Tibia FX Under Cuff

[regct]

Broke my tibia just under the boot cuff on Christmas day. (5 weeks ish ago). Clean break. Did not do surgery because I broke my tibial plateau last march. Yes, same leg. Its been a long year. To put a rod in they would have had to remove all the hardware on my TP. Which was healed and performing remarkably well until this happened.

Anyway, I am not ready to call my season yet. I want to start skiing again at 8 or 9 weeks. So, first week of March? Still not bearing weight, but I have a prosthetic cast that I remove often and stretch and ride the stationary bike.

Anyone have experience getting back on skis this soon after a tibia break? Or am I smoking crack?

[jerlane]

Tibial shaft fracture??? Yeah, you're smoking crack.

[SlugInfinite]

With an IM nail I was 3 months before I could bike, 6 months from running and 8 months from skiing. All of those were non-negotiable restrictions from the surgeon. If you have any movement in the tibia while on the stationary bike, you're probably doing a shit load more damage than you are good.

[regct]

Yeah there isn't lot of pain anymore. I can even hobble around without crutches.

Can further damage occur without any pain associated with it?

My TPF was 12 weeks NWB and I was riding my downhill bike at 16 weeks. That injury was way worse.

[SlugInfinite]

I think you should probably ask your otho these questions. My fracture basically looks exactly like yours. He said without the rod, I was many months from weight bearing, and that bone remolding wouldn't begin until 8-12 weeks at minimum - full recovery for the bone was a year. I would assume the hardware supporting your TPF played a significant role in your ability with the previous injury. Ultimately, I would have serious questions of my ortho if he hadn't made it perfectly clear the severity of the injury and what my capabilities were. Mine would have laughed in my face if I suggested skiing three months after the injury, even with a rod.

[old goat]

I'm not ortho--but lower tibia is one of the slowest healing fractures in the body due to lack of blood supply. It's not a question of reinjuring but if there's movement the bone ends won't unite. Won't necessarily be painful--healing is judged by the xrays, not by the symptoms. If it doesn't heal you're looking at surgery months down the line, and the time it takes to recover for that, with no guarantee of success. Do exactly what your ortho tells you to do. This is not one to mess around with.

[regct]

Started skiing groomers at 8 weeks! 2 days per week only for now. Been slowly getting off piste. Being careful but FKNA!

[anotherVTskibum]

You're making me jealous. I was skiing at Red Lodge and created a classic boot-top fracture in my tibia, also on Christmas, had surgery that night (intermedullary nailing ), had a second followup xray, and am still supposed to be off skis (and the motorcycle) for another six weeks.

Good luck in your healing.