Removing hardware and bone grafts?

So, I went for "one more run" on the last day of the village and bingo bango, shattered my right leg in a collision with a tree. Tibia in 9+ pieces, Fibia in a few pieces as well, broken ribs, and a bruised pelvis. I went into surgery within a few hours and Dr Neil did a great job of trying to fit everything back together as best he could with some plates and screws. He ended up coming up about a 1/4" short after getting everything together and believes those pieces basically turned into powder. We're going to see how everything heals and make a decision on whether or not to chip some bone out of my pelvis to replace the missing bone in my leg.

Two questions for anyone that's gone through this before.

1. After the healing has taken place, have people had the plates and screws removed, or just leave them? The doc said it was up to me, but has this type of hardware bothered people while trying to ski again?

2. Anyone ever have a bone graft from their pelvis to their leg or any other part of their body, and how long of a recovery does this add to the process?
Right now, I've got 9 weeks without any weight on my right leg.


I see my doc next Monday ad can ask him these questions, but just wanted to get some perspective from others that may have gone through this before.

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Originally Posted by Lawless

SoTibia in 9+ pieces, Fibia in a few pieces as well, broken ribs, and a bruised pelvis. Right now, I've got 9 weeks without any weight on my right leg.

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That is ROUGH! No words of wisdom here, just sympathy pains. I hope you get better soon! (At least it was the last day!!!)

hi lawless

sounds like a bad crash. I hope you return to 100% asap.
I have titanium in my back two 6' plates and a half dozen 11/2 by 10 studs ( think wood screw on one end and machine on the other) with nuts and lock washers. been in there since 1993 no big deal it hearts with presser changes like cold fronts or something pushing on them (like rolling around under a car). but i can work I'm a commercial fisherman and ski what more can i ask some MD's did not think i would be able to, so i'm happy even if it hearts. I also have 2 bone grafts in my back much different then leg, but it also is no big deal now. the harvest sight my hip heart for weeks after but it's better than having someone else's bone.
the people i know that have trouble with plats and screws, are pressure points boot top ankle that type of thing and i have been told that having most "not necessarily yours" removed is not that bad.
I know a guy that had his foot cut off and lost an inch in that leg when re-attached it made a lot of other problems, they fixed it some time later when he had a hip replacement. the other fix for a short leg is to cut 1/2 way through the femur 3' apart from either side then cut down the center line and slide the overlapping peaces apart with external jig. OUCH. but it works.
heal well
sam