Fractured Tibia and Fibula (Broken Lower Leg Bones) with Fixation Surgery (Part 2) (hip, kids)

[mperezjohnson]

I was reading a thread on tibula/fibula fractures and WOW - it all sounds so bad, my son just broke his fibula and now has 7 screws and a plate holding everything in place. He also dislocated his ankle and has a screw holding that in place - he loves football and is just a junior in high school - he broke his leg when he was tackled while recovering a fumble from his teams quarterback. He has been home for 2 days, and is now post-operative day 3, he has some swelling and is also complaining of some burning??? But the pain meds help some in that he just sleeps after taking them...Is there anybody out there who has healed well and is back doing what they love. He is desperately hoping to play for his senior yr next yr......I as his mom am really concerned...thanks and best wishes to all of you....

[2Crutches/Will Travel]

mperezjohnson, you might try joining "The Injured," a group on Facebook for more discussion.

[Elash]

I'm 38. On July 23 I low sided my motorcycle and made the mistake of trying to stand before I had stopped moving which resulted in a spiral fracture of my lower right tibia with the break extending into the heal and a fracture of the right fibula. I was put into a full leg cast for a day while the extent of my injuries was assessed. It was decided that my best chances of healing would be with surgery. A plate and screws were implanted on the tibia but the fibula was left to heal on its own. The leg was put back into a hard cast from the knee down.

For the first two weeks I didn't do anything except stay in bed keeping the leg elevated, take Oxycodones every 4 hours, and eat the best foods I could find for bone healing.

At 2 weeks the cast was removed and I was given a hard boot in it's place. I had thought I was doing alright by keeping the foot and leg stationary in bed but once the cast came off I was shocked at how swollen things were and how sensitive my entire leg was. The slightest touch of the right leg from the knee to the toes sent me cringing in pain.

I was so freaked out at the terrible state of my right limb that I started doing research immediately upon returning home. That's when I learned a few things about human physiology and bone growth. Bones need blood flow to grow and the tibia only really gets that when it's being used. By keeping the leg elevated and taking regular pain medication I was inhibiting leg healing, not promoting it. I was treating the symptoms, not the actual injury

So I started my own several times daily BALANCED PT plan 2 weeks after the accident. This was a NO Weight Bearing schedule of exercise and activities designed to promote fluid movement within the body and keep the soft tissues loose.

All total I spent about 4 hours each day doing these exercises.
1) First thing was to start desensitizing the foot and leg -> with it supported I removed the boot for short periods of time each day and started stimulating the skin with a soft brush until putting on a sock no longer hurt. I also started rolling from side to side with a pillow between my legs so that the bones could get used to having the gravitational pressure of natural weight put on them from all sides. This is also a good stretch for the muscles that cross the sacrum
2) I started stretching my entire body (especially the injured leg and foot) and doing modified Yoga poses (no weight bearing on the injured leg)
3) I started lifting weights and doing leg lifts, sit ups, stomach crunches, and other strengthening exercises to get the blood flowing through the entire body.
4) I took the leg out of the boot and let it swell, then I put it back in the pressure of the boot and elevated it to drain it...getting fluid in and out promotes healthy movement of tissue waste and other things that build up in the system during the healing process.
5) As soon as the skin had sufficiently healed from having the stitches taken out I started taking hot tub soaks and using the bubble jets to stimulate the skin of the legs and feet -> this promotes enhanced blood flow through the soft tissues that might have bound up because of the injury (and it just plain feels good).
6) I cut down on the pain medication, stopping the Oxycodone completely and only taking Tylenol when I absolutely couldn't stand the pain anymore.
7) I continued a strict diet of healthy foods/drinks and stay away from coffee, alcohol, and other things that are bad for the body/bone regeneration such as too much red meat and salt. (I've lost about 10 lbs of excess fat and gained a lot of new muscle tone due to my new diet...my coworkers are saying that I look better than I have in years.)

At week 3 I found that I had desensitized my injury to the point where I could be partial weight bearing and put slight pressure on the ball of the foot while in the boot.

Week 4 consisted of continuing to promote fluid movement and putting slight pressure on the leg when standing on crutches...I let the leg tell me where it was comfortable and didn't push anything. Each day it was a little more comfortable and hurt a little less.

At week 5 I began simulated walking while using the crutches on top of the other exercises I was doing. This was still only partial weight bearing and began by just working on range of motion, simulating the motions that are required during an actual walk.

(I should say at this point that recovery is going to hurt, a lot, that's just how it is and there is nothing that can be done to make it not hurt. However, the longer that the leg is idle...the more the muscles are allowed to tighten and atrophy...the more it's going to hurt. So stretch and keep it loose if you do nothing else to help speed up your recovery.)

During week 6 I had my first accidental full weight bearing moment when I forgot to use the crutches and took an actual step. It caught me off guard but my body said that it was ready for it and did it without conscious thought. That translated into the beginning of a movement to full weight bearing activities and actual walking in the boot on crutches. Over several days I worked on pressure, range of motion, and weight bearing activities (always supported in the boot on crutches). Each day the leg felt better than it did the day before.

I had my 6 week check up and x-rays this morning. The bones are healed on the outside but there is still healing left to go on the inside....it's not a tinder but it's not completely healed up either. The surgeon did a great job of setting the bone...can't tell that it was ever broken. I'm actually really impressed with his work. In this case I'd even call it artistry.

According to the Doctor the range of motion and leg strength in my injured leg are excellent. He says that at this point I need to pump as much blood through the tibia as possible by using a stationary bicycle and starting to swim. He has OK'd my transition to a cane and I'm now walking on my own after only 6 weeks since the injury (ALWAYS in the boot for support). I start my official PT regiment in the morning and can't wait to re-learn things like balance and gait and get in some cardio in the pool and on the bike.

My next goal is to be riding the motorcycle again @ 10 weeks. I've ordered a rigid motorcycle boot that has a flexible exoskeleton for support and am confident that I'll be swinging my leg over the seat of the motorcycle 4 weeks from now and riding off down the road again.

[maidi]

I was reading a thread on tibula/fibula fractures and I just wonder whether anybody had a case of fractured tibia and fibula where with the surgery tibia was fixed, while fibula was left to heal naturally. My daughter 39 years old is now after a year and half after the injury and surgery and fibula is still not healed and causing the pain. Can anybody help with some advice or reccommend the specialist to go to? Thank you in advance.

[Broken yukonjen]

Hi...I just broke my left tibia on Aug 25th and had surgery a week later on Sept. 1st. I spent two weeks in a splint which made me crazy! I since have been in a removable boot which is much better. I leave it off and elevate my leg as often as I can. I try to straighten and bend both my knee and ankle but don't have a lot of flexibility. Does anyone know how soon full range of motion should be back? I have also since develop some dark black bruising on the other side of my leg opposite of the incision. It's very painful in those areas and seem to be new. I'm assuming its just part of the healing process. I've tried soaking my leg in a warm bath to help loosen the muscles, it seems to help a bit. I'm also concerned about continuing the pain medication. I've been taking vicodin for 3 weeks continuously . They work but caused some anxiety and was prescribed anti anxiety meds as well, could be because of the limited activity, not used to that! My husband says don't rush to get off the pain meds but it worries me. Anyone else have good tips? This whole thing is new to me and its great to hear the experiences of other people going through the same thing, as a lot of the concerns and symptoms are the same. Thank you. Brokenyukonjen

[exjarhead75]

broke tibiaand fibia with massive bonefragments happened july10th 2011 surgery that night put me in a external fixator for 3 wks surgery aug 5th2011 went to see os took staples out and cast me went bck 4week later xrays put new cast on os said come back 8 weeks maybe put boot on almost 17 weeks in major break does any body know what im in for when they put the boot on

[Elash]

Originally Posted by Elash

I'm 38. On July 23 I low sided my motorcycle and made the mistake of trying to stand before I had stopped moving which resulted in a spiral fracture of my lower right tibia with the break extending into the heal and a fracture of the right fibula.

I found out that walking was more difficult than expected and I over-did it out the gate. I think it was part Physical Therapy not being tailored well enough to my needs and part me trying to do too much too quick.

What really happened is that the boot was causing leg length differentials and a body imbalance that threw my back out and at the same time I over-did it on strengthening exercises and re-injured some of the damaged soft tissue.

Ended up taking a step back and moving back to crutches for a week then working myself back into walking again a little more slowly. Also started taking the pain killers again (for my injured back now as well as the leg) but managed to only use them for a week before weening myself off them again.

After that ordeal and failed attempt at physical therapy I decided to go against Dr.s orders and stopped wearing the hard boot completely, instead moving to a somewhat supportive pair of 8 inch Timberland work boots and being extra careful when moving about.

That's been working out well and I've been walking (crutch and mostly cane free) for about a week and a half now...started walking without cane support @ about week 7.5 and it's now week 9 going on 10.

I've been walking between 2 and 3 miles a day (same routine twice daily with a weighted backpack on for strengthening) to get my flexibility and gate back but I still have a limp and some issues with quality of motion.

I am sticking to my personal goal of being back on a Motorcycle @ week 10 and ordered my protective motorcycle boot today with the expectation that it'll arrive Wednesday. I figure I'll wear it around Thurs and Fri to break it in and on Saturday I'll swing my leg over the bike and go for a ride.

Fingers crossed that all goes well.

[babygurlloves2010]

my name is feleshia i just joined this site to get some input on my situation i had a freak accident in december if 2008 long story short i broke my tibia and shattered my fibula i had surgery that night the end results i have a titanium plate in mt left leg with screws and then screws and pins in my ankle it is almost 4 yrs later and im in constant pain no matter what i do keep it up dont walk on it walk on it motrin nothing helps and then i woke up this morning and im in so much pain i can barely walk at all it ha progressed threw the night and i dont know what i should do when i seen my dr last he said that we wont remove the hardware cause it would be 2 more surgiries and rehab all over again but im starting to wonder if its worth it i havn;t been able to work or do alot of things since this happen plz someone help me!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Hedgehog_Mom]

Originally Posted by babygurlloves2010

my name is feleshia i just joined this site to get some input on my situation i had a freak accident in december if 2008 long story short i broke my tibia and shattered my fibula i had surgery that night the end results i have a titanium plate in mt left leg with screws and then screws and pins in my ankle it is almost 4 yrs later and im in constant pain no matter what i do keep it up dont walk on it walk on it motrin nothing helps and then i woke up this morning and im in so much pain i can barely walk at all it ha progressed threw the night and i dont know what i should do when i seen my dr last he said that we wont remove the hardware cause it would be 2 more surgiries and rehab all over again but im starting to wonder if its worth it i havn;t been able to work or do alot of things since this happen plz someone help me!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think you should see another doctor for a second opinion. It's not normal to still have that much pain.

What kind of exercises do you do? Biking and swimming are both good exercise without having to put a lot of weight on the leg. I was still in some pain two years after my leg surgery and started biking for exercise to strengthen the leg. Four months later, I'm at the point where my leg only hurts when it's about to rain, and even then it's not a pain that keeps me from being able to do anything.

[cindiball]

Hello I'm a 40 yr old female, my husband and I were on our motorcycle on the evening of July 9,2011 and were hit by an Suv on the left side. My husband was only going 25-30 mph as we saw the Suv acting as if it was gonna pull out in front of us we were about 15 ft in front of him and he decided to go, I knew as soon as it was over my leg was broken wasent sure how bad but it was broken. The ems and police were there in less than 10 min. I was taken to the er where they started to look over me. I had a visiable broken tib/ fib but my knee was also messed up. I ended up in the or to have an external fixator on which was on for 5 weeks then went back to the or for them to put in a plate and pins. I am now waiting on the Dr to clear me to put weight on my leg.
I am now having alot of stiffness in my knee hope that's normal. Cause o am so ready to be up and back to my life. Er have filed a law suit against the other driver het was charged with failure to yeild.