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.
Have you seen the Facebook TPF group? I am in that. Great support and info.
what is the group name? hyperlink pretty please?
Facebook TPF group 🙂
https://www.facebook.com/groups/tibalplateaufractures/
Thanks! I just applied to join.
I had a TPF from car accident on 4/7/14. I had an external fixator before surgery on 4/18. I immediately began PT. I was so glad to find this site today. I am still in a lot of pain, mostly my ankle especially if I get in the wheel chair for any period of time. I felt from the beginning that I have to beg for pain medication. ice all night and mostly when up but still the swelling and pain can get out of hand. I haven’t been able to sleep in my bed since the accident. I tried a couple of times but the pain was worse. I take Norco now and the told me next is Tylenol 3. I’m afraid it’s not enough. I’ve been hording pain pills for the most painful times. I do the exercises, but I’m glad to know that I’m pretty much experiencing the same problems. I see my OS on 6/9 and hope to be returning to work part-time soon after that. Maybe that’s wishful thinking.
This is such a wonderful article. 10 months ago i did mine on a last minute evening jog. Going from being very active to not at all was incredibly hard. Physio is still on going and having an arthroscopy in a couple of weeks due to continued pain but back to walking the dogs and using the stationary bike at the gym has helped.
Can’t wait to run again.
Appreciate all the work in putting this website together. Very informative. I was playing with my large , strong, lab dog 21 days ago in the backyard. She ran at me from about 30 yards away and hit me directly on the right knee causing a nondisplaced tibia break. No surgery but suppose to stay off leg for 6-8 wks. Doc said I have a little arthritis in knee and probably will need surgery in4-5 years because of the arthritis. Have strap on brace that doc gave me.I’m doing well. No pain. But having hard time on crutches and staying completely off the leg 24 hours straight. A little cheating, but not much. I know what can happen if I screw up.
Pliz let me know abt tibia plateau recovry time bcoz I don’t hv big facture it just a crack but docter use plate and screw on it so when I can able to walk as b4 I walk ? When can I walk a normal wtout any support
Oops clearly I need typing management!! LOL
Hi Everyone. Im just viewing this site for the first time. I was in Lake Tahoe skiing when I fractured my right tibial plauteau. I got distracted on one of my favorite runs; I turned my body to the left to respond to my friends kid who was shouting something and naturally my legs followed. I then tryed to correct myself turning my body straight so I wouldn’t crash into her. It happened so fast. What I’ll never forget was the pain I felt in my knee while still upright on my skiis and then looking down at my right ski which was turned perpendicular to my body. All my weight was on the right knee. My left ski released. Then as I went down I felt a deep “thud” and heard a loud crack like a dead branch breaking off a tree. I thought, “oh man, I really did it this time; to my cartilage.” Talk about denial!! I’m a former professional dancer and very active and had previous menicus and mcl injuries on the same knee. In shock I stood up to assess the damage. It hurt like someone was hammering on my knee and was wobbly at the same time. I knew I did not HAVE A LEG TO STAND ON. Pun intended! My friend helped me over toward the bank to get out of the narrow path of other skiiers. I started piling snow on my knee while my friend went to alert the ski
patrol. I texted my husband who was on the other side of the mountain and wrote, ” hurt my knee bad. SKILL Patrol on the way.” Later we had a good laugh
about the irony of my misspelling. Fast forward to the little emergency clinic. The pain was getting worse and down my tibia a deep ache. I was getting more worried when the xray tech kept asking me about my toes; if I could move them. Still in much denial. I kept thinking why if I just injured my knee, thinking cartilage and soft tissues, is he taking so many xrays and why the shin bone ache? Later the emergency physician approaches, looking at my xray and asks me what kind of work I do. “Um, I’m a Pilates instructor and used to dance professionally.” “Well, he says, you won’t be dancing for awhile.” I think my brain translated that to mean: ever again. He explained I had a tibial plateau fracture and may have a depression and if so would need surgery. What?! I’ve never known anyone to fracture their knee joint! It’s not like I was going that fast. They finally give me percoset, put a soft splint on and give me crutches. We decide to drive thirty miles to a local hospital thinking maybe I could have the surgery done right away. After talking with two OS’ s we realized it was better to
have the surgery closer to home and also to let the swelling go down. It was a long 4 hour drive home with my leg elevated and an ice bag on top. I could not sleep that first night as I was reading as much as I could on TPF. Over the next few days I was gathering referrals and made 3 appointments with an orthopedic trauma surgeon, and 2 sports medicine orthopedic surgeons. We went with the trauma surgeon since he did about 4 of these sugeries a week. I had the ski accident on February 23, 2014 and surgery on February 27. I had a Schatzer type 2 with an 11mm depression. Seeing the hole in my tibia on the CT scan was unreal. Side note: I had been taking ibuprofen the first day we left Tahoe along with percoset. I found out from the surgeon to NOT take ibuprofen due to bleeding in the joint! Fast forward to now 12 weeks post -op. I have been NWB for the duration. The biggest challenge was figuring things out as the days moved on. I had 30 degrees of flexion at 2 weeks. Recovering from anesthia and all the drugs took awhile. I had no appetite for 2 and a 1/2 weeks. My husband gave me injections of the blood thinner I was on. Plus, he had to do all the chores plus take care of me while working full time. He’s been a real champ but its been a rocky road at times. I had to get comfortable asking friends for help, but it made all the difference having support and meals. Eventually I had the appetite of a horse and craved burgers. It’s certainly true that the knitting of the bones takes a lot of energy.
It took awhile for me to keep weight on. I went back to work probably too soon, but only five clients a week. I have a wheelchair at my studio and at first would cry everytime I opened the door and entered the studio. I now average 12 hours a week with clients and have no residual hip or tibialis anterior (calf muscle on tne front of the shin). My knee flexion is at 170 degrees the same as my left knee and knee extension is normal. I have a lot of flexiblity so I had further to go on getting that knee to bend. That was the most painful but I had a very good PT to manually push the bend in my knee to get the scar tissue stretched. Doing passive range of motion and later active range of motion exercises diligently made me feel so much better. Plus using weights for upper body strengthening was a huge mood lifter not to mention things I could do on the Pilates equipment. In 4 days I see the surgeon and hope to be given the green light for FWB but partial is okay too! It will be a whole new ballgame to start walking again. Warm wishes to everyone!!!
i
patrol.
t took awhile for them to find me. Moving my leg on the wooden sling took two guys and hurt like heck. Shock was wearing off. Finally they get secure me into the sled
I just had the tpf a week ago and see the ortho in 2 days. He said it was non displaced but the tibia is fractured in 3 places and the fib in 1. So they are waiting to see if the bones remain in place so that I do not need to have surgery. I have a plaster half cast on that is wrapped for now and I am afraid of having the surgery due to many of the issues indicated here. I am worried about not doing the exercises soon enough either as I really do not want to lose all ROM. What are people taking for pain control?
Hi Dee, I can’t help, but I suggest you join the tibial plateau fracture recovery group on Facebook, where there will be people who can advise. The details are under the further reading tab.
Had a bad fall 01/05/2014, have had a weak knee for some time now and that night I stepped onto the second step down and BAM I went down, heard two cracks and then the pain OMG, nothing to compare with it! Rushed to casualty, put onto a drip to ease the pain, sent for XRay which revealed the TPF, the Dr in casualty put a bag leg plaster onto my leg and bandaged the leg. The Ortho Sugeon operated on 3/5/2014, had to insert a screw as there was a break and he has had to secure the bone back into place. Cannot use crutches, have tried before! Using a frame and wheelchair and generally coping at home but OMG do not sleep at night, can bend my knee with no problem but cannot straighten my leg out in bed with out terrible pain, have tried using a pillow. Am in a metal brace during the day which does help and have relatively little pain. However after a couple of hours at night I am woken by such pain that I cannot sleep and feel terrible from lack of sleep. The medication made me so ill I was throwing up so he put me onto PANADO only and just no good at all! Have also had the burning flushes at night and pain in the foot and ankle (full of bruises) If I could only have more sleep life would be a lot better. Waiting for the Ortho to phone me today perhaps he can suggest something I could take at night. I do have help a few times a week and hubby works full time so have had to manage so far. Thanks for all the follow ups on this site, strangely enough the Doctors do not fill you in on all the problems you can encounter as a reault of TPF.
Make sure you use the pillow under your heal and not your knee, I made that mistake, putting the pillow under your heal will hurt more but will force you to straighten your leg. I still have a lot of pain at night and it wakes me up, I just thought it was in my head but it hurts, like a burning from the top of my leg to the foot. This has been the pits!
I had a rod put in my tibia just over a year ago. I have knee pain wich I know is common with this surgery however I still have pain at the sight of the break when I run. Is this normal, (I’m assuming not) has anyone else had the same issue?
BH,
Yes I still have stiffness in the leg. Whenever I have been sitting for 20 minutes or more the first few steps when I try to walk are slow and unsteady. Getting out of bed is the same for the first few steps then I loosen up. I still have trouble going up stairs as well as going down. As far as the squats I do more half squats with a 25 pound kettlebell which works pretty well. I recommend doing step ups on a couple of phone books taped together to simulate stairs with the involved leg on the phone books maybe 6 inches off the ground, then try to lightly touch the ground with my heel concentrating on fully extending my knee going up. Single leg calf raises are also a great exercise. Quad sets are still a must every day. I still limp at the end of the day, but it is getting stronger. I would say at this point 8 months post op that my repaired leg is about 50% as strong as the good leg.
I ran into my surgeon a few weeks back, and he told me to expect 18 months before I can truly say I have recovered. I used to do Ironman triathlons, and recovering from this injury is much more difficult than training for those races. The key is to be patient. Sounds like you are doing well. I also recommend the website kneeguru.uk in their forum section to learn from people who have had the injury for years. You go to the main page and scroll down to the “Bone breaks around the knee” section to find other tpf stories. Everybody recovers differently, so keep that in mind. Those of us who were pretty active before the injury usually recover sooner than those who weren’t as active before the injury. But this website is the best for general information.I am a physical therapist, and info on this injury was difficult to find when I initially got injured. But Schlomi has done a great job putting this site together for all of us.
Hope this helps. If you have other questions feel free to contact me.
Take care,
Chris
I also had the same problem with my foot! I read everyone’s stories but couldn’t find anyone complaining about their foot. My TPF was on Jan. 6, 2014. I was NWB for 8 weeks and then was to start physio taking another 4 weeks to get to WB. The first week went OK because I was just to have my toe lightly touch the floor. The second week when I was supposed to put my foot down I almost dropped to the floor. I felt like I was walking on a floor of broken glass. It turned out it was the plantar fascia giving me this pain. Being NWB for so long was the problem. You also lose bone like the astronauts when in space. Your body decides you don’t need the bone if you’re not using it. You were NWB for even longer than me so I imagine that’s what it is. If you can get in a pool to walk around that helps and physio can help with excersises for the plantar fascia. I found this set back very frustrating. When you go through the terrible pain of the fracture and then the surgery followed by the pain and boredom of recovery and then are finally excited to begin your life again just to find out you have hit another snag. The thing to remember is it WILL go away as you start using your weight more. Good luck with your recovery.
Thanks for the comments, this has been so great for me to hear from people who understand what I am going through…one thing I did when I was NWB is get in my wheelchair and walk around the house. At first it was like Janice said about the broken glass but after a few weeks I was so much better. I looked crazy dragging myself around the house in my wheelchair, I removed the feet supports so it was just the chair. It worked my thigh muscles as well as my foot, just a thought for anyone at that point in their recovery. I also ice my knee, ankle and foot every single day. I figured what could it hurt, it made me not so guilty feeling when I was watching TV. Today is the first day I feel close to normal, still painful to walk but I make myself walk as normal as I can without limping, it hurts but I make myself do it and just go very slow. Today is almost 16 weeks since my injury and I still cringe thinking about the long journey it has been just to get where I am today. Patience, stretching, ice, and walking is the key and friends that understand!! Thanks
Hi all
On March 22nd I fell from a height of approx 2.5feet, landing upright on the medial aspect of my right ankle which caused a comminuted depressed lateral TPF. I had surgery 24 hours later which included screws and bone grafting and was discharged from hospital the next day with crutches, hinged leg brace and NWB for 8 weeks. I was reviewed by my surgeon a week later and my wound has healed well, with only some aching in my knee.
My main issue has been pain, swelling and inability to undertake ROM exercises in my ankle due to what feels like something grabbing at the medial side of my it when I try to move it. I even went to an after hours clinic at my local hospital 2 weeks post injury and requested an ankle x-ray to ensure there was no damage or break that had not been identified at the time of the initial fall. All I kept getting told is I have to expect pain and swelling due the injury.
It is now 5 weeks since my fall and I see the surgeon in two weeks, I’m hoping he will give me the go ahead to start exercising and partial weight bearing then (even though it will only be 7 weeks).
Reading that others have experienced pain etc in their ankle has reassured me that I am not losing the plot or being a typical nurse that self-diagnoses and this site has given me a place where I can talk to others that have gone through this.
Feel guilty when friends ask “how is your leg?” and all I can think of replying is “well it’s still connected to my body”.
Staying positive is not always easy and it’s hard not to get frustrated when you are used to being very active but I will get there.
I hurt my knee skiing on the 12th Feb, I had surgery on the 28th Feb, and have only just been given the go ahead for partial WB. It has been so hard for me normally at the gym three to four times a week, can’t drive my lovely new car that I only had three weeks before I hurt myself! However, the positives are it has given me a lot of time to think and get my life into perspective. I’ve had to learn how to ask for help, and stop my pride getting in the way. My leg is stiff and sore and I worry that I won’t get full mobility back, but my surgeon says I will with perseverance and giving it time, I think that is the watch word – time.
This website has been the best one I’ve found helping me understand what I’ve been through and what is yet to come.
Thanks
Hello Everyone,
I wish I had seen this website weeks ago. I had my accident on 1/22/2014 skiing, surgery on 1/31/2014 with instructions not to put any weight on my leg for 12 weeks, the doctors told me I would have to have knee replacement if I damaged it again, that made me follow the instructions. I am very active and have always run and lifted weights, my legs were the one thing I really liked about my body. Now I have this skinny awful looking leg that makes me mad and sad. I am 48 years old and have always just done things without thinking, like skiing as I did when I was 20 years younger. I have really had the worst time with my mental. As soon as they said I could start stretching I did, all day I would do as many stretches as I could physically stand. During the 7th week of not being able to walk I fell in to this awful depression and my husband kept telling me to get up and do something but I had no desire to move. At week 12 I went to the doctor and was told I could put 50% weight for a week and then 100% weight with crutches for a week then I could walk with no assistance. I didn’t follow those instructions but I did use a cane and made myself walk. My foot is killing me, the knee is a little painful but nothing like the foot. I ice my knee and foot every day and make myself walk even though the pain is awful. It has been almost 14 weeks since I had my surgery and I’m so ready for all this to go away. I guess I’m trying to say thanks for all the posts, I felt crazy, I felt like I was just feeling sorry for myself but after reading what everyone has to say I now know that all these feelings were normal and experienced by several. This has been awful but I had a great husband and friends but people who have never had this happen to them just do not have a clue. Not only is it physically painful it is mentally draining. When I get well enough to walk without so much pain I would love to help anyone in this situation even if it is just going and cleaning their house!!!
Thanks