Thread: ACL tibia rod complication.

Well, I've joined the ranks of the gimped(again) Tore my ACL at eaglecrest a couple weeks ago. I've got more than just the standard problem however... I broke my fib/tib about 4 years ago and still have a titanium rod in the tibia.

I went to the doctor yesterday and after looking at the x-ray he kind of thought the rod would be in the way of where they would tie the ligament into the bone. So recommended taking the rod out at the time of the acl surgery. Kind of makes sense since their cutting into the knee anyways to just get it out, as that was my reason for leaving it in, not having to cut into the knee again. But it seems like a lot for one surgery too, would the graft still hold well after a huge hole cut to get the rod out?

Anyways, wondering if anyone had or knew of anyone with similar experience. Also the doctor I was recommended to is going on vacation for like 2 weeks, so the soonest I could get the surgery will be like over a month! pretty bummed about that, its already been 2 weeks since the accident, would like to get on the road to recovery already... They tell me this after Ive spent the money on the initial apointment, so dont know if I should just go to another doctor or what.

Sorry to hear about your injury. I don't have much experience with the tibial rod thing but doing it all at once does make sense. Could be a blessing in disguise as insurance might not have paid to take the thing out anyway (pre-existing).

The waiting does suck but it could have have its benefits. I just had to wait 6 weeks and in hindsight I'm glad I did. I did some pre-surgical rehab, accupuncture, good diet, etc. and worked really hard on getting my leg strength/control back before the injury. With my last acl surgery I didn't do that and with this one I've noticed a huge difference in the quad size/control I've regained on my own after the surgery. It really does suck to wait but if you have to try to turn it into a positive thing. It also helps to get your house in order - pay bills, get house ready, get supplies, go see friends/ etc. while you still can.

Hope that helps. Good luck, heal fast, and keep us posted.

I had a stainless rod removed a year after it was put in. My Dr. told me I would have healthier, stronger bone without the rod carrying the forces placed on the leg. With the rod in, your bone can atrophy, just like unused muscles do. In addition, it is possible to bend rods, and then you have a real mess. Do yourself a favor and pull it.

Yeah I had screws left in my ankle ,5 years later when I did in the Tib/fib they wanted to put in a rod but they were worried about hitting the screws so they put in a plate instead

everything healed well ,6 or 8 months later I got the plate out and 2 of the 3 screws ...the last one is stuck there forever.

Recovery for getting the hardware out is way faster than healing broken bones ,IMO get all the hardware taken out if you can so it doesnt interfere with the next injury