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Thread: Tibial Plateau Fracture Recovery
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03-04-2012, 09:55 PM #326Registered User
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Hello Amy
Sounds like youi are getting back to your life? 3 to 4 miles a day is a lot. You are doing better than OK if you ask me. I went 7.5 yseterday. I was beat last night but it was on uneven ground (farm auction). Felt very good to get out amongst the normal people. Sore today but still logged 3 miles. My foot doesn't give me much trouble. Just tightness of the tendons on top of my foot where they go between big toe and the next one. This has bugged me from the beginning. My knee grinds and pop. Some pain below the kneecap and the top of the tibia aches pretty bad when I overdue it. Twisting adds some new dimensions of pain such as stepping in a hole. For the most part the leg is healing up faster than expected though. I am looking forward to summer too. Hope it doesn't get into triple digits all summer like last year. Glad you enjoyed San Diego. I have been there one time it is a neat city. Going to LA in May that should be interesting. Airport security should be fun. I like California but not sure I could live with that many people day in day out?
Do you use a ting unit for electric shock therapy? They start my PT with heat and the ting every visit. Loosens the knee up to start with. Ice cool down with tinge at the end. I have been going to therpy since the first of November. I have seen total knee, hip, shoulder replacements, repair etc. They come and go and I am still there. I know all of the therapist very well now along with the assistants and staff. I also have some new friends that I have met thru that place. My doc gave me the choice of going or not going. I choose to go (wife doesn't see why I still go!). They seem to be able to find a way to fix the little bad habits I have developed so maybe I will walk normal eventually. PT is the only reason I have been able to advance this fast.
I wish I could ease back into work but that isn't an option. I start back full time the end of the month. My boss assured me he would give me some light duty and flexible hours but I need to get my hours in to eat. Short Term runs out in April anyway. Good days outnumber the bad days that is the best part.
My accident wasn't my fault so my insurance situation is probably different. E mail or PM me if you want to hear the entire story of my accident. It is a long story. I wanted to take spring break week off then start back to work so 2 visits a week should finish me up. I will miss those guys but looking forward to returning to my rat race in the working world. I will check in here regularly for a while. Possibly I can help someone get thru this mess by sharing the wealth of knowledge I have earned.
thanks
jesse
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03-05-2012, 06:32 PM #327Registered User
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Great news for me! I had my 3 month check up and was able to get to 129 degrees, so NO manipulation surgery for leg 1. Now my goal is to get leg 1 to be strong enough to support me weight so that I can have Meniscus and ACL surgery on my leg 2 (that has a non displaced TPF). I hope to have that in the next 3 weeks. I am riding stationary bike now and walking with crutches for short periods of time until leg 2 causes issues.
For all new TPF patients....It DOES GET BETTER! Stay positive and keep working hard!
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03-05-2012, 06:36 PM #328Registered User
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03-05-2012, 06:37 PM #329Registered User
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03-06-2012, 07:19 PM #330Registered User
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I walked, I walked without crutches and any other assistance today after almost 7 weeks, Wish you all the best
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03-07-2012, 07:38 AM #331Registered User
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03-07-2012, 07:53 AM #332Registered User
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Moonstruck has the plan mallen
65. These doctors are smart but they don't have a clue on the healing process. If you don't go to PT just do the exercises they taught you while you were going. This type of injury takes so much longer than most broken bones we lose what little patience we had to begin with. It will get better but the pain may not totally go away. I am @ 5 months today level V/VI and I can tell you the pain is still there at times but it doesn't control me like it did in the beginning. I have 4 more PT visits then I go back to my job. That will be very interesting but I am ready to move on. These doctors are good at what they do (repair your broken stuff). They suck at helping you mentally get thru this. They should be sent us to a shrink right after breaking your tibiia? Keep a good atttitude and you will do fine. I came to a realization I won't be as good as I once was but at 50 years old that is true about a lot of things so take what you can get. Not saying I give up but I am being realistic.
thanks
jesse
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03-10-2012, 01:14 AM #333Registered User
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A soccer girl's struggle with tibial plateau fracture
Hey Bananas, I found this post through an internet search... you posted like 9 months ago but if you're still out there reading this, we have some real similarities with slight differences about our injury experience! I am 29 (vs. 39) and broke my right tibial plateau about 3 weeks ago, also playing soccer. I am female but was playing co-ed, and I too was going for the ball: I saw it coming, turned hard and fast for it, eyes on the ball, when suddenly two or three guys collided into me laterally at such incredible cement-like force that it shattered my TP. I have never felt such pain in my life. It was so bad I was hyperventilating and almost passed out on the field because i couldn't breathe, the pain and fear were so horrible. And I too had a ski trip planned, just 3 days after the injury occurred (vs. your 3 weeks). I also have a long plate down my tibia and several screws/ nails holding up the crushed, previously displaced pieces of bone (so that hopefully they'll fuse together and in good alignment). My leg has already atrophied so much, and it really worries me that i still cannot move my ankle/foot much at all post-op -- Doc thinks it's cuz of the nerves/ muscles that were cut in surgery. My calf muscle has shortened/ wadded up so extremely that trying to manipulate the ankle is excruciating.
Anyway, I see you plan to avoid soccer, but for me that will/would be devastating. Soccer is like part of my soul -- such a deep passion -- i feel so alive when i have soccer in my life. I have scoured the internet to find hope for returning to soccer after such an injury but I see mostly lots of people conceding that you may have to give-up contact sports for good ... But the closest hopeful article i can find is one on how USA player Stuart Holden once suffered a soccer knee fracture (though much more minor than mine, it seems-- just in the back of his knee or something) and did in fact return after the year or so of recovery. My surgeon continues to say "it depends on your recovery" but cautions even if i do return to sports, my knee will never be good as it was. For me, it's esp. sad cuz I was totally right-footed -- never could develop any skill with my left. So to face that i'll possibly never be able to kick that ball beautifully again -- it's a loss, y'know?
Also, i too am now extremely worried about knee arthritis. I have been reading everywhere that it's pretty much guaranteed to happen after a Tibial Plateau fracture, and that if the fracture occurs when you're young (like me), you're high risk for early onset arthritis. People have testified that it has occurred just within a few years post-injury! This would be devastating to me. From what i read, Osteoarthritis in the knee can be extremely dehabilitating and treatment options are not at all hopeful, at least when it comes to being able to keep playing sports. I am a totally active girl (soccer, frisbee, baseball, running, Crossfit, skiing, dancing...) so all of this has been a huge blow to me emotionally and has changed my whole life and life-plans. All cuz some guys couldn't stop themselves from crashing into me!! Such a weird unexpected moment that changes your whole life... it's hard to adjust...
I do plan to work as hard as i can in PT to get back into best shape possible. You always hear stories of people beating the doctor's prognosis right? One of the saddest near-guaranteed losses for me is that I have always been an incredibly fast sprinter. That came in so handy in soccer, making those break-aways towards the goal, etc. It is so exhilarating to be sprinting so fast you are outrunning everyone around you. I am going to miss that ability so very, very much
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03-10-2012, 04:38 AM #334Minion
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Hi everyone I am new on here glad i found the forum....I fractured my TP 3 weeks ago playing soccer aswell, I just jumped for the ball came down and snap worst pain ever had a an op to put in a plate and 2 screws....Finding it so hard really to sleep at the minute, On crutches and have managed to go into college last week for 3 half days ....So exhausting though, my family say that I should not be doing so much what do you all think im keeping the weight off it but very tired after the day...I only have 5 weeks till college finishes .....Any tips for someone starting out on the road to recovery ....im eating well and taking vitamins just wanna get over this im 30 years of age I know I will never play football seriously again I just want to at least be able to run round with my son and play with him....
Some inspirational stories on here that really do give you strength to overcome thisLast edited by dannybhoy; 03-10-2012 at 04:50 AM.
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03-10-2012, 12:19 PM #335Registered User
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Wow I am impressed you are going into college after just two weeks!! Not sure if your break is less bad than mine or something but I definitely wouldn't be able to handle that, esp with the craziness from the narcotics -- but you do what you have to i guess! Yeah sadly i think football must be be one of the least-likely-to-play-again-seriously sports out there. Sorry for that It's tough being young-ish and this happening right? i keep thinking i wish this had waited to happen until i was like 20 or 30 years older. Would've loved to have 20 more years of sports . Icing, elevating, ROM very important at this stage. I do recommend the supplements too. Not-well-known, Silica is supposed to be really good for speedy/ proper bone healing, doc's recommended to me as even better than taking calcium! (i take 5, 3x/day with meals, 3 bottles worth)... also proteolytic enzymes, big doses too (six 3x/day between meals for a week or so)
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03-10-2012, 03:57 PM #336Registered User
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Since it looks like there are some new members to the thread I will post my latest progress report. A few of the new posters are right behind me in recovery time so hopefully this will give some encouragement.
Seven weeks ago yesterday (3/9/12) I broke my tibial plateau (type 4) and started physical therapy two weeks after the injury/surgery. I felt like at the five week mark I really hit a turning point and things started to progress and the pain started to fade drastically. The swelling, the pain, and my range of motion have all improved. I have an extension of -2 degrees and I am able to flex up to 127 degrees. It is a slow process but at each PT appointment I see a little more progress. One week from now I have my next appointment with my OS and it will be time to start the weight bearing process. It can't come fast enough. I'm over crutches, I want to be able to carry things with my hands again.
I am going back to work (temp desk job) next week and I am ready to start getting things back on track. It is still uncomfortable to crutch around but I'd rather go sit at a desk and answer phones than collect disability (which is hardly anything) and watch TV all day. Going back to the grind will help the restlessness. Hopefully the progress continues and I can be back to my normal job (40 hours per week on your feet, lifting and being mobile) by Summer.
The biggest help for my recovery lately has been clearance by the OS for stationary biking. It loosens my knee up and seems to be helping a lot. Also, I have been icing it as often as I can. Once another pack it frozen, I strap it back on my knee. Good luck to the recently injured!
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03-10-2012, 08:52 PM #337Registered User
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Thanks chas512 this is encouraging! Yeah as a new poster it's good to meet others with this type injury... while ACL is so common to tear, i have never known/ heard of anyone that broke their knee before! At almost 3 weeks, I am barely 90 degrees flex, still sharp pains in knee/ good amount swelling. So, good to hear that eventually things hit a turning point for you! I know what you mean about wanting to get over the restlessness and crutches! Good reminder about icing too... i have been to slack on that and today my swelling's painfully increased. Thanks for posting!
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03-10-2012, 11:53 PM #338Registered User
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oh my goodness!!! bless your heart. How absolutely horrible. I had a friend in a car accident with similar things -- broken ribs, two collapsed lungs, fractured shoulder... i have indeed heard from many how horribly painful broken ribs are! Wow i truly look up to you for living through all this and as i see in a post below for making the most of this by getting into art and selling art and such! I too always longed to be an artist. I should follow suit with my recovery period! thanks for sharing i can't believe what you went through. Sure puts my own mammoth-feeling-injury into perspective!!!
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03-11-2012, 12:20 AM #339Registered User
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Sorry for all the posts everyone but as I read back through all these old posts I have so much i want to respond to! This is exciting to find people going through same things! Ryanrene, maybe by now you've gotten all your answers, but about your earlier posts, ask your Doc, but i have had burning/ shooting pains too and was suggested this it's likely my damaged nerves trying to reconnect -- as you hoped, a good sign (nerves damaged in injury + being cut by surgeon). Also, I totally feel you about the foot/ankle-- i keep telling everyone, "it's crazy and scary, my ankle is fine but it won't move at all!!" I been majorly struggling with foot drop issues too -- have hope, it slowly gets better the more you work on it and the more your nerves/ muscles heal up!! Foot/ankle was freaking me out most post-surgery (TPF)... they swelled to elephant proportions... took days to go down... and still ever since, bottom of my foot/toes are very tingly to the touch, + i can't get my ankle to 90 degrees, and if someone tries to make it, there's excruciating pain in my calf (which PT says has shortened from non-use) and ankle and it just won't budge far. However, PT showed me how to lay/ sit with legs straight out in front, gradually pushing foot flat (as possible) against wall, stretching more and more aiming for that 90 degrees. Can put a cloth/ little pillow in between foot and wall (or arm of couch if on couch) to help. And the more you keep TRYING to do this stretch and ankle pumps/ side-to-side/ circles, urging your muscles to start working again, the better! ... And yes, just today, just for standing with crutches for a short while, i looked down and noticed my entire lower leg and foot were bright purple! Pretty freaky. I am 3 weeks post-op and wondering how long that will last too! ALSO: I had to put steri strips too cuz my wound was reopening ... but why would you take them off?? i was told not to! You just leave them on until they naturally fall off -- even if that's 2-3 weeks or whatever. Shower with them, etc... And for the scars, when you're cleared by Doc, besides vitamin E, you might try these cool silicone pads i found, "Scar Away," can order on Amazon -- used by burn centers, plastic surgeons, etc...
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03-11-2012, 01:54 AM #340Registered User
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Question: Does anyone know of any professional athlete who ever suffered a major displaced TPF and made it back one day to his game? i can only find a couple football examples of minor/ non-displaced ... sure would be encouraging to find.
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03-11-2012, 09:40 AM #341Registered User
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Soccergirl
Remember this. You are young. Plenty of time to heal. It takes time and this injury takes more time than any other that I know of. Good to see you are so positive. Hang in there no one can tell you if you will ever play soccer again. You do the best to get back to normal and you will know if it iis worth it or not?
For now you have to keep yourself occupied to kill the boredom. This site is a great place to vent. Hang in there you will do fine.
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03-11-2012, 02:02 PM #342Minion
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Wow. Great site. TPF on 2/13/12. Can relate to a lot in here especially the skiing in vail part...execept I was only 15 yards from a lift and just got tripped up.....and next thing I know I cannot stand. Right ski did not release and I end up at vail valley medical center on day 2 with a TPF fracture...wtf? I need surgery, a plate and six screws and 4 nights in the hospital? Well as it were if you were going to need this surgery vail is not a bad place to have it.
I am just at 4 weeks and have gotten to 128 degree of flexion and have been on a stationary bike 4 times- have to agree that is a great step. It seems I got to hit PT early and although mentally depressing, physically progressing and may lose the brace just before week 5. I got good advice, get off the drugs asap, hit the PT early and as hard as allowed. So I did those home exercises by the book and by first PT appt....120 degree of flexion and leg was straight. A lot of pain getting there in the beginning, but well worth it. My PT tells me I will be able to ski again next season, but I don't think will.....going to be tough getting back on that horse- that soon. But I do hope to ski again.
Work the knee, ice, elevate and repeat as much as possible and the flex comes back. Cannot wait to WB and get back to life.......
This a great forum and a lot of help and encouragement.
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03-11-2012, 03:52 PM #343
Jesse: As usual, your words of encouragement are appreciated. There are days that I just need somebody to remind me of the progress I'm making since it's as quick as watching paint dry! I always seem to read a post from you on those days. Thank you so much. My email is a.meobrien@gmail.com I'd like to hear in more detail what happened to you. I just cut back my PT to once a week. We think that we'll do that for a couple weeks and then maybe I'll see him ever few weeks so he can progress my exercises as able. There's a community pool near me and I don't know why I haven't thought to go and check it out. They have time set aside for people to use the pool for therapy. I'm going to go see what it's like on Tuesday. I've been to three PTs since the beginning of all of this. The one I'm going to now doesn't do the electricity. I haven't asked him why, he just doesn't. The other guy did it at the end of my session along with ice. Oh, how I love ice!
abcde: I'm late, but congratulations on walking!!!! I took my first three steps on Thanksgiving. I surprised my husband with it and he yelled " it's a Thanksgiving Day miracle!!" we still chuckle about it. I'm so happy for you!
Hi to all the new people. I's so sorry that you're here but I'm glad you found this place. This site and these people have given me so much support...And a it's a great place to vent! You're gonna need that!! Don't forget, it gets better. It's going to be a slow process, but I promise it gets better.
A little update: I've conquered two weeks of light duty work (only two days per week, six hours per day). This next week I go to three days a week. So far, so good. It's nice to be back and see everyone but at the same time it reminds me how hard it will be to get back to my normal job. And that little voice in the back of my head tells me that it just might be impossible. Of course I'm going to do everything i can to get back. It's just hard to not be discouraged.
As fast as my foot flared up on me, it's settled back down and isn't giving me too much grief. I walked 4-5 miles yesterday and feel good today. I shouldn't say walk, I should say limp. I'm still working on this terrible limp. Like everythine else it will take time, I suppose.
I'm starting to think that some of the discomfort I feel is the hardware. I kinda hope it is, since it can be removed. Anyone else have hardware pain?
Talk to you all soon.....amy.
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03-11-2012, 04:41 PM #344
soccergirl:
believe it or not things have gotten a bit better since that dark post back in January. My steri strips finally came off with some Emu oil. My OS told me not to wait too long as the adhesive would stick to the skin and sure enough it did. I spent the next few weeks getting the sticky off my leg. My foot and ankle have also gotten better with time. The skin on my foot would peel off in chunks like I was a burn victim. Pins, needles, burning. My foot is better with the sensation and peeling. It still gets purpleish when I have it down too long but the swelling is minimal. Now I sit and watch TV and roll my foot over a tennis ball to get it toughend up. I still don't have full ROM in my ankle and my calf is tight and contracted which isn't helping me. My PT gets on me about that. My toes also don't have the flexibility my other foot has and if I squeeze them, they hurt. But I see progress, just not as fast as I'd hope.
I try to update my progress every now and then just to give back to those who have just joined this thread. My fracture was the worst of the worst, a type VI. Both condyles broken off, 7mm depression and spiral fractures to the tibial shaft. I jacked my leg up. I'm on day 91 since the accident and day 74 since being plated and screwed (2 plates, 12 screws). I'm non weight bearing still but I have my 3 month appointment this week and my OS said he would clear me for partial weight bear. At the moment I am pretty discouraged in PT. I'm a bit stuck at 70 flexion and 5 extension. I was locked in an ex-fix, then a cast for nearly 6 weeks. I am afraid that a manual manipulation is in my near future. I hate this injury. I hate my crutches. Ugh.
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03-11-2012, 06:17 PM #345Registered User
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03-14-2012, 10:47 AM #346Registered User
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Ankle Pain
Hi everybody,
I started walking from a TPF just 1 week ago but from four days ago I had a very bad ankle pain that is getting even worth, My ankle was ok before the surgery because I walked two weeks after accident to surgery and there was no pain. Whats the problem? did you also experience something like this? I heard that is because of long period (6 weeks) of non weight baring. is it true? when it will go away?
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03-14-2012, 06:17 PM #347
I think the foot/ankle pain is normal after a long time of not bearing weight. Mine was so bad that it took me 6-8 weeks to bear full weight once I was finally allowed to. I was non weight bearing for 3 months. I got a foot XRay and it showed "disuse osteoporosis". The OS said the only fix is to bear weight. Along with the bones being affected, I'm sure my achilles shrank up while I was non weight bearing. I had alot of pain back there too.
I started walking in November and my ankle still bothers me at times but not too often. I have some calf/Achilles stretches that I do several times a day. And toe curls, I put a towel on the floor and try to use my toes to pull it toward me. Does that make sense?
amy
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03-14-2012, 07:14 PM #348
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03-14-2012, 09:18 PM #349
Hi Ryan. I wish you luck for tomorrow. Just don't get discouraged if it takes a while for your "first steps". I looked forward to the doc saying I could weight bear and I thought that I would just walk out of his office! I wasn't prepared for how hard it would be. I didn't take real steps, without a crutch or cane for about two more months. It was hard at first just to place my foot flat on the ground. But at the same time it was so exciting!
Here's my timeline:
Fracture: June 20
Allowed to start to bear weight and increase as able: Sept 19
Transitioned from two crutches to one crutch then finally a cane: Nov 8 (my BDay gift was to cane-walk
First unassisted steps: Nov 24
Ditched the cane for good: Jan 5th
Listen to your body (hard to do sometimes) and only push it so far. You're bound to have set backs here and there. Don't let that stop you. During the time I was using the cane and was close to not needing it, I pushed myself to hard in the pool (I did pool PT for a couple months). I ended up going back to two crutches for a week or so. I hurt so much, I wasn't even putting the foot on the ground again. It was devastating. But it got better and hasn't given me to much grief since. About week or so ago it flared up but it was nothing like before.
Good luck tomorrow and I look forward to hearing how it goes!
amy
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03-15-2012, 12:11 AM #350Registered User
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