Tibial Plateau Fracture Recovery

[amoparker]

WOAH Mike! Thanks for those pics. You are another one that humbles me. I especially like the picture of the clamp mid-surgery. That's one I seriously would frame and hang on the wall if I were you.
I loaded up a bunch more pics to share of my pre-op CT scan and my current scars (Ryanrene, I will post them I promise, so you won't be the only one hanging out there!), but they haven't been "approved" yet by the administrators of this site, I guess. Hopefully they will be by tomorrow.
In the meantime, I had my first PT appointment today. Not a lot was done except talking since I can't bear weight yet, but I verified that I am at least doing all the right things that I can be doing. She took my flexion and extension measurements--I am already at 110 degrees flexion, which is awesome. Extension I am not so great at yet, though--a minus 18. She gave me a sweet huge new ice pack which I can't wait to use, and we made another appointment for April 16th, at which point we will be able to get rid of one crutch! I can't flipping WAIT.
Amanda

[chas512]

Hey ladies and gentlemen,

I haven't posted in a while but I have made some progress so I thought I would drop a few lines. I just completed week 11 post-op on a type IV TPF (5 screws and a plate). I just got my new x-rays, the bone has healed up well and I have been cleared for full weight bearing. I can't explain how good it feels to not have to mess with the crutches.

My knee is still tight and the muscles aren't all there yet, but I have a decent gait and I can walk around slowly. My ROM has gotten up to -2 to 140 and slowly but surely it continues to progress. The PT is working well and they continue to push me to progress.

For those asking about PT exercises, I AM NOT A PHYSICAL THERAPIST, but this is what I have been doing to help with my strength and ROM. Please take this information with consideration from your PT or your Doctor, I don't want anyone to make their situation any worse. My home workout has consisted of the following:
1) Leg prop: Sitting down, i extend my leg fully (i prop it on the ottoman) with just my foot propped. Imagine making a "bridge" with your leg having just your foot and your butt as the "supports", allowing the weight of your leg to hang like this really helps with your extension range. It sucks and is super uncomfortable at first, but as the days go by you can let it hang longer.
2) Quad sets: Sitting down on a flat surface with my leg extended all the way out, I flex my quad and hold for 30-90 seconds. I do 5-10 reps. Imagine trying to break an egg behind your knee as you extend and hold. Your quad will fire right above your knee cap and help pull your leg out flat. The flatter and straighter your leg the better you are doing.
3) Wall slides: Laying flat on my back, I put my feet up against the wall with my knees bent to 90 degrees. Imagine yourself sitting upright in a chair, but the back of the chair is the floor. Propping my injured leg up with my good one, I slide my leg up and down the wall from full extension to as far as I can flex, holding it in the flexed position for about 5 seconds each rep. These have done wonders for my ROM on the flexion side of things. I do reps of this for 5 minutes.
4) Hamstring stretch: Sitting down with my leg extended flat, I use a belt stretched around the bottom of my foot to pull my hamstrings out. I also use this position to stretch and flex my calves. I usually do 30-60 second hamstring holds followed by 30 calf extensions.
5) Leg extensions: Sitting on a surface where I can dangle my leg (kitchen counter), I prop my good leg under my injured one and raise my feet up to full leg extension. This will help the quads build up, I usually do 5 sets of 30.

REMEMBER, I am not a PT but this is what has gotten back to the point I am, along with plenty of time on the stationary bike. Ice and elevation are your friend. The more you ice and elevate the faster you can recover.

I hope this helps those that aren't able to get to as much PT as they would like, these are the basic exercises I do here at the Howard Head clinic in Vail. Please take into consideration I am well along in my recovery and those set/rep numbers reflect that. Start slow and don't push yourself backwards. Good luck everyone, this thread has helped me tremendously.

[amoparker]

Hey ladies and gentlemen,

I haven't posted in a while but I have made some progress so I thought I would drop a few lines. I just completed week 11 post-op on a type IV TPF (5 screws and a plate). I just got my new x-rays, the bone has healed up well and I have been cleared for full weight bearing. I can't explain how good it feels to not have to mess with the crutches.

My knee is still tight and the muscles aren't all there yet, but I have a decent gait and I can walk around slowly. My ROM has gotten up to -2 to 140 and slowly but surely it continues to progress. The PT is working well and they continue to push me to progress.

For those asking about PT exercises, I AM NOT A PHYSICAL THERAPIST, but this is what I have been doing to help with my strength and ROM. Please take this information with consideration from your PT or your Doctor, I don't want anyone to make their situation any worse. My home workout has consisted of the following:
1) Leg prop: Sitting down, i extend my leg fully (i prop it on the ottoman) with just my foot propped. Imagine making a "bridge" with your leg having just your foot and your butt as the "supports", allowing the weight of your leg to hang like this really helps with your extension range. It sucks and is super uncomfortable at first, but as the days go by you can let it hang longer.
2) Quad sets: Sitting down on a flat surface with my leg extended all the way out, I flex my quad and hold for 30-90 seconds. I do 5-10 reps. Imagine trying to break an egg behind your knee as you extend and hold. Your quad will fire right above your knee cap and help pull your leg out flat. The flatter and straighter your leg the better you are doing.
3) Wall slides: Laying flat on my back, I put my feet up against the wall with my knees bent to 90 degrees. Imagine yourself sitting upright in a chair, but the back of the chair is the floor. Propping my injured leg up with my good one, I slide my leg up and down the wall from full extension to as far as I can flex, holding it in the flexed position for about 5 seconds each rep. These have done wonders for my ROM on the flexion side of things. I do reps of this for 5 minutes.
4) Hamstring stretch: Sitting down with my leg extended flat, I use a belt stretched around the bottom of my foot to pull my hamstrings out. I also use this position to stretch and flex my calves. I usually do 30-60 second hamstring holds followed by 30 calf extensions.
5) Leg extensions: Sitting on a surface where I can dangle my leg (kitchen counter), I prop my good leg under my injured one and raise my feet up to full leg extension. This will help the quads build up, I usually do 5 sets of 30.

REMEMBER, I am not a PT but this is what has gotten back to the point I am, along with plenty of time on the stationary bike. Ice and elevation are your friend. The more you ice and elevate the faster you can recover.

I hope this helps those that aren't able to get to as much PT as they would like, these are the basic exercises I do here at the Howard Head clinic in Vail. Please take into consideration I am well along in my recovery and those set/rep numbers reflect that. Start slow and don't push yourself backwards. Good luck everyone, this thread has helped me tremendously.

Okay, that was weird. You pretty much just described exactly what the PT told me to do today! I wish you had been around a week or so ago.
Amanda

[amoparker]

Okay! Here are a few more pictures...
Pre-Op CT scan of my injury:

Staple shots prior to removal. I have a large incision on the outside of my right knee, and a smaller one on the inside. Not sure why I have the small inner incision?


Now the scars:


And one more of the Post-Op X-Ray--1 plate and 8 screws:

-A-

[97r82]

Hello Chas
Sounds like you are on your way to recovery. I got my ROM back pretty quickly by doing a lot of the same exercises you are doing. My PT gave me a sheet with all of these plus a few. They seem to give a recipe for each patient depending on what the injuries are and what you need to work on. Good to see you have your ROM back. Mine came back quickly as well. I know lots of people on this site struggled intensively with either extension or both. I just doubled up on a lot of the exercises they gave me trying not to over due it but get back in shape as fast as possible. This was my second week back to work. Four 12 hr shifts was a killer but I am back with the employed finally. Feels good to know I will get a full check next payday. My gait is getting better with each week but still stumble around at times. Not as painful anymore either. Saturday will be 6 months from the accident. Can't wait to really get back to normal. Not sure what that may be but I am ready? Hope you keep progressing forward.
thanks
jesse

Hey ladies and gentlemen,

I haven't posted in a while but I have made some progress so I thought I would drop a few lines. I just completed week 11 post-op on a type IV TPF (5 screws and a plate). I just got my new x-rays, the bone has healed up well and I have been cleared for full weight bearing. I can't explain how good it feels to not have to mess with the crutches.

My knee is still tight and the muscles aren't all there yet, but I have a decent gait and I can walk around slowly. My ROM has gotten up to -2 to 140 and slowly but surely it continues to progress. The PT is working well and they continue to push me to progress.

For those asking about PT exercises, I AM NOT A PHYSICAL THERAPIST, but this is what I have been doing to help with my strength and ROM. Please take this information with consideration from your PT or your Doctor, I don't want anyone to make their situation any worse. My home workout has consisted of the following:
1) Leg prop: Sitting down, i extend my leg fully (i prop it on the ottoman) with just my foot propped. Imagine making a "bridge" with your leg having just your foot and your butt as the "supports", allowing the weight of your leg to hang like this really helps with your extension range. It sucks and is super uncomfortable at first, but as the days go by you can let it hang longer.
2) Quad sets: Sitting down on a flat surface with my leg extended all the way out, I flex my quad and hold for 30-90 seconds. I do 5-10 reps. Imagine trying to break an egg behind your knee as you extend and hold. Your quad will fire right above your knee cap and help pull your leg out flat. The flatter and straighter your leg the better you are doing.
3) Wall slides: Laying flat on my back, I put my feet up against the wall with my knees bent to 90 degrees. Imagine yourself sitting upright in a chair, but the back of the chair is the floor. Propping my injured leg up with my good one, I slide my leg up and down the wall from full extension to as far as I can flex, holding it in the flexed position for about 5 seconds each rep. These have done wonders for my ROM on the flexion side of things. I do reps of this for 5 minutes.
4) Hamstring stretch: Sitting down with my leg extended flat, I use a belt stretched around the bottom of my foot to pull my hamstrings out. I also use this position to stretch and flex my calves. I usually do 30-60 second hamstring holds followed by 30 calf extensions.
5) Leg extensions: Sitting on a surface where I can dangle my leg (kitchen counter), I prop my good leg under my injured one and raise my feet up to full leg extension. This will help the quads build up, I usually do 5 sets of 30.

REMEMBER, I am not a PT but this is what has gotten back to the point I am, along with plenty of time on the stationary bike. Ice and elevation are your friend. The more you ice and elevate the faster you can recover.

I hope this helps those that aren't able to get to as much PT as they would like, these are the basic exercises I do here at the Howard Head clinic in Vail. Please take into consideration I am well along in my recovery and those set/rep numbers reflect that. Start slow and don't push yourself backwards. Good luck everyone, this thread has helped me tremendously.

[97r82]

Amy
How goes it? You may need to drink beer instead of water on your next camping trip? How is work? You are right about the pain pills. I tried therapy without them one time. From then on I took them about 30 minutes before just in case they might want to try to kill me with a new exercise. They don't mess my stomach up though. Everyone is different. Morphine didn't work on me. Nurses thought I was kidding unti the second shot failed.
I just finished week 2 of work. Man I am beat. 4 shifts each week. It is getting more bearable now though. I forgot how large the plant is. I am walking a little better now. One of the guys who had knee replacement while I was gone is giving me crap about my hobble type gait but I don't care. I feel better today than I have since the accident 6 months ago. Hope you are doing well. I bet you are ready to enter a 5k marathon by January. At least walk another mile.
thanks
jesse

I can relate. Even though this is a skiing website, I wasn't skiing. I was walking!!! We were on our annual camping trip. We have a trailer/RV and I fell coming out of it. It's maybe 3ish feet from the ground with one little narrow step. It was first thing in the morning and I was going to make coffee. I had a full-to-the-top cup of water and was trying not to spill it. I wasn't paying attention and when I stepped out of the trailer, I missed the step and fell straight down onto my fully extended leg. I looked down and saw that I wasn't going to hit the step and started yelling "ow, ow, ow, ow" before I hit the ground. My husband said that I didn't spill the water though!!! We were in the middle of nowhere. No cell service. It was 45 minutes on the windiest bumpiest gravel road up out of the canyon until we got cell service. The ambulance met us and it was another half hour to the tiny hospital. X-rays and then a six hour ambulance ride back to the trauma center that I work at and had left the day before to go on a week vacation!!!! By the way, the ambulance bill was $10,000!!! I could've taken a limo for less!
I'm an RN in the trauma ICU and I know how quickly a life can change. I saw it at work every day. It's different when it's you!
Let us know how PT goes. Take a pain pill prior to going, if you can stomach it. You can get through it!!!!
amy

[SueBee]

Thank you East Mtn!

Balancing work and this injury - what with really needing to be in bed by 9:30 PM and everything from getting dressed to showering to packing lunch taking so much time - I have found it difficult to get back on this site. I am enjoying a blessed 4 day weekend. Focusing on taking care of me!

I like your dramatic pictures! Whoa, I thought I had hardware (plate and 4 screws). It is great to hear that you are progressing through this recovery - gives me hope. The doctor did not offer me any pictures. I will see my GP this week and ask if she can email them to me

I have been icing and that is helping with swelling and the low grade discomfort (not really pain). Elevation - yes, Rest - I try....What do you use for compression?

Talk soon!

[SueBee]

I like those PT questions--they will help me too if someone chimes in! I will tell you that I went and just did some of my own PT in the pool at the local rec center on Sunday and I can tell you it was amazing! Even after just doing about 30 minutes of things like half-jacks and high knees in shoulder-deep water I felt like I had a noticeable improvement in my flexion. Not so much my extension, but definitely flexion.
-A-

Ditto - I have made an appointment for this week - Just ROM to start - but I was underwhelmed with confidence after asking for the PT's experience with leg fractures... and I only chose this place for it's geographical convenience...

[SueBee]

Welcome Sue
Sorry to meet this way but it is what it is. This is a great bunch of people who are going thru or have been thru what you are dealing with. Go to your regular doc and have him prescribe something for pain. They gave me Ultram generic is Tramadol. It is kind of half way between Loratab and Tylenol but it is not a narcotic. Easier on your stomach and you won't get addicted to it since it isn't a narcotic. Stay away from the Ibuprofens they prevent bone healing.
Someone brought me a shower bench. It's wider than the chair so you can sit on it then slide over into the shower. I was able to shower by myself after a while.
Glad to see you are working. That was my biggest issue. Bored to tears but I could not return to work until I had a full release from the surgeon. Started back last week. Almost 6 months off work.
Ice is your friend along with lots of leg lifts and other PT they give you. Seems silly but all the little exercises build you back up. I still waddle like a duck if I don't think about how I am walking.
Patience is not my strong suit but I now have some.
good luck
thanks
jesse

Hi Jesse,

Thank you for the information about Ibuprofen. At the hospital they mentioned Tylenol and never mentioned Advil...My spidey senses tingled but somehow I did not heed the inner voice or ask anyone... and with the swelling I thought it would help. Luckily I had only taken about 4 Advil by the time I read your post.

I appreciate what you say about patience - one of the unexpected gifts. I have no choice but to slow down. It has also been awesome riding on the Handy Dart (accessible transit - shared ride system) It's not handy and it does not dart. I have been meeting people who will never get out of their chairs. Puts everything in perspective.

I am seeing my GP this week and will ask about the non-Narcotic pain killers options. I start with PT on ROM this week as well.

Wow! 6 months! It must be sensory overload to be back....Do you find it tiring being back at work? I'm so wiped out at the end of every day.

I finally had a shower by myself- using a shower bench. still freaks me out. I am at my most vulnerable when I see what my leg has become. But I do believe as soon as I have exercises that I can work on I will steadily improve...

Thank you for sharing your experience in this forum!!

[East Mtn]

I have been icing and that is helping with swelling and the low grade discomfort (not really pain). Elevation - yes, Rest - I try....What do you use for compression?

Early on, I used two Ace bandages: a 3-inch wide one for the foot and ankle, and then a 4-inch bandage to the knee. Adjust compression for best comfort.

Now that it's mostly just swelling in my disused foot, I use either the 3-inch Ace or a Futuro "Comfort Lift Ankle Support." Hmm, looking at the Futuro product page, I realized I've been wearing it backwards, with the long section over the foot. No wonder people look at me funny... Oh well, it works. It actually makes it easier to get and keep my foot in a shoe, now that I'm PWB. Either one helps when the damaged nerves for the dorsal foot start jangling.

-- Chris

[Nurse Nina]

Thanks for the encouragement. I was a bit discouraged when I found out NWB for another 6 weeks. The PT, while effective in keeping my ankle and knee flexible, has caused me a lot of discomfort, mostly muscle spasms and a tightness around my entire lower leg. The tylenol isn't helping much.

[East Mtn]

In an offline conversation with SoccerGirl, we started discussing things we wish we'd known and came up with the idea that it may be time for an FAQ. Among other things, it would give us a way to "pay forward" for all the support we've received from this forum.

The idea would be to supplement this forum with a source:

• . Providing the information we wish we'd known
• . Ordered as we would like to have seen it
• . Supporting collaborative authoring
• . Resistant to commercialization and vandalism
• . Written from a patient's point of view, though professionals might contribute
• . Directing people to doctors for medical advice
• . Presenting medical/PT options and references for further reading

Options for media would include:

• . Wikipedia. It has a TPF page that needs work, but I don't think their standards would fit a patient-recovery FAQ.
• . A wiki specifically for TPF, with moderation of the contributors. I could host it but would need help to administer it.
• . A wiki on wikia or other wiki services
• . A website, either part of or similar to mybrokenleg.com. This would not be as collaborative as I'd like.
• . A Google Doc, at least to start the collaborative process.

Any thoughts? I'm favoring Wikia at the moment.

-- Chris

[97r82]

Hi Jesse,

Thank you for the information about Ibuprofen. At the hospital they mentioned Tylenol and never mentioned Advil...My spidey senses tingled but somehow I did not heed the inner voice or ask anyone... and with the swelling I thought it would help. Luckily I had only taken about 4 Advil by the time I read your post.

I appreciate what you say about patience - one of the unexpected gifts. I have no choice but to slow down. It has also been awesome riding on the Handy Dart (accessible transit - shared ride system) It's not handy and it does not dart. I have been meeting people who will never get out of their chairs. Puts everything in perspective.

I am seeing my GP this week and will ask about the non-Narcotic pain killers options. I start with PT on ROM this week as well.

Wow! 6 months! It must be sensory overload to be back....Do you find it tiring being back at work? I'm so wiped out at the end of every day.

I finally had a shower by myself- using a shower bench. still freaks me out. I am at my most vulnerable when I see what my leg has become. But I do believe as soon as I have exercises that I can work on I will steadily improve...

Thank you for sharing your experience in this forum!!

Sue
the swelling slowly goes away. Activity alone reduces it. My whole leg is still swollen some at the end of teh day but I finally give up the ice about a month ago. It goes down overnight and I sleep without waking up with cramps or deep bone ache so I guess I am saying it takes time and working the leg. We live rural so not much public transit let alone one for disabled. Glad you could use this to continue working. I couldn't go back to work with any restrictions on my job so I had no choice anyway.

You are correct about tired. Sensory overload yes. I am so far behind at work it isn't funny. My big project went on without me but they missed quite a few details. Nothing that can't be fixed but just time consuming which I have plent of. I am in bed by 8pm and go right to sleep. My day starts @ 4 though and the shifts are 12hrs. My boss had been easy on me allowing me to do only what I feel capable of. I work with 3 other guys and they have been doing anything I am not comfortable with yet. I have a great bunch of coworker (more like extended family) along with a lot of caring family, neighbors and friends. Without the compassion I was shown during the time of dire need I don't know how I could have survived this mess mentally. That is the key to recovery. I truly believe that. You have to know in your mind you will get back to normal and change your vision of what normal is. I don't need to run a mile for a few years or never and I am OK with that. I do need to be able to make a living and eventually do all the small jobs around the house in some kind of timely manner. Patience will get you there but it sucks.

I know what you mean about a new respect for the handicapped. They live in world not exactly easy most times but they endure whatever they encounter to get what they want or need. It's amazing the simple things that are almost impossible. My hat is off to a guy with one leg much less no legs.

You are amazing being able to work so soon plus riding public trans without freaking out. I couldn't get comfortable just riding in my own vehicle with my wife much less bumping down the road in a bus. That would have been too much probably even yesterday. I constantly watch my surroundings to prevent a accidental bump to the leg. Doc said it would take a lot now to hurt the bone but still I don't want to chance it. I got my pics while the OS was looking at my xray. Phone camera they didn't care. Actually the xray tech gave me the idea. I wish I had a before the surgery pic though. I may ask the doc for it if I ever see him again. Good luck with your recovery.
thanks
jesse

[SoccerGirl]

[QUOTE=liamy;3606272]Hi guys. I just passed my nine month mark and have had alot of PT experience, so I offer my two cents.
I've have three different PTs......

Amy thank you sooo much for all this, this is very helpful.

I went to one PT yesterday just to see their clinic, and she was very interesting. She was shocked that Home Health never worked at all on my scar -- or on the knee cap. She said that stuff has to be softened (manual therapy). She also was surprised, seeing how blue that whole leg is, that my surgeon hasn't intervened. Gotta get the circulation, lymph system flowing.

Xray pic's... i wish i could post mine, but both surgeons i've been to won't give me anything but big print-out films! Both told me they're unable/ just don't make CD's etc. Guess that's what you get for going to a country doc

Chas512
Thanks so much for posting your stretch routines... it was good to see this is the same type thing my home health people told me to do (the wall one was a new twist i liked to read about though)...and i'm amazed these actually got you somewhere because... i'm so not satisfied with this stuff!! All my muscles feel like they'll explode from 2 months non-use, and these little puny stretches really don't do much for me, at all!!! I am NOT impressed. But, others have said too to keep doing 'em, no matter how silly they seem... it's tough to motivate when it seems so worthless to me. (what i feel like i need of course is a good long run or intense weight-lifting!!)

Since i'm still not cleared for WB, and no outpatient yet, my plan is to find a pool and just do whatever i can do on my own!

[SoccerGirl]

Pool P.T. routines: I found this helpful video! Makes me wish a Hydroworx place was close to me! The routines are designed for Non Weight Bearing... (And yes, as someone else wrote a disclaimer: I am not a PT so def run by your own PT/ Doc first)

Scroll down to the last video, on bottom of screen (Medial meniscus and TPF)
http://hydroworx.com/video-library/d...&categoryId=11

[liamy]

Amy
How goes it? You may need to drink beer instead of water on your next camping trip? How is work? You are right about the pain pills. I tried therapy without them one time. From then on I took them about 30 minutes before just in case they might want to try to kill me with a new exercise. They don't mess my stomach up though. Everyone is different. Morphine didn't work on me. Nurses thought I was kidding unti the second shot failed.
I just finished week 2 of work. Man I am beat. 4 shifts each week. It is getting more bearable now though. I forgot how large the plant is. I am walking a little better now. One of the guys who had knee replacement while I was gone is giving me crap about my hobble type gait but I don't care. I feel better today than I have since the accident 6 months ago. Hope you are doing well. I bet you are ready to enter a 5k marathon by January. At least walk another mile.
thanks
jesse

Hi. You're right about the beer. When people find out I was camping and "fell out of the camper" they always ask if I had been drinking! Thank goodness I hadn't! I would've felt so bad!!
Work is going good. I've done five weeks of office stuff and just had my first "real nurse" shift. 8 hours. I had a pretty easy assignment and it went really well. I'm slowly on my way! My OS and his PA were in my unit seeing a patient that is about to get both (!!!!) of his legs amputated. Made me curb the complaints a bit. I hate it what people say "it could be worse", but it's true.
I've done the Race for the Cure every year since my mom was diagnosed. It's in September and I want to walk the 5k. I think it's doable. Walking not running! The sun is finally shinning where I'm at (Portland, Or), so I'm heading out for a short walk!
amy

[chas512]

SoccerGirl,

The stuff I posted is just as much about re-firing the muscles and building strength as it is stretching. I know they seem simple compared to an actual weight training workout, but you have to crawl before you can walk, and walk before you can run. They won't keep your muscles in the shape like they were before hand (esp not for a soccer player) but they will help to slow the atrophy and keep some of the strength without inhibiting your bone recovery. This is really helpful when it comes to returning to weight bearing and achieving a normal gait.

In regards to the quad sets, try doing more reps or more sets, holding those quads tighter and longer, pushing past that uncomfortable envelope and really try activating your quad. Once you can get your knee to 0 degrees extension, go for leg raises that really focus on extension and slow controlled movement.

Start sitting upright on the floor with quad set warm ups that focus on pushing your leg as straight as possible (think back of your knee flat on the floor with so much quad muscle exertion your heel comes up off of the ground.) Try the pyramid-style, 1 set of 10 second holds, 2 sets of 20 second holds, 3 sets of 30 second holds..etc until you get to 6 sets of 60 second holds.

After that warm up, lay flat on your back and focus on that super-straight extensions and start a slow concentrated leg raise, 3-4 sets of 15 reps. Think about a rep going up slowly, holding for 5 seconds, and coming back down slowly. Keep the quad as tight as possible and you can get a great work out for your leg.

I hope this helps you get a little more out of your workout. The advice people have given you is right, keep it up and you will be back to normal before you know it. Just like any other exercise routine you have to keep changing it up and ramping up the intensity. I am willing to pass on the other workouts/advice ive received as well, anybody please feel free to ask.

Enjoy your weekend everybody.

[Sare1]

Hi! Glad I found this forum. Fell off my quarter horse almost two weeks ago and fractured my left ace tabular hip joint and my right plateau tibia. Life has been interesting to say the least. Just one pin in my left hip and non surgical treatment for my knee.

Same knee always seems to be injured. Any tips on good sleeping positions? I am convinced sleep, diet, and attitude are just as important as the medical end of things. It will be a good six months until I am on my horse again. Thanks!

[SoccerGirl]

SoccerGirl,
The stuff I posted is just as much about re-firing the muscles and building strength as it is stretching. ....

Hey thanks so much for all this!! I needed it. Good reminder -- re-firing the muscles is key. Good tip too, to tighten so hard and long until you actually feel something working (go past that point). I am very good with extension -- though still feel it in the knee of course -- but love that tip about pushing quad/ knee down so hard your heels sorta come up. My flexion needs lotsa work. I would love to see your other workout/ advice repertoire! These are helpful. Though it's all similar to what a past PT showed me (currently i have none, since i maxed out insurance for home health, and am waiting for WB to do outpatient), your little tips are helpful to increase intensity/ motivate me.

Praying everyone out there suffering this brokenness receives a lot of graces this Easter Weekend... new life, new strength, new hope, healing, and consolation!

[Jessie]

Hi Everyone!

Over the previous days I have spent a lot of time reading all this interesting information. I got scared when seeing that it could take a lot of time to sport again, but I also realised that I "only" have a Tibia Plateau Fracture of Type 1 (Schatzker classification) and that it could have been a lot worse.

So, here is my story: I had a motorcycle accident on the 29th of Feb 2012. I was driving a 250cc motorbike, had to stop for a car in front of me which I did. When I had put my foot on the ground a 4wheel drive BMW crashed into me from the back. I flew over the handlebars of my bike. I am not sure if I hit the car in front of me with my knee or the street. The accident was on the Wednesday the 29th of March. Doctors said the had to put a plate and screws. They planned the operation on Saturday. However, it got postponed (too many other life-treathening injuries that had to go first). On Sunday the same happened. On Monday they noticed that I had a huge pain in my calve when they pushed my toes to my knee --> BLOOD CLOT. After an ultrasound it was confirmed that I had a DVT (deep vein thrombosis). They did the operation on Tuesday and they put me on Warfarin (which they should have done from the beginning I think). I had to stay in the hospital 14 days! Now I am at home recovering.

So in short
29 february: motorbike accident - Lateral Tibia Plateau Fracture
5 March: Blood clot (DVT)
--> now I need regular (once or twice a week bloodtests for 3 months and warfarine meds every day)
6 March: Operation (plate and 4 screws)
7 March: walking with forearm support frame and crutches (no weight)
13 March: discharged from hospital
2 April (4 weeks post op): Start touch weight bearing
3 April: first physio
8 April: NOW
16 April: check-up dat hosptial and X-ray (hopefully PT referral)

The Dr. I saw on the 2nd of April first said I should do 2 more weeks without putting any weight. However, the Dr. who did the surgery wrote on my discharge report 4weeks non weight bearing and then 2 weeks touch weight bearing. I told him... and then he allowed me to start touch weight bearing after seeing the PT. But it made me unsure if I was ready for it or not. They did not do an X-ray.

So I had my physio appointment the day after. I am about 10 degrees from full extension and have 65degrees of bending (the brace I have allows 90 degrees). I learnt how to put my foot down and roll it as I walk with the crutches, without any weight on it (to me it feels like "fake-walking")! It just feel strange as I cannot extend my knee fully, so it is hard to walk and put the foot down in front of me.

The PT gave me some little exercises to do
- Lifting my leg in extension
- Bend/extend ankle (lost quite some ROM in there)
- Sittin on the bed with a rolled up towel under my knee, then try to straighten my leg so that my calve and foot move up
- Try to contract the M. Rectus Femoris (the one on top that goes to the patella)

I have been doing these exercises 3 to 4 times a day for a week now. I wish I had more exercises to do. I want to get better soon. It took me four days to be able to contract the M. Rectus Femoris! The first days I did not manage to move this muscle in a static position. Now it is getting better.

Before the injury I played tennis 3 times a week, I did 2 5km runs a week and I started to surf (just bought a surfboard a week before the accident). A BIG question for me is when I will be able to start doing these things again???

I cant wait for the next week to pass so that I can see the doctor again on the 16th of April. I really hope he will give me a referral for a physiotherapist for 3 times a week or so (is that enough?). Sometimes I am wondering if it is useful to see a physio now already (5 weeks post op).

I am reading a lot about the pool exercises... I would love to do that. When can you start doing this? Only when you are weight bearing? What can I do in the pool, or would you advice to do it only with a PT? I have a couple of friends who have a pool (live in Australia, but I am Belgium) so I could do exercises in their pool. Is 5 weeks post operation (=NOW) too early?

I have some X-rays and CT scan, will try to upload them in a next post.

So many questions... I am already preparing my questions list for the next appointment.

[liamy]

Hi Jessie. Welcome to the club! Sorry you're here though!!
Bummer about the DVT. I was started on Fragmin (similar to Coumadin but a shot not a pill) the day entered the hospital and took for for a few weeks then switched to aspirin until I was partial weight bearing.
About PT, I started at twice per week until I could start to bear weight and then upped it to three times per week. I loved the pool! My doc didn't allow me to start until he ok'd me to bear weight. At neck deep you bear about 10% of your body weight I was told. Chest deep, 40%. It's all an estimation though. My doc didn't want me to start earlier because I had quite alot of bone graft under the joint surface. With weight bearing, it could've collapsed. I'm not sure about going to the pool all on your own, maybe wait until you get the go-ahead from the PT, if not the surgeon.
Good luck to you! It gets better.....slowly!!
amy

[seanwieland]

Just did this yesterday. Skied Squaw 50 days this year, and where did it happen? In the terrain park at alpine, goofing around with my kids. I overshot the landing, slightly in the back seat, and apparently landed a little too straight legged. X-rays in truckee allowed them to diagnosis, so I'm heading home today to begin the long recovery process. I guess I didn't realize how much this sucks until reading this forum, but I look forward to sharing my progress with you and learning from those of you slightly ahead of me.

The good news is there is no soft tissue damage, but the fracture was displaced. In the hospital last night they knocked me out with propofol (aka, the Michael Jackson Drug) and physically realigned the knee. Even knocked out I gave a good scream, but I don't remember a thing. Now I'm just on Endocet, and I've got to say it's not doing the trick.

Thanks for reading, wish me luck! (And good luck to all of you!)

Sean

[VAHarleyGirl]

I've been lurking here since my accident, finally got the nerve up to post today. I'm a 46 year old wife, mom, grandma in Virginia (I have one grandchild already and twin grandbabies due in June. Grade 5 fracture with 2 plates, 15 screws and bonegraft.

My sad story begins on Feb 22, 2012 caught some sand (highway dept goes crazy with sand/salt here in the mid-atlantic after ANY snow) making a left hand turn on my Harley and almost saved it but caught my foot on the road due to just moving my controls forward 3 days prior. The contact is when I sustained the TPF, just bumps and bruises from the actual "lay down" of my bike. Surgery on March 1, 2012, spent two nights in the hospital then began PT at home the next day. Therapist came to my house 3x a week until my insurance for that ran out, onto outpatient facility for now on. Today is my first appt, man am I nervous!

I've had a total of 14 surgeries on both knees in the past, including a ruptured ACL on this knee (my right) about 10 years ago. I knew my legs were shot but the powder on Copper MT that day was soooo beautiful so I tried one more run...BAM.

Bless ALL of you for sharing your stories and experiences, you have been a voice in the darkness and someone to hold onto when the 3AM monsters start howling. My biggest motivator right now is my daughters due date of June 29, they say twins come early -- I WILL walk before they arrive!

More to follow, hugs to ALL here!
~Sheila

[SueBee]

... You are amazing being able to work so soon plus riding public trans without freaking out. I couldn't get comfortable just riding in my own vehicle with my wife much less bumping down the road in a bus. That would have been too much probably even yesterday. I constantly watch my surroundings to prevent a accidental bump to the leg. Doc said it would take a lot now to hurt the bone but still I don't want to chance it. I got my pics while the OS was looking at my xray. Phone camera they didn't care. Actually the xray tech gave me the idea. I wish I had a before the surgery pic though. I may ask the doc for it if I ever see him again. Good luck with your recovery.
thanks
jesse

Hi Jesse,

Great idea about the phone pic! I will ask to do this at my next appointment.

We have this system here that I feel so grateful for. Apparently not even all the provinces have the equivalent, so it's not a national program. Accessible transit for everyone! The drivers are so careful and gentle. Door to door service for the price of a bus fare - tax payer subsidized. The buses are lift equipped for wheelchairs and the drivers move all kinds of differently abled people about. I will take a photo to share on my next trip. There are the regulars who will never travel another way. And there are the temporary people like me- who cannot believe how amazing this system is. I have a friend that drives me sometimes (because the handy dart is like a milk run) but I feel much safer in the handy dart. Yeah, I could not ride in a regular bus. I am sure someone would walk into my leg....

Thank you for your words of encouragement. I got some of that tramadol today and have 1st PT tomorrow. Just ROM. I unlocked my brace to 90 degrees today and am four weeks post op. should be 4 more NWB weeks.

Take Care,
Sue

March 10 skiing accident TPX
March 13 surgery -a plate and 4 screws
March 26 return to work (desk job)

[SueBee]

In an offline conversation with SoccerGirl, we started discussing things we wish we'd known and came up with the idea that it may be time for an FAQ. Among other things, it would give us a way to "pay forward" for all the support we've received from this forum.

The idea would be to supplement this forum with a source:

• . Providing the information we wish we'd known
• . Ordered as we would like to have seen it
• . Supporting collaborative authoring
• . Resistant to commercialization and vandalism
• . Written from a patient's point of view, though professionals might contribute
• . Directing people to doctors for medical advice
• . Presenting medical/PT options and references for further reading

Options for media would include:

• . Wikipedia. It has a TPF page that needs work, but I don't think their standards would fit a patient-recovery FAQ.
• . A wiki specifically for TPF, with moderation of the contributors. I could host it but would need help to administer it.
• . A wiki on wikia or other wiki services
• . A website, either part of or similar to mybrokenleg.com. This would not be as collaborative as I'd like.
• . A Google Doc, at least to start the collaborative process.

Any thoughts? I'm favoring Wikia at the moment.

-- Chris

Hi Chris,

Great idea!

I don't doubt your technical skills are beyond mine but I agree that the format should support the collaboration that you envision. You are also further along in recovery so I may have the questions that you now have the answers to but I will support you however I can...

Be well!

Sue