Fractured Tibia and Fibula (Broken Lower Leg Bones) with Fixation Surgery (x-rays, pain)

[simms]

Originally Posted by painfulblueeyez

thank you all still really sore were they took the screw out having painful pressure and muscle spasms but all part of healing just want to get rid of the pain and walk and be me again my fiance keeps telling me he misses me i miss me too and i miss being able to care for him and my 2 boys but once i can walk i can get married so i got to push myself for him and me but i appriciate all the support you all give can't wait to be pain free it will be so nice

Hi blueeyez,
You just got me choked up! Man I am a big baby! You will get stronger every day and walk down the aisle for your wedding!!! My fiance and I are getting married on June 7 and I was not going to have the surgery to remove my rod and screws and put the plate in because of the wedding.I do have a very sore spot where the bottom screws came out. The Doctor promised me I will be able to walk by the wedding and said worst case I would use a cane or one crutch. I had the surgery 20 days ago and I am only on 20lbs weight bearing. I think you guys should plan a wedding and go for it. Pam and I have been engaged for 4 years and she told me limp or not that if I had to carry my leg with me and hop down the aisle we were getting married!!! You will be dancing at the wedding and you will be a beautiful Bride!!!!

Mike

[simms]

Originally Posted by Rosie Struthers

What a great informative post you have. Thanks! I'm almost 5 weeks into my recovery for this same type of break. I'm going quite nutty laying around so much. I'm normally a very active person and this is making me crazy. I've started going to the gym again though, to work on upper body to keep myself as strong as possible and try to keep my injured leg from getting any weaker (working on the quad and hamstring a wee bit while keeping my leg non weight-bearing).

Hi and welcome Rosie!

I did the same thing as you and started going to the gym after my first surgery! it was a good feeling to work out and get out of the house. I learned to walk in the pool at the gym and like a dummy I gained to much muscle in my upper body from lifting that I have to stretch everyday to loosen them. I just had a second surgery after a year and a half and I can not weight to get back to the gym and do some cardio to get rid of this fat I gained.
This is a great place to talk to folks about the things you are going through! Everyone will understand you!!!! The folks here are awsome!!

Mike

[Bhosler877]

Mike, I have plates and screws in my fracture tibula, fibula, shattered ankle. Right now the plate on left ankle right side is what is causing the swelling, strangulation, tightening in that area plus two screws. Every day my ankle feels like a built in EMG machine with electrical stimulations hitting the area where plate is plus flutteres in plate ankle area on and off each day. Dr feels plate and two screws could be swelling because my body is reacting to foreign body by the swelling and strangulation, tightening. I have had 4 good days since 1/14/09 where the plate and screws have not bothered me so you are right I do feel like a member of plate and screws club. This is a great place just to relate your experience in hopes someone out there has gone through what you are presently feeling and they can offer you support.

[simms]

Originally Posted by Bhosler877

Mike, I have plates and screws in my fracture tibula, fibula, shattered ankle. Right now the plate on left ankle right side is what is causing the swelling, strangulation, tightening in that area plus two screws. Every day my ankle feels like a built in EMG machine with electrical stimulations hitting the area where plate is plus flutteres in plate ankle area on and off each day. Dr feels plate and two screws could be swelling because my body is reacting to foreign body by the swelling and strangulation, tightening. I have had 4 good days since 1/14/09 where the plate and screws have not bothered me so you are right I do feel like a member of plate and screws club. This is a great place just to relate your experience in hopes someone out there has gone through what you are presently feeling and they can offer you support.

Hi Bhosler,
I have been on here for over a year bro. I just had the titanium rod and screws taken out of my leg. they were in for over a year and a half. Now I have a compression plate from my knee to my ankle and it definetely fells different. How long have you had your plate and screws in? When did you notice the discomfort?? Does the plate slide? or rub? Now I am nervous!

Mike

[Nannyof2]

Originally Posted by simms

Well it seems I have a new group to join! The plate and screw club! I just had a rod and screws taken out and now I have a plate from my knee to my ankle. The swelling just went down and now I can see it and touch it! I had no idea the plate was going to be this long. i think if i go swimming I will sink to the bottom of the pool!! Hey are we threatened by lightning more so than others? I am going to try and stick magnets to my shin!! you know like little trains to ride along my stiches that go from knee to ankle lol. I can feel some screws but not all of them there are 14 i think.
Hi Nanny, Hi green, Hi Baby I did not know everyone had plates, I will be asking questions as this thing heals. You might think I am crazy but the leg with the plate is heavier than the other without. Does anyone feel the plate causing discomfort pinching or itching? I do not know what to expect.

thanks

mike

Hey Simms,
I never thought about being more apt to get struck by lightening, I do like to sit on my front porch swing during a thunderstorm, I may rethink that now..lol! Oh, and I just tried the magnet......didn't work, bummer, I thought that might be fun with my 3yr old grandaughter, she could have put her abc's magnets on my leg!

I do have alot of hardware, my x-rays are on my profile pics if you want to take a look. My scar on my tibia is about 8inches, and the plate is about 6 inches. I cannot feel the plate and screws on my tibia. My OS said I probably won't be able to feel them, apparently they are under the soft tissue. I have about a 3 inch plate on my fib right at my ankle and I can definately feel the hardware when I touch it now that the swelling has gone down. I also have 2 screws on the other side of my ankle and I don't think I can feel them, there is a little bump which I wonder if it is a screw , but it could just be the bone, I will have to ask my OS at my next visit. I am pretty sure my hardware will stay in, my OS did tell me that is the metal on my fib bothers me down the road, there is a possiblity that it could be removed, but it is a wait and see kind of thing. Right now it doesn't bother me, but when I put my air boot on I think I can feel it rub a little at first, but then that feeling goes away.

I have not experienced too much discomfort from the metal so far, other than the surgeries. I did have some itching, but that could have just been my wounds healing. I don't have a whole lot of swelling, only when I have been up walking around too much with my air boot. I do have tightness, almost the strangulation feeling that Bholser talks about. When I am working on my ROM it sometimes feels like there is a band tightening in my ankle area, almost like it is keeping me from being able to get my ROM back. My PT is getting a little more assertive, but waiting on the OK from my OS. I am thinking when I am allowed to walk without the boot , I will be able to get more flexibility back. I am getting in a pool twice a week and that helps alot, I wish I could go everyday, but the only indoor pool I have access to is at our local high school, and twice a week is it, but better than nothing. I also go to PT twice a week too and my leg strength is getting better.

I am so happy that you are going to be able to walk for your wedding! Congratulations, that is very exciting!! My husband and I will celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary on June 16th. We were planning a trip, but are going to put it off until maybe the Fall , I want to be able to get around pretty good before we go. We have a family trip planned for the first week of June, so that will be a good test run.

Goodluck with your recovery and congrats again on your upcoming wedding!!

Nanny

[mike perry ia]

Nannyof2,omg i havent thought about the lightning!! i have plate and screws too..i do have a question for anyone. i had broken tibia and knee damage. it will be 8 weeks post op when i go back to the OS. he said he would remove my leg brace then..i am hoping then i will start wb and then garduate to a cane..is there anyone out there that has been wb after 8 weeks post op and began a cane? i am so hoping i can get otta this walker soon..thanks for any input!!!! mike

[Bhosler877]

Mike, I have had my plate and screws in since 1/15/09. At first while bones were healing everything was fine. Problem started when I went FWB. The ankle area by malleous where plate and 2 screws are have been causing the achy and swelling. So at times I can feel the plate rubbing and then I get the burning sensation. When ankle swells up the plate area is strangling me. But I have no infection, no really pain, just ankle area feels like its pulling. I did try the magnets kinda scary. When I first went weight bearing they gave me a 4 prong cane that adjusted. Didnot graduate to regular cane because now they have me trying to walk without cane. Today at the therapy they tell me after 9 weeks going to therapy 3 times a week I had no improvement in my range of motion in being able to bend ankle forward I am really depressed about that and I do feel that plate and 2 screws are the reason for it. So now I think I am going to get 2nd ortho surgeon opinion. I trust my doctors but that was so depressing to know not even 1/10th of cm improvement.

[Bhosler877]

Nanny,
I just looked at your x-ray. Wish I had scanner to post mine. Mine on back resembled your front in middle and then I have plates on each side of leg with screws attaching so I am surrounded by plates,screws mine go farther up My plates and screws have stayed in place they do not slide but feels like it when tendons are overtired and swell.

[Kitty143]

Hello to all in the "plate and screw" club. I can certainly empathize and I will pray for all of you. I have been there with external fixator, plate and screws in right arm and wrist ( 2 breaks and crushed wrist). I had 13 surgeries on my arm but it is now healed but I was left with extreme care of arthritis in arm, hand and fingers. As for the weird feelings, you might be getting tightness and rubbing where the tendons are moving over the screws. For the pain, I found an excellent pain relief cream that helps where no pain medication comes close. The name of it is Physician's Pain Relief cream. I can rub this cream on and reapply in 10 minutes and it takes that edge off where you can think about something else other that your pain. It is due to be in drugstores soon but you can buy it online at physicianspainreliefcream.com. It does not burn and it is odorless and I can't be without it.
God bless all of you amd hang in there it does get better.

[kek411]

Wow, summer weddings coming up - congratulations!!!

I have been 7 weeks nwb and go to see the OS tomorrow - last time he said that I may go right to FWB... obviously start with WBAT, but yes, he said directly to it... He also told me that I would need at least three months physio to be able to get some ROM and that my ankle would be swollen, discolored and ugly for about a year. They gave me a handicapped parking pass that is good for a year, so that tells me that even FWB will be short distances only.

Pretty excited about tomorrow - still don't know if they will give me a walking cast or if I will be leaving in a shoe - need to find a shoe that may fit!