Tibial Plateau Fracture Recovery

[SueBee]

First PT appointment today!! (4 weeks post op) It was just range of motion work ( with homework) and a couple exercises to try to get my quad to fire but I already feel less fragile. They also did ultrasound to stimulate bone growth, laser to help with scar and a cryo-cuff which combines pressure and icing.

I won't see him for another 10 days.

My husband said progress for this injury is made in weekly increments and I think that is accurate. It's very slow but every week is better than the last.

Courage!

Sue

[Nurse Nina]

You've got to stay ahead of the pain. My complaint was more the muscle spasm and inflammation. Ask for something else. I found the oxycodone not as helpful either. Toradol worked great, but interferes with healing so a few doses is all I could have. I'm on tramadol when I have PT and just Tylenol the rest of the time. That is working although I have an almost constant ache in my leg,

[miketheskier]

So a current update of good news. Went skiing last week for the first time since breaking by TBF in late December. The skiing was shit to be fair.. on a dryslope with awful skis.. Confidence is obviously bit shot but nice to know I can go skiing again!

I've been exercising/doing physio 5 times a week for the past month or so and that's helped a lot.. Helped me go from limping and struggling down stairs to being able to run.

The screws are definitely annoying though... And the numbness they cause sometimes is weird as hell! But.. will make due until they can get taken out. Wish everyone else the best on their road to recovery. And definitely try to do physio as soon as you're allowed. Makes a world of difference.

[SoccerGirl]

Hi Everyone!
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?
.

Hi Jesse, so sorry about your injury and the blood clot! I too have a lateral TPF (displaced, comminuted, depressed) -- Feb. 18th, soccer game. Like your surfing, I had just bought all this awesome top-notch ski gear and did a very fun ski trip the weekend before the injury. Had to cancel the ski trip i'd scheduled for a few days after the injury I know that was my 1st question to the doc too -- not when, so much as if. "Will i be able to play soccer again? ski again?"

About the pool question: def ask your Doc/ home health nurses but what i learned is that you are safe to get in the pool as soon as your wound is fully closed. If the wound is still open anywhere, you could get very serious infection. If there is still scabbing (which takes weeks to go away, i know) it is dangerous because if the scab softens and falls off in the pool, the wound can re-open. I had this problem with bathing -- my wound re-opened. No infection but my scar got a lot worse. So i put on steri strips (nurse's tip) and wrapped leg in saram wrap/ masking tape before getting in the shower, until it was healed.

Anyway, about pool therapy: of course ask your Doc/ Pt, but absolutely you do not have to be weight-bearing 1st! That's the beauty of it -- water is perfect for non-weight-bearing (NWB). It also helps greatly when you are beginning to walk, but that's another story. The video example i posted earlier on this site is designed for NWB, for example. Basically you could do all the same things you do outside of the pool, but with the benefit of added resistance (due to water pressure) and with greater relief to your joints (the water pressure relieves it), etc. There are other benefits too... And of course, for NWB, you don't want to be putting that foot down at all even during the pool, unless you have direct PT/doc directions/ guidance for that; but you can still gain much benefit!

personally, fed up waiting for outpatient PT and fed up with the little home health exercises, i found my first adventure solo in the pool (about 2 weeks ago) to be AWESOME. I was actually even able to "swim" a bit, just being very gentle/ not using that right leg much -- man did it feel good to get a full-body workout!!! I also followed the exercises shown in the video posted earlier... (basically same things you'd do outside the water at this stage anyway).

Last week i signed up for two official Aqua therapy individual-sessions at a fitness club's pool. It was awesome. they let me use a noodle under my calf to help with hamstring strength (pulling the noodle down a foot or so, straight leg). They gave me a floating-belt-thing that allowed me to do both big arm circles and bicycling motion with legs at same time (full-body aerobic workout again, soooo nice finally!) Also they had a hottub and cold tub (like icewater), you do a few minutes in hot then in cold, several times -- man ice bath was hard to tolerate but wow, was AMAZING for the swelling/ inflammation/ circulation in that leg. I was told to go into the ice up to my waist to get the circulation to travel adequately back to the heart. My leg still turns purple and i still have brusing (2 months post-op nearly) so these have been so helpful.

hang in there!!
And good about making lists of your Q's -- i always bring a list of Q's to my Surgeon/ PT

[SoccerGirl]

My encouraging update:

Had my 6-week X-ray April 3rd, and the Ortho. RN i met with (surgeon wasn't avail) devastated me by saying the bones had sunk down (despite surgeon's attempt to bring them up) and i would get early arthritis, etc. etc., and i was surprised when she told me to go ahead pretty much full WB (vs. gradual).

Thank God I was able to get a 2nd opinion the following week, with a Surgeon (not nurse this time) i'd researched and gotten verbal recommendations for. She was fabulous. She was a Triathlete, Air Force vet, and specializes in Sports Med, and somehow too her Russian accent made her sound all the more like an expert . She reassured me the bones had only settled like 1.5 mm, barely anything to worry about! And that I would most probably play soccer again -- not at pro-level, but well enough; and, amazingly awesome to hear, that sprinting probably wouldn't be a prob (rather long distance would).
Well, ever since I was about 6 yrs. old and beat all the boys in a race at school one day, I have always prided myself on & loved sprinting . With the injury, i'd been devastated i'd never sprint again... this news from a Surgeon i trusted gave me soo much hope.

More important than that, I got the good old advice from a couple family members: Determination and just Not settling for doomed prognoses. Doctors make gloomy predictions all the time, and while we have to face reality, yet people are always overcoming the odds!!!

All the same, thank-you to those of you who encouraged getting 2nd/ 3rd opinions, and trusting your instincts, and being "aggressive" in getting your questions/ concerns answered. That has served me well in P.T. too so far...

And she cleared me for 30% WB for a few weeks. What a milestone! But... "How on earth do you know what 30% is?" i asked. Her answer was ingenious -- stand on a scale! (you know... figure out how many lbs. is 30% of your full weight, then figure out what 30% with that foot actually feels like on the scale)

I definitely recommend celebrating any progressions. My parents took me out for cheesecake and my spirits are totally lifted.

Glad y'all are out there for inevitable disappointments i know are ahead though!
Thanks everyone for your posts and journeys!

[Nurse Nina]

I am still with home PT at 4 weeks postop. I was told no bathing or soaking until the steri strips fall off. I hope after my next visit on May 2nd I can progress to weight bearing and PT with aqua therapy. It sounds amazing!
I am able to get 90 degrees ankle flexion, 80 degrees on the knee with another 10 degrees to full extension. I keep tryingto keep up with all the exercises but The muscles get really angry for several hours after and I need to take the Tramadol to ease the discomfort particularly on PT days when we try something new.
Getting around on the crutches is going OK but I can't keep the leg down for too long. It turns purple and the leg swells despite the ace wrap. But at least I can get dinner started and get to reach for certain items. I am hoping to get back to work soon. If I can get someone to drive me, I am planning to give lecturing a try. I should be able to manage a few hours.
While we should be patient and try to take small steps to progress, there is no reason to sit and mope about our situation. Things could be a lot worse. So I say " do what feels right and listen to your body".

[himavan]

I rarely checked out gimp central before, until this week after joining the tib plateau club. I was pretty surprised to see a whole long thread up here. And its like a whole different world here than the rest of the TGR forum (no one getting jonged, etc.).

So my story: About a month ago I was skiing at Marmot Basin in Jasper, Alberta. Had an amazing morning – 6 inches of fresh snow on a weekday, no line-ups, etc., and everything was open. I skied hard from 9 till about 2:15 pm and then decided to go in for lunch and take it easy for the rest of the day. On my way back to the lodge I guess I got complacent and let my attention go. I was moving fast through some trees, which I’d been in countless times before, but lost my orientation just by a 100 feet or so, and suddenly came up on top of a cat track. I made the split second decision to jump the inner fence of the cat track, but I knew I couldn’t jump the entire cat track because my motion was downward and I had no lift. Unfortunately I didn’t realize that with the new snow, the cat track slope angle was negative (outer edge higher than inner). I cased the edge of the cat track, but it was like landing into a wall and I couldn’t absorb the impact. And instead my tib/fib plateau just shattered.
I knew it was a fracture immediately, but had no idea how bad. When patrol came my biggest fear was that I had torn my femoral artery. They managed to get my pants up and confirmed that the bleeding wasn’t bad enough for that. But they were shocked by how displaced my lower leg was from my knee. Made it into the sled and down to the ambulance waiting at the bottom, and then to the local Jasper hospital.
My fracture was a schatzker 6. The docs at the local hospital were pretty concerned so they airlifted me back to Edmonton. The ortho team at the U. of Alberta hospital had never seen a fracture anything like it from skiing, only from car/motorcycle injuries.
I got an external fixator. Then there was a long waiting game because my swelling was so bad and there were fears of compartment syndrome. Then I decided to go to Seattle to work with a very experienced surgeon here. Had another ex-fix put in. And finally my last surgery, which took 10.5 hrs in the OR (two plates and 20 screws or so). In all I spend 18 nights in the hospital.
I have to say the pain was just excruciating at times. 10/10 pain whole nights sometimes despite the narcotics. I really struggled with terrible entire leg muscle spasms, during which my quads would tear due to the ex-fix pins going into my femur. In some ways the experience, the shittiest of my life, has been powerfully transformative. I definitely learned a lot about pain, trying to separate raw physical pain from emotional suffering, working on meditation/self-hypnosis practices, and gaining empathy for other people that I had lacked in the past. And it was my first time being so dependent on other people for absolutely everything. I felt like I was 90 yrs old and really had to surrender to the situation. It was also amazing to see the support and love of my family, wife, and friends during this time.
My surgery was two weeks ago. I’ve been recuperating since. I spend 6-8 hours a day on a cpm machine. (gone from 20 degrees to 100 in my flexion) and have a bunch of other simple PT practices to work on for now. Most are passive, stretching, or more isometric in nature.
I’m still struggling with pain. It’s not so bad during the day, but more so at nights. I can’t sleep. In fact I’ve barely slept since the injury. These days I get 3-4 hrs of sleep a night and maybe an hour nap during the day. Combined with the narcotics, which I’m weening off of, I basically feel mentally fuzzy and exhausted all the time. Really hoping that improves soon.
It’s amazing how fast our lives change with an injury like this. It looks like the emotional side of dealing with the injury is really the hardest part, but the hospital doesn’t give us the tools to help with that. I really don’t know how I’ll manage if the healing doesn’t go well. My life would feel pretty empty without mountains and an active life style. I have a baby coming this summer and I have to teach him/her how to ski and spend time in wilderness spaces a few years down the road. I probably won’t be dropping cliffs or chutes any more, but I can still appreciate ripping around groomers if that’s the best I can do. I guess we all just have to stay positive and disciplined with rehab, nutrition, etc. and hopefully all that hard work will get us back to a decently healthy and active state.

[Sylvka]

I did my tibeal plateau August 22 2011. I had a non displaced tibeal plateau fracture. I have a plate and numerous screws. Recovery has been slow but it seems like its getting better bit by bit. I still have funny feelings in my knee and it feels stiff. Two screws are protruding out of the bone from what I can see from the xrays and I attribute that to the pain on the inside of my knee. When I feel that spot I feel pain and when I bend my knee I feel major irratation to the point that I cant do certain exercises. In four more months I should be getting them out from what the surgeon said. I still limp but I also had a displaced hip fracture so I think a lot of the limp is due to that fracture. I have been doing pt yearlier on but now thats ended. I started to go to the gym and can ride a recumbent bike and do the elliptical with out much pain. My extension is amost perfect and my flex is good just cant sit on my knees fully and I dont think I ever will, but hopefully when they take the screws out they can manipulate my knee and fix this problem. I take Glucosamine chondroitine msm supplements and am looking at an herbal remedy called "Recovery" made by "Purica" I heard it should help with knee and my hip pain. It improves healing and helps halt damage. Its main use is for musculoskeletal damage. It regulates imflammation and spasm of muscles and enhances tissue repair. You guys might want to look into it. I'll post my results from using it in a month or so. I cant really run yet and when I try it feels really wierd like my leg is numbed or something. I have good days and bad days, never know what the next day will bring. I noticed in some of the threads that we should expect knee replacement surgery in the future, and that really upsets me. Is this what everyone has been told? My surgeon doesnt really tell me much but I didnt ask the proper questions I guess, it seems like hes always in a rush as there's so many patients in the waiting room all the time. Last I saw him was 2 months ago and he then said to see him in 6 months so I guess I don't get to ask anything till then. I requested my hospital records and it said that I had a posteromedial fragmented tibeal plateau fracture. Just wondering if anyone knows what that means? I have not been too good at dealing with this fracture and my other fracture but it has improved a geat deal. Just wondering if anyone else is limping at the 6 month time frame as I cant figure out if my knee is contributing to it. I also asked my family doctor for a kinesiologist referal and he gave me one. They are specialists in movement and I heard that could help from a friend who got hit by a car. So that's my story yippee...this thread is wonderfull I always read the stories when I start having anxiety about my injuries so I don't feel so alone in this.

[East Mtn]

My encouraging update:
Had my 6-week X-ray April 3rd, and the Ortho. RN i met with (surgeon wasn't avail) devastated me by saying the bones had sunk down (despite surgeon's attempt to bring them up) and i would get early arthritis, etc. etc., and i was surprised when she told me to go ahead pretty much full WB (vs. gradual).

Thank God I was able to get a 2nd opinion the following week, with a Surgeon... She reassured me the bones had only settled like 1.5 mm, barely anything to worry about! And that I would most probably play soccer again...

Hallelujah! Nothing guarantees a 2nd opinion will be what you want to hear, but I had high hopes (plus a few prayers) after the dismissive way you got your "diagnosis" and recommendations to go FWB without PT from that RN. That just plain smelled bad, and cried out for a 2nd.

As an update on my own progress, I'm 9 weeks postop today and was cleared up to 50% PWB last week. So I'm transitioning to a single crutch now, enjoying the ability to use a hand to carry objects. We only appreciate that which is taken away. Now I can give up my shoulder-pack (manpurse) and hopefully go FWB in another week or so.

I'll be on the road in CA next week and have arranged for two PT sessions out there. I had to go through three PT shops to get around insistence that they do a comprehensive "assessment" visit before treating me. I'm already under the care of two trauma surgeons and a PT, so unlike you, SoccerGirl, I'm not looking for more diagnoses just now. Maybe it's a California thing.

himavan, sorry to hear of your crash, but welcome to our group. I feel what you say about mountains and have resolved that I will return to them, with whatever physical capability I have. I'm keeping vacation plans for a week this summer in Yosemite with each of my kids. Originally, it was to have been climbing the Snake Dike route on Half Dome; now it may be something much less remote and technical. "If unable to dance I will crawl 'cross it..." Not sure where we get this dependency on mountains. Maybe I was culturally deprived growing up in Central FL, where people wear buttons saying, "I climbed Mt. Dora," referring to a town that is about five feet above the rest of the region.

[amoparker]

Hey guys!
I have been gone for a week--a close cousin died on Easter morning in an auto crash (19 years old), so we were there for the funeral. What a disaster.
On the TPF note, though, I have to admit that the shock of the death coupled with the development of a doozy of a head cold took my focus off of the leg enough to stop obsessing about it. I don't know if it is truly that reason alone, or just some huge leap forward in healing that miraculously occurred in the last 7 days, but I have to say that I feel about 200% better than I did last time I posted here. The pain level has dropped significantly, I am sleeping better, and today was the day I was allowed to go down to one crutch and although it was awkward as hell, and feels completely foreign and weird, it is going great! The doc said if it is still feeling good by Friday I can drop the crutches for good. I had to cancel my PT appointment for tomorrow because of all the work I missed last week, so hopefully this awkward gate I am working with won't totally screw me up until I do get PT next week.
Any good tips for trying to walk with one crutch and not look like a wounded elephant? I really do look and feel quite ridiculous right now (but again, it sure is fun to be making progress and getting close to losing these damn crutches for good!)
Amanda

[SoccerGirl]

Hallelujah! Nothing guarantees a 2nd opinion will be what you want to hear, but I had high hopes (plus a few prayers) after the dismissive way you got your "diagnosis" and recommendations to go FWB without PT from that RN...

Thanks East Mtn - Alleluia is right and THANK YOU for the prayers too!!! Wow, a free hand, i can't wait for that day... congrats! haha, so long, manpurse! i'm ever inspired how you have continued to travel for work and such. Not letting the Knee keep you from living! How are airports with a metal plate? And hah, I have always wanted to be a Californian, actually.

Great spirit: "if unable to dance i will crawl across it"! Here's my contribution: on Easter Sunday at my Aunt's Crawfish boil, several high-wired boys (like 7-10 yr olds) were playing soccer, miniature goal and all. After getting over some initial waves of self-pity and bitterness at the sight, I marched (er, hopped!) right over on my crutches, and announced I would be playing too. Do you know, just using/ hopping/ standing on one leg, I was able to pull-off a few passes (in fact the crutches came in handy for ball-stopping), and not only that, but score a goal!! MAN did that feel good. So much for having declared that i'd never play with bone-crushing-male persons ever again

Nurse Nina - you're doing great! At 8 weeks post-op, my leg still turns purple all the time too. My new cool Russian Doc says as i begin walking again, the circulation will gradually normalize. Until then, do what you can to help get the blood moving: those home exercises, ice, elevate -- all that will help the blood flow. (Heat can too, but check with PT first). I also massage my leg muscles and, as i did pre-injury anyway, use skin brushing for the lymphatic system. (Use a dry skin-brush, circles/ sweeping motion, moving from extremities towards heart)

Himavan-- wow the ex-fix stuff sounds brutal along with a 10.5 hour surgery (!!!) and nearly a month in a hospital!! i sure hope the food was good About your experience being "the shittiest of my life" but also "transformative. I definitely learned a lot about pain, ...working on meditation... and gaining empathy for other people... my first time being so dependent on other people... It was also amazing to see the support and love of my family, wife, and friends" -- i am totally with you on all that! Esp. the empathy and desire to help others who are hurt/ sick/ disabled. About not sleeping since the injury... I basically had no sleep for 4 days right post-injury, which with the narcotics made me an emotional basketcase. After that, like you, it was 3-4 hour stretches for awhile. Now at 2 months, the pain is pretty much gone, but it's still hard to get comfortable at night, still tossing/ turning/ waking up. EVERYTHING got better though once i was able to get off the narcotics, so have hope (though they are def needed at times!!) Sure makes us realize how wonderful sleep and painlessness is right?! Well-said EastMtn: when we lose something, we come to appreciate!
Yes, life has changed so strangely fast, and yes, it is devastating. Mourning and grieving are well-deserved, though not the final word...

Sylvka -- sorry for your struggles too ... about your official injury i know medorial is something about the middle but try googling it/ ask your surgeon.

[Nurse Nina]

Amanda,
Glad to hear you are feeling better! Keep working on your range with the knee. My PT tells me that without at least a 90 degree flexion and full extention of the knee you will have an awkward gait. Also have the PT watch what you are doing while crutch walking. You might be raising your hip to compensate so try to keep your body straight. I know it's a lot to think about. How does the rest of your body feel?

For me it appears I may have also mildly sprained my ankle as well, at four weeks post op I now see bruising and feel a tender spot near my lateral maleolus. I didn't notice it before cause of the whole leg being swollen and the pain in the rest of the leg was so much worse.
I am glad to hear you are able to do partial weight bearing. I am still nervous about mine. I wear my bledsoe brace when I am crutch walking cause I am still afraid I am going to fall. I also finally slept without the ace bandage around my leg last night. I woke up a little sore in the knee area, but I still have a lot of bruising and swelling in the back of my knee and the bandage tends to bunch up back there. That seemed to help a bit. How's your pain level? Mine is down to a nagging ache. The tylenol seems to help a little with that.
Speaking of Tylenol. I have been using the arthritis strength formula which is about 650mg per tablet, but I get 8 hours of relief with two and I am not going over the daily limit. I hate taking pills.

[liamy]

I requested my hospital records and it said that I had a posteromedial fragmented tibeal plateau fracture. Just wondering if anyone knows what that means?

Hi. Posteromedial is the combo of two words. Posterior is the back side and medial is the inner. The tibial plateau has two condyles (knobby ends), a medial one on the inner part of your leg and a lateral one on the outer part. You broke the back, inner part off.
Hope that helps a tad.
About the knee replacement, my doc told me really early on that I will need one. When I saw him last week I asked again about it and he wasn't so sure anymore. He says I've healed nicely so maybe I will get away without needing one. But since I'm only 34 and have many years to go, I may need one eventually. Bummer. It's a terrible thing to be told. Even though people do great with them and they're getting better and better, they still have serious negatives. I don't want one!
Also, I'm curious about the supplements you've started taking. Give us updates
.....amy

[krausedmb]

Hello all,

I was hit head on by a full size truck while riding my bike to work on 3-31-12. We were headed towards each other and he didn't see me and turned right into me while I was going 25mph. I race bikes competitively, so right away I knew that my season was done and worried myself about what it meant for the future. Supposedly I am going to be 98-99 percent but there is no guarantee. My muscles have wasted away so much already and I am just over 2 weeks from injury. Anyway, broke my Tib plateau and femural condyle along with tearing off my calf tendon and groin tendon. Had surgery 4 days after injury. I am now right at two weeks out. Went to my second PT today. Just been working on ROM but only aloud 0-40 degrees. It is pretty uncomfortable when I try getting to 0. I dont think I'm quite there yet. The good news is that the bike will be one of the first things I am able to do. Anyway, Thanks to everyone who has shared their story. It gives me something to do while I sit on the couch all day.

[amoparker]

Hi Nurse Nina.
Glad that Tylenol helps you. It doesn't do anything for me! I posted this earlier, but I feel like I might as well eat a Tic Tac for all the help a Tylenol would give me.
Today I attempted work with just one crutch and it was a big challenge. I ended up begging and getting a PT appt. rescheduled for Thursday afternoon so hopefully they can help me figure out why I am walking so awkwardly. The pressure is just really weird feeling and I am afraid it might give out on me at any moment. Guess I just need to give it more time.
I still sleep with my Ace bandage on at 8 weeks post op. It helps me sleep without the sensation of the sheets rubbing on the fresh and sensitive scar tissue all night. Did you try wrapping that ankle in an Ace bandage? It may help.
Amanda

[Ryanrene]

Hi Nurse Nina.
Glad that Tylenol helps you. It doesn't do anything for me! I posted this earlier, but I feel like I might as well eat a Tic Tac for all the help a Tylenol would give me.
Today I attempted work with just one crutch and it was a big challenge. I ended up begging and getting a PT appt. rescheduled for Thursday afternoon so hopefully they can help me figure out why I am walking so awkwardly. The pressure is just really weird feeling and I am afraid it might give out on me at any moment. Guess I just need to give it more time.
I still sleep with my Ace bandage on at 8 weeks post op. It helps me sleep without the sensation of the sheets rubbing on the fresh and sensitive scar tissue all night. Did you try wrapping that ankle in an Ace bandage? It may help.
Amanda

Hey Amanda...Tylenol didn't help me much either. Thankfully at my 13 week post op appointment my OS agreed I could take Aleve since my bones had technically healed. Next to Vicodin (which I covet for the hard PT days) Aleve is the only thing that helps.

I am at 15 weeks post op/type VI/2 plates, 12 screws TPF. I was cleared for FWB on March 29 and offically dropped to one crutch on April 4. But it was hard. I had to force myself and there are mornings I just want to die and get my other crutch to make my life easier. My biggest issue was/is my foot. After 3 months of no weight, my foot is just so sore that I can't walk fully on it which makes for a total gimp. The part that hurts the most is my pad between my toes and arch. My PT told me to power thru it...easier said than done. He said the more I weight bear, the faster it goes away. He told me to roll my foot over golf balls, frozen water bottles, walk on grass...anything to tough it up. After about a week or so it's finally feeling better...don't get me wrong..it still gets sore but its "almost" tolerable. I bought a cane today...I suppose it will take me about as long to gain the stability to cane as it did to crutch with one crutch. I didn't want to use a cane but I just need a tiny more support but the crutch is too much and I am soooooo tired of carrying it/relying on it.

My hated the feeling of anything...sheets, socks, pants, towels...touching my scars. I still shudder at the thought but they are getting better. Now what I dread is my PT manipulating the scar. It's tight and he says I need to "shear" it away from the adhesions underneath it. UGH. Makes me want to vomit.

[amoparker]

Hey Amanda...Tylenol didn't help me much either. Thankfully at my 13 week post op appointment my OS agreed I could take Aleve since my bones had technically healed. Next to Vicodin (which I covet for the hard PT days) Aleve is the only thing that helps.

I am at 15 weeks post op/type VI/2 plates, 12 screws TPF. I was cleared for FWB on March 29 and offically dropped to one crutch on April 4. But it was hard. I had to force myself and there are mornings I just want to die and get my other crutch to make my life easier. My biggest issue was/is my foot. After 3 months of no weight, my foot is just so sore that I can't walk fully on it which makes for a total gimp. The part that hurts the most is my pad between my toes and arch. My PT told me to power thru it...easier said than done. He said the more I weight bear, the faster it goes away. He told me to roll my foot over golf balls, frozen water bottles, walk on grass...anything to tough it up. After about a week or so it's finally feeling better...don't get me wrong..it still gets sore but its "almost" tolerable. I bought a cane today...I suppose it will take me about as long to gain the stability to cane as it did to crutch with one crutch. I didn't want to use a cane but I just need a tiny more support but the crutch is too much and I am soooooo tired of carrying it/relying on it.

My hated the feeling of anything...sheets, socks, pants, towels...touching my scars. I still shudder at the thought but they are getting better. Now what I dread is my PT manipulating the scar. It's tight and he says I need to "shear" it away from the adhesions underneath it. UGH. Makes me want to vomit.

Thanks for that reply, Ryanrene! It is so funny that it helps so much, but it definitely does, just to read that someone else knows exactly what I am going through. I love your idea of rolling the golf ball or water bottle under my foot, and I will start that today. My biggest struggle is in the middle of the night when I go to use the bathroom. No matter how loose my leg feels at bedtime, once I am asleep a couple of hours it stiffens up again. I lay there for like 20 minutes trying to convince myself that I really don't need to go, and to just go back to sleep! But eventually my bladder wins out and I have no choice. The last two nights I was in tears by the time I got back to the bed--I was sure I was going to fall over before I made it. It is so sad because the whole time I was a slave to two crutches, all I wanted to do was walk crutch-free, but now that I am weaning off, all I want is both crutches back sometimes. I just need to keep a little voice in my head that says, "POWER THROUGH IT" like your PT suggests!
And your description of the scar manipulation makes me want to vomit too! I try to massage mine myself but I can't imagine how horrible it will be if my PT starts doing it. Yikes.
Amanda

[Nurse Nina]

OMG, I didn't think about what it would be like to put my foot down and bearing weight. Yikes! I try to lay it flat on the floor when I sit or stand to stretch the achilles which is really tight, and it feels like it's going to crack. I'll give the bottle technique a try.
I slept without the ace wrap because it was bunching up behind my knee and digging into the tender and still swollen and bruised skin. But I would wake up every time I move in my sleep. The leg feels stiff and tight and I too have an inch wide area to the right along the length of my scar that is numb. The steri strips are still attached despite the every other day shower.
How long till all the bruising disappears? I still feel the hematomas on both sides of my medial tibia.

[VAHarleyGirl]

Saw my surgeon yesterday for my 6 week post-op appt, he said that everything was healing on schedule. I go back on May 23rd for my 12 week checkup, if everything still looks good then I will be allowed to begin partial weight bearing!! His plan for that is for me to begin with 25 pounds, if that is tolerated then every 3-4 days I'll add another 25 pounds until I am at full weight. Once I reach that then I am to try using only one crutch, then the cane--all with this dreaded knee brace still on.

I was so nervous about starting the outpatient PT but my guy is great and though some of it hurts, I can really see/feel the progress. Since I have had so many previous surgeries on my knees we aren't focusing so much on the ROM numbers, my range was limited already. I do have full extension and flex of about 100, they said thats all you need to be able to walk 'normally', so I'm cool with whatever else I can gain.

Lots of folks here have mentioned foot pain, I found in the past that putting a shoe on throughout post-op helped, thats what I've done this time too. It seems like it helps keep your foot used to the pressure, although it still swells terribly. I've also done the rubbing the bottom of the foot, it seems to help.

I am a member of the "middle of the night bathroom trippers" and to me EVERYTHING seems worse in the middle of the night!

I hope and pray that everyone continues to heal ~ Sheila

[liamy]

Hi. For those who are wearing ace wraps and not liking them.....look into compression stockings. I bought some on Amazon: Jobst thigh-highs. I think they were $25ish dollars, the pharmacy has the same ones for $45. They aren't very attractive, but they really work. They were hard to get on, and pulling them over the scarred areas was terrible!! But I found them really helpful.
Just a thought....
amy

[Bookend]

Hello, Found this site very helpful in starting to get over this injury , both physical and mental. So decided to post small diary of my experience so far.
Broke my left laterial plateau with a 1 to 2 cm depression on the 17/01/12 , whilst out running , side stepped a post in the dark and put all my weight in the wrong place apparently. Had x-ray,nothing showed up except small break on out side of bone , suspected popped ligament at this stage. 2 weeks later after MRI and CT scan was having surgery , plate, 5 screws, 2 pins and bone graft from hip. Hurt like hell for about 2 weeks throbbing muscle pain mainly, from knee down. Was put in braced 2 piece plaster for 6 weeks , fixed solid for 2 , then allowed about 40 degrees movement for another 4.
Removed from plaster at 6 weeks and allowed to start exercising and stretching , at 8 weeks x rays looked really good , so surgeon allowed 25% weight bearing leading up to 50% by 12 weeks.
Just been given go ahead to start walking with one crutch, leading to full weight bearing as from now, walk with very bad limp.
Have own business so been at work for about a month, yesterday first time with no crutches , 11 hours nearly most of the time on my feet , boy did I know it last night.
What helped? Listened to my surgeon, did what he advised, took loads of vitamin supplements, from moment I had surgery , not only to help the knee joint but your shoulders take a beating from being do long on crutches , exercised everyday ,not just the bad leg but the rest of you as well, went walking everyday on crutches. Used exercise bike as soon as was allowed. Feel recovery is going well now but , I was lucky as I had no ligament tendant damage.
Bookend.

[ZGHighlands]

Greetings,

I am so happy to find this thread, and to read all of your amazing stories, especially Himvan (It gave me a huge dose of perspective)
My injury happened about 5 1/2 weeks ago while demo-ing skis. I was pushing my 3rd pair at about 45-50mph, when I caught an outside edge. I drove the top of my knee into the snow, thus fracturing my tibial plateau. Luck was on my side when the ER doc informed me that the Orthopedic on duty was the doc I would have requested (living in a ski town, everyone seems to have a preferred Ortho doc). He used a plate and 4 screws with 21 staples to complete the repair. Started PT the day after surgery and I have kept at least 1 appointment per week since. The muscle atrophy is less than ideal, but I am working to limit the overall loss. Received clearance to partial weight bear 2 days ago. That was a huge milestone mentally as well as physically. I have noticed that the PWB PT brings a higher level of pain. I have had a pitting edema (gumby leg) that we fixed with kinesio tape. Very cool stuff, but looks kinda wierd. Overall, my healing experience is going well but it sounds like I'm far from being done with it. My biggest problem at the moment is build up of fluid around the knee. I had it drained 2 days ago, and it seems like it all came back this morning. I'd like to know if anyone has advice on weather I should have it drained again, or if I should just keep an eye on it as I move forward. Looking forward to being back on my Road bike soon and my MTB soon after.

[krausedmb]

Greetings,

I am so happy to find this thread, and to read all of your amazing stories, especially Himvan (It gave me a huge dose of perspective)
My injury happened about 5 1/2 weeks ago while demo-ing skis. I was pushing my 3rd pair at about 45-50mph, when I caught an outside edge. I drove the top of my knee into the snow, thus fracturing my tibial plateau. Luck was on my side when the ER doc informed me that the Orthopedic on duty was the doc I would have requested (living in a ski town, everyone seems to have a preferred Ortho doc). He used a plate and 4 screws with 21 staples to complete the repair. Started PT the day after surgery and I have kept at least 1 appointment per week since. The muscle atrophy is less than ideal, but I am working to limit the overall loss. Received clearance to partial weight bear 2 days ago. That was a huge milestone mentally as well as physically. I have noticed that the PWB PT brings a higher level of pain. I have had a pitting edema (gumby leg) that we fixed with kinesio tape. Very cool stuff, but looks kinda wierd. Overall, my healing experience is going well but it sounds like I'm far from being done with it. My biggest problem at the moment is build up of fluid around the knee. I had it drained 2 days ago, and it seems like it all came back this morning. I'd like to know if anyone has advice on weather I should have it drained again, or if I should just keep an eye on it as I move forward. Looking forward to being back on my Road bike soon and my MTB soon after.

Did they have a drain in your knee after surgery? My knee was really swollen after accident and surgery (3-4x normal). They left a drain in that filled up twice with in a two day period after surgery. It stopped filling and they told me to take it out on day three (not pleasant). It was still swollen but I have been icing 1-2 times a day for 30min and elevating anytime Im not moving (most of day). My swelling has gone down considerably and I am almost 3 weeks from surgery. Also, pt 3x a week. At Pt she messages the leg for a good 10-15 minutes. Seems to loosen up and bring swelling down more. Also have had a compression stocking on since surgery which seems to let less fluid travel down. Good luck!

[Nurse Nina]

ZGHighlands,
Each time they go in and drain your knee, you are at risk for infection. Rest, ice, compression, and elevation(RICE). I think it's too soon for weight bearing. Your bones just started laying down the soft callus.
You may need to ease up on the PT as well. Every time I over do the stretches and range exercises my knee swells up and limits what I can do the following day. I've had to pace myself. My TP fracture extended spirally down the tibial shaft. Did it just like you on my brand new $900 skis on 3/11/12. Had surgery a week later because of all the swelling.
I'm progressing steadily and have 95 degrees of flexion on the knee and can extend fully to zero. I don't expect to hyperextend like I can with my left knee though.
Take it easy and you will get there. An anti inflammatory may help, but it may interfere or slow with bone healing if used too much. Good luck.

[amoparker]

I have to second what Nina just said. I am no doctor, but everything I have been told and read says minimum 8 weeks until PWB, and a lot of docs say 12 weeks minimum. I think the excessive swelling is your body's way of telling you to give it more time to heal before you progress this far.
Just my humble opinion.
Amanda