken!! REALLY? Sent me home and said use it as much as possible,it was a muscle spazm.I then followed up with my Dr.One week later and he said how does it feel to have a broken leg,again,REALLY?I spent one whole week with a tpf and didn’t know it!!! How’s that for a good hospital!! Anyway,had surgury, screws,metal plate,bone graft and now I am still not able to walk.Going to P.T.two times a week.Do not see much improvement.*85% back.Hearing all of you and your systems makes me feel not so alone.I am so sorry all of you got hurt!! But to know that someone out there knows how I am feeling makes me feel not so alone.Or crazy.I am trying to keep to keep my chin up but it is very hard.My best to all of you. and again thank you for this sight.DEBBIE
My tpf happened in a car crash on 12/13/13. Also broken ankle, all on right leg. Surgery on 12/20/13. I have been through breast cancer, ruptured appendix..nothing compares to this. Pain and frustration. I am almost three months post surgery. I have screws, plate and bone graft. The ankle has healed, but of course very weak. Just started pt two weeks ago. Prior to that , nwb. Using walker now. The biggest problem seems to be my ROM. I was in a brace and not allowed to bend. Then swelling in my foot would never go away. Finally found i have a DVT..three days in hospital at the beginning of February for that. So had to get an OK from primary to start pt after starting treatment for blood clot. I am blessed that it wasn’t much worse. Someone ran a stop sign and hit me. I have a wonderful family helping me. Encouraging to hear other’s situations. Feel like I should be doing better than I am at this point. Best wishes to all.
Really enjoyed this site !! I got a good amount of useful information from it . I am going on one full week since my tpf, it’s been very painful and very uncomfortable . I fractured my left knee while skiing went to stop and my right ski turned perfect , my left ski did not and I heard my knee crack
On New Year’s Eve fell trying to get the mail at a community mailbox. Have a lateral tibial plateau fracture. Had surgery on jan 9th plate and screws. I am 5.5 weeks post surgery. Still no Weight. Crutches didn’t work for me so I have a walker. I am 35 years old with 3 kids age 2,3 and 8. I hate everything that goes on around me as I hAve no control, my In laws watch the kids during the week, they are home on weekends. My husband works long days and my mom is helping me, but I am not pleasant to be around these days. To top everything off during my surgery they accidentally broke my front tooth. I now need to pay for an implant. Nothing to smile about here! And iam a Dental hygienist! Can’t wait to be mobile again! Love reading other stories. Gives me hope!
I tripped and felt my TP shatter, and was admitted to hospital, they told me my Tibial Plateau was “shattered” but no surgery. They used fiberglass splint and immobilizer. I was wondering what is this burning sensation on my kneecap, and is it okay to flex my ankle and calf muscle?? my calf muscle hurts but is really stiff, so i feel like I NEED to move my foot around.. I just had a baby 7 wks ago and I have two small kids at home, IDK how I can deal with all this
I would go as far as to suggest that it would be recommended to flex your foot up and down and also to move the foot around in circles (foot only my using ankle) both clockwise and counter clock wise. This is something small that you can do while seat and without twisting or bearing any weight on your knee. It should help stretch the calf muscle some (but probably not to total relief, but some) stretching of that calf of yours. If will also help your circulation in your ankle and foot. I feel at the end of September, 2013 and I still have some swelling in the leg and mostly in the floor. My physical therapist, who came to my house, let me remove the immobilizer while safely seated and doing these little exorcises. The immobilization is a necessary evil, but it sure does tighten the calf muscles. Mine even cause some pinching and sciatica at the top end of it.
You need to tell your doctor that you are home bound and need help from a home health agency. When I got home from the hospital there were some days where I had 3 different people coming in to help. If not a physical therapist (because not a lot of that can be done yet) or an occupational therapist, they should at least get an aid to come in and help you. Are you allowed to put weight on the knee? If not, how are you even able to shower. There was an aid that helped me do that for weeks until I finally got a shower transport chair and was able to learn how to do if myself from the chair. An occupational therapist could come into your house and talk to you about how you are getting around the house and how well you can or cannot do certain activities of daily living tasks. Mine was able to give me ideas on where these could be moved around. She had some clever ideas, which I would not have thought of on their own. It can’t hurt to ask the doctor for this help. The worst thing that can happen is he will say no and you have lost nothing by asking.
I wish you the best of luck.
Do you attend church? That may be a free resource to help you with the baby at home.
I slipped getting out of the shower on the 19/12/2013 and therefore ended up with a TPF shatzker 3, I had surgery 3 days later and was released from hospital on the 28/12/2013 completely NBW for 8 weeks, I flew home only to experience a cyclone a few days later. I have had a few falls eg. Supermarket door closing on me, slippery floors. It has been three weeks now, and I have not come across any informative information on the net until I found this website. Thank you now I know what to expect, I have my first physio session tomorrow and I can’t wait to get into it.
Has anyone had this injury and did not have surgery? I just got the results of my MRI today. 2 1/2 weeks after my injury. I have a horizontal linear nondisplaced fracture line involving the medial tibial plateau. No talk of surgery. Should I be worried about having to have it eventually? Will I ever be able to run again? My injury was due to the inpact while running. I’m 45, 5’4″, 140 lbs. How could this happen just from jogging?
I guess we all call it a tibial plateau fracture but the injury varies dramatically from one person to another.
mine shattered while walking across the street.. I will never forget the sound, good luck, I havent had surgery either, not sure if that good or bad?
Oh the SOUND. That popping sound. I remember that vividly. I was the only one up, cause it was the middle of the night and I got up to use the bathroom. I manged to get to my roommate’s door knob and into her room and onto the end of her bed. She is hard of hearing. Well death, because I screamed bloody murder and she never a thing. I tried to explain the popping noise and how that was along with the feeling that I had torn everything in my knee, but unless it is you, you just really don’t know. Don’t feel back about just walking across the street, because I got up and took like 3 steps and then planted the left foot and realized the leg was asleep. Then BAM I went down.
I suffered a non-displaced type-I tibial plateau fracture on 2/10/14 while snow skiing in Colorado. I have gone with conservative treatment – immobilization for 4 weeks. I am weight bearing now at 3 weeks with no pain. If things are going well, I should come out of lock-down on the brace and begin riding a stationary bike. I am a marathon runner – anyone familar with a good training plan following the injury?
I suffered my tpf 6/12/13. I’ve been through therapy and now workout on my own. I can’t walk or stand for long, I don’t feel secure on uneven ground like a golf course. I have a lot of pain behind my knee and in my foot. Doctor says my leg is healing fine, I am also seeing a foot doctor. Does anyone have comments or suggestions? Luckily I am retired so I don’t have that worry, but I want to enjoy being retired. I hope you all heal fast!
Hi K. I was a little disheartened to read your post because I am now almost 4 months post op and am frustrated that I cannot stand or walk for longer than 10 minutes. How long are you able to walk and stand now? I also have a lot of pain behind my knee and foot. I wonder why.
Hi all,
My injury was 7/14/13. I had surgery on 7/17/13. It has been 19 weeks, with 5 of them Weight Bearing. I broke my right leg (why always the right one I ask) in 3 places, both sides and down the tibia to 2 inches above my ankle. I have an 8 inch plate and 7 screws (or whatever I can tell from my xrAY). The outside plateau break required a bone graft. The day after I was released, following 4 weeks in the hospital and nursing facility, I had to call 911 on my husband. Dennis had Congestive heart failure and a tear in his aorta. He spent a month recovering in the hospital and the same nursing facility. August was a rough month. They called us Romeo & Juliet.
I’d like to comment on the kindness of friends, family and strangers. The fire chief accompanying Dennis’ paramedics, set me up with life alert that day. He sent over a Senior Service lady that same day, to see what she could do for me. Amy even went to the grocery store for me. A home health care agency stayed with me during the next week. I had OT, Pt and a personal aide come to my home. One friend’s husband built me a wheelchair ramp. Neighbors took out my trash, brought in my mail, and store shopped. Meals on Wheels kept me fed and checked on me daily. They even gave water to my cat, and helped with the litter box changing. The Provide a Ride service transported me to doctor appointments, to help keep my ambulance costs down. Friends and family took my husband clothes and visited him in the hospital. Joe, his best friend, did everything he could to help us both. My sister helped with everything else.
I teach Software programming 2 days a week. Cab drivers assist me in and out of the house and work. People I don’t know are so helpful.They help me open doors, hold them open, push me into and out of elevators, and get things off store shelfs for me. Students bring me coffee in class.
I’m still reliant on a walker and wheelchair to get around, but I’m 66 years old and heal slower. Life is good. Glad to meet you all.
Chris
Hi Everyone!
Please Try to use the forum page to the site so that other people can find and read everyone’s questions and their stories in one place. The forum is better suited for multiple comments!
Feel free to use the forums for questions, answers, personal stories or anything else. I will be coming by there every once in while to answer questions if I am able to help.
Shlomi
Diane-thanks for the question/comment- I am AMAZED that you were able to return to work a week after beginning weight bearing-WOW, you are much tougher than me-I am just now walking some without a cane-My body is so sore and weak in general now just doing basic daily tasks at home-my balance is not stable enough yet to work-I have to be able to work with geriatric patients so in order for me to feel confident with them, I HAVE to make sure my strength and balance is excellent-
Foot ankle pain was so weak and painful that I had to do a few weeks of pool therapy before the pain in my foot really was able to put full weight on it. I started PT oct 9th, and I went to my job today and I am telling them that I would like to return 1st week of dec-probably half days or so for the week I return. I so have to get to work-3 and a half months with no paycheck has been brutal-but I just can’t return until I feel totally confident. Tell me about your ROM/strength overall–Did you have ANY therapy to help you? I cant imagine doing your job so soon after getting off NWB status- for the ankle/foot I would recommend doing ankle alphabets, towel slides where you use foot to curl towel towards, picking up marbles with toes,stretch ankle with theraband both dorsiflexion and plantar flexion with resistance, calf raises, calf stretches standing against wall.
I hope this helps you-those are great ones to be doing– Are you able to balance on the affected foot for 30 sec? Single leg stance abducting your leg out without holding on to anything? Sidelying hip abduction 2 x 20 reps under control is key before you do them in standing etc
Ice your foot ankle as often as you can-I really recommend ice massage with water frozen in small paper cup for 5 minues at a time-Way better than regular ice packs IMHO-last thing on foot,grab the top of toes and manually stretch toes curling foot under holding it for 10-15 sec-do that for 10 or so reps
I hope this helps you-if you have other questions let me know-my email: [email protected]
Chris
I had home health therapy that came to see me a few times and gave me some exercises to do on my own, mainly just heel slides, straight leg raise, and quad sets. they were not very helpful so I talked to some of the PT at the Nursing home for their recommendations. I am going to try your recommendations to help build more strength in my right leg. I am able to walk unassisted but still have to wear a brace and probably will for a few months. Hoping that it gets easier soon, as I to work with Geriatrics as well as ortho rehab patients and must be able to care for them as well as myself. Main thing I learned thru all this is that maybe I really am to old to be riding dirt bikes…of course was having the time of my life up until the moment that I wrecked. Now doing a lot of “Grinning & Bearing it” to get thru everyday.
I suffered with tpf on 7th September and at the time was not xrayed until a week after when i was put in a full leg cast for 4 weeks and then a hinged knee brace for 4 weeks, am now weight bearing and awaiting appointment for physio. I slipped last night and am worried to death i may have damaged myself again but i seem to have movement i had before that and no further swelling. I agee it is a long process and i am sca.red about walking without crutches. I also suffer with sharp pains now and again in the middle of my knee and swelling in my leg and foot. Is this normal?
HI Shlomi, Great website about TPF, thank you, I have just had my Hardware removed, 4 weeks ago, so was back on crutches for a few weeks, and now recovering again, its a long road.. but reading all this information gives me hope for the future.
Hi Everyone!
I’ve added a forum page to the site so that other people can find and read everyone’s questions and their stories in one place.
Feel free to use the forums for questions, answers, personal stories or anything else. I will be coming by there every once in while to answer questions if I am able to help.
Shlomi