Removing plates and screws

**Lawless** · 02-02-2009, 12:41 PM

I did my tib/fib last April and had 2 plates and 22 screws put in to piece them back together. I've been skiing this year about once a week and it hurts. I can feel the hardware inside my boot and when i take off my boot after skiing, my leg is bruised and there are a few screw heads sticking out that I can see and obviously feel.

So, I'm in the process of deciding whether to pull the plug on this season and get the hardware out and start getting the recovery going. I'm a little worried about having 22 holes in my leg bones and the kind of weakness that causes until they fill in, but I'm more concerned with long term recovery and getting back to my normal life.

Does anyone have any experience getting plates and screws out, and what kind of recovery would I be looking at until I can walk pretty regularly again? I'm a pretty healthy 32 year old. My doc said something to the effect of being on crutches for a few days and then it would be just regular wound care after that. it seems to me though that he's going to have to open my leg up pretty good again to get everything out and that would involve moving muscle and other stuff that I use out of the way.

**Vinman** · 02-02-2009, 05:13 PM

Typically just a few days of being sore and crutches 4-7 days maybe after that not too bad. Nothing compared to the original surgery.

**puhisurfer** · 02-02-2009, 07:59 PM

But the real question here is what will life be like after the recovery? I've got a short plate and six screws in tib down by my ankle, and I feel it every time I ski. But if I pull out the plate, will I be weaker down there? Higher chance of injury? I mean, I broke the shit, and now I'm reinforced with good ol' USA titanium. Pull it out, and shouldn't I have a higher chance of re-injury? Or even just looking at more pain down the road?

Experience or thoughts here?

**gorms** · 02-03-2009, 12:56 AM

**jerlane** · 02-09-2009, 08:48 PM

The hardware isn't really doing much at this point. It just hold the fracture together in the proper position until the bones heal. Long term, taking it out shouldn't be a problem. From the sounds of things, you may have a fairly large plate in there, so it might take a little while to get over the surgery to take it all out, mainly just soft tissue, though. You'd need to slow yourself down for a bit while the bone fills in. If the hardware is that prominent, you'll probably want it out at some point. It's up to you to decide if you want to do it now or wait until the season is over.

**Jim S** · 02-15-2009, 08:02 AM

It's common to have the plate and screws removed.

Mine came out of my penis last week; still hard as ever.

**summer_teeth** · 02-28-2009, 02:07 AM

I had hardware in my ankle this summer and it was causing a fair amount of pain plus preventing full range of motion. Doc removed it and I was back on crutches for a couple days. Then re-started self pt and got better range plus the pain was gone. It still hurts a bit but gettting stronger, been skiing all season and my pt doc says it will 100% next year. IMO if you can have it removed get that shit out.

**Sparky** · 02-28-2009, 06:57 AM

I've got plate & screws in my collar bone/clavicle (probably titanium from Taiwan though!) Mine is a bumpy with screws sticking out. Had it in since April. I do a lot of Mountain running, biking and skiing, and don't always stay upright. I would like the metal work out if that wouldn't weaken it. WWMD?

**splat** · 02-28-2009, 09:52 PM

Originally Posted by puhisurfer

But the real question here is what will life be like after the recovery? I've got a short plate and six screws in tib down by my ankle, and I feel it every time I ski. But if I pull out the plate, will I be weaker down there? Higher chance of injury? I mean, I broke the shit, and now I'm reinforced with good ol' USA titanium. Pull it out, and shouldn't I have a higher chance of re-injury? Or even just looking at more pain down the road?

Experience or thoughts here?

Your body has the amazing capacity to heal itself. I'm sure the bone will heal the holes just like it healed the break. I have also felt my tib flex against a boot to the point I thought the bone was going to break, only to have the ski break first. So, in my limited experience on this issue, I think that having the plate there leaves the bone less option to flex and maybe(?) increases liklihood of snapping the bone above or below the metal. I know a few guys who have had cages screwed into their spines, only to break their backs again, either above or below the metal screwed into the bone.

**XXX-er** · 03-05-2009, 07:19 PM

I did in a tib/fib feb 2002 ,they had to put a plate in instead of a rod ankle to 6" up the tib because there was already 3 screws in there from a previous sporting event that buddy was worried about hitting .

They wanted the plate in there for 6 months ,it might have been 8 months before I had the plate and 2 of 3 screws from the 1st injury it out next fall /early winter .The last screw is so calcifyed into place I will be taking it to my grave

My T-1's have a nice liner and I did ski the 2003 season

Once the drugs wore off I seem to remember walking out of post op , the bone IS totally healed you just got that big cut with all the staples that needs to heal but in my case I would say that leg is as strong or slightly stronger than the unbroken leg

I hate when they take out the staples with those 3 prong pliers ,the ends never really perfectly arc out of the skin SO I cut all the staples down the middle and removed the end pieces with a hemostat from my hardware tool kit

**stompinlines** · 03-14-2009, 09:03 AM

22 screws dood? Wow..would like to see some of your films. If you can pinpoint which ones are bugging you by feel and then looking at the proud screws on x-ray, then just have your guy remove the ones that are annoying you. Quick inter-op time, less anesthesia. Bam you're outta there.

**XXX-er** · 03-14-2009, 10:40 AM

he also has 2 plates

They gave me the removed screws and the plate for a keepsake and the plate is about 6" long & a half inch wide with a series of predrilled holes ...it looks somewhat like one of those shelf tracks you screw to the wall ,except its surgical grade

so its surgery for sure to get it all out and you might as well get it all out at once

IMO the biggest part is healing the wound over again,the swelling from the trauma of being cut open & risk of infection ,mine got infected (don't go skating) and I had to get some meds for that but no biggy

the holes which buddy is worried about are IMO the least of his worries ,they will acutaly calsify and fill in after 6 weeks

**Lawless** · 03-16-2009, 12:54 PM

Yeah, I'm scheduled to get them all out on Friday. If he's going to go in for some, I'm getting them all out. Be done with this. I've got one plate on my tibia that is on the inside and rubs against my boot and my muscle when it slides over it. The other plate is on my fibula and if it's in my boot for a long time, I can definitely feel that one as well.

At this point, they're putting me under, might as well charge up both cordless drill batteries and pull them all out. As far as the holes go, there's a hole in my bone right now and the screw doesn't make it stronger just because it's in it. The plates adds strength, but those are not staying in, no matter what. Getting them pulled, do some wound care for a few weeks and take it easy for 6-8 weeks and I should be good to go.

**Lawless** · 04-21-2009, 09:10 AM

Done and Done. I got them out about a month ago and feel great. I was on crutches for 3 days and then limped around for a few days after. Within a week or so, I was feeling better than before I got it out and now I don't feel like I ever broke it. The wound is healed now a month after and I'm going skiing tonight for the first time in months.

I never thought my leg would feel completely normal again, so I am psyched.

Here is what I had in me.

**Lawless** · 06-24-2009, 09:15 AM

So to wrap this up. It turns out that the holes left from screws do not make the bone that much weaker and more susceptible to break. I had my previous hardware out on March 20 and these images from a cscan clearly shows the holes in the bone from the screws and a break in a totally different part of the tibia and tibial plateau. The old break site saw no fractures in this twisting and pulling fall which occured on June 5. It was sweet to be able to walk for 2 whole months without any pain.