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Hey everyone! I'm 24 and about 5 months ago I was hit by a drunk driver while running back from the gym at night. The subsequent accident broke my left Tibia/Fibula which required a intramedullary nail and 6 pins to be placed in my leg to set the bone. I am a fairly active person with good health. So far recovery has been going well. I just had a few questions if anyone has some experience with this.
1. I have been been walking for some time (3-4 weeks) and still have a very harsh limp. Its the kind of limp that I can't avoid because of pain and lack of strength in my ankle. Have you encountered this same problem as well? and how long did it take?
2. I have quite a bit of pain in the leg still. Sometimes that I almost cringe every first step I take. My next check up isn't for another few weeks but as far as usual pain following a severe break is this normal?
3. My PT hasn't been terribly helpful with the specifics of what to do and how to fix any strength/flexibility problems. Any ideas on how to approach these problems? I usually work out 4-5 times a week (strength training/ rowing/ cycling)
Last edited by SouthernBelleInUtah; 01-06-2016 at 05:58 AM..
I had a broken fibula that required a plate and 9 screws. I was in a wheelchair for three months after the injury and used a walker for several months after that. I didn't have any coverage for physical therapy, so they told me to buy a stretch band and flex my foot with it several times a day. I had a limp for at least a year even when walking short distances. I had a limp after that when I walked long distances. I was on pain meds for three months after the injury, then 800 mg ibuprofen three times a day. I'm still taking the ibuprofen, but not as often. I have very sharp pains in the bone when the barometric pressure drops...I can usually predict rain at least a few hours before it starts.
The thing that helped me the most was cycling...that was the first time I could move without pain after my injury, and it really filled in the deep groove in the scar from my surgery...I guess it was building the muscle back up. After a couple years, I started having trouble with burning feelings in my foot while cycling, and that turned out to be peripheral neuropathy. I also have trouble if I put my foot down wrong getting off the bike, I can't point my toes as well as I used to. So I have a bike that makes it easy to touch the ground...it took some searching to find a bike like that.
It's been 7 years since I broke my leg and I don't think of my life in two halves...before accident and after accident...anymore, but that's only been in the last couple of years that I've gotten over it.
It sounds like you were in much better shape before your injury than I was before mine, so hopefully that will make your recovery easier and quicker.
OP, sorry for your injury. All I can say is that this is a significant injury and it is going to take a very long time to recover, many months at least.
Good luck with your recovery.
Last edited by SouthernBelleInUtah; 01-06-2016 at 06:00 AM..
Reason: Fixed
I had shattered ankle 2 plates 9 screws 3 months out and walking w I think awful limp and lots of pain. The left side of ankle really hurts I guess plates. It feels like I grabbed a hot pan bare hand that he s the kind of pain I keep having and swelling. Is that normal? Please help. By the way I want to say thankbyou to the person who invented wheel chairs.
I had shattered ankle 2 plates 9 screws 3 months out and walking w I think awful limp and lots of pain. The left side of ankle really hurts I guess plates. It feels like I grabbed a hot pan bare hand that he s the kind of pain I keep having and swelling. Is that normal? Please help. By the way I want to say thankbyou to the person who invented wheel chairs.
It's normal to still have some pain at that point, and swelling is normal for the first year after surgery. You can wear support hose to reduce the swelling, and sleeping with your foot elevated will help too, but there will probably be swelling no matter what you do. It may be the kind of swelling where you can press on it and leave deep grooves that take a long time to fill in...I had that and my doctor said that was normal too.
Burning pain can be from nerve damage. You should talk to your doctor about the pain if it interferes with sleep. It is going to hurt while it continues to heal though. Sometimes ibuprofen will help.
About the limp, your leg is weak from not being used for three months. It's also been through a major trauma and you're probably afraid of putting too much weight on it and dislodging some of the hardware. I had a serious limp for about a year after my surgery and I used a cane or walking stick if I had to walk far, because my leg got very tired. It's been 7 years since my surgery and I still end up limping if I have to walk too far or stand in one place for an hour or longer.
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