If somebody would have told me 7 months ago that I would be back to business as usual, I would have stomped my one good leg on the floor and exclaimed, “You’re a dirty rotten liar!” Then I would have cried and begged someone to make me a cocktail to drown my sorrows…because crutches!
But guess what? For the most part, I’m back to business as usual. And 4 months of crutching got me like…
I was finally able to get back into a kayak this past February. I felt comfortable enough that if we tipped I could swim. And it was a great core work out. However, getting in and out of the kayak wasn’t as easy as it used to be. But then again, NOTHING is as easy as it used to be, but it sure beats laying on a sofa for 15 weeks. Yup, I’ll take pain and discomfort over being immobile any day of the week.
So if you’re just beginning this journey, have faith that you will get back to your usual life activities one day. You just have to bide your time. This injury can make you feel like you’re watching paint dry and waiting for a glacier to melt. Boring and loooooong. But one day you’re going to wake up and have both feet back on the ground again.
However, I can’t promise you that you will be back to your extreme sports, hell, I can’t even run 10 months out, but you will be back to normal daily activities. I also don’t want to discourage you if that is what you’re aiming for. Don’t forget the human mind and will are a powerful thing. Lindsey Vonn is a perfect example.
Watching Lindsey Vonn compete in the Winter Olympics in South Korea was amazing! If you already didn’t know, Lindsey Vonn suffered a tibial plateau fracture on her right leg in 2013 and in 2016 suffered a left tibial plateau fracture, neither of which required hardware surgery for the fractures, but that didn’t make her recovery any less harder just because it wasn’t surgical.
After one of her down hill competitions I remember one of her interviews. She literally said “My will is stronger than my body.” Man, that really resonated with me. That girl is a powerhouse! Much respect Ms. Vonn.
April 8th, 2018 put me at the 10 month post op mark. Wow! I’m almost at one year guys. I see my orthopedic surgeon on April 24th and I’m hoping he says the magic words I want to hear. “We can take out the hardware now.” I’ve given it my all with rehabbing this leg. I cycle at least 3 days a week at work on my desk cycle and walk when I get home from work as often as I can.
My leg muscles are still lacking as far as comparing to my right leg. Especially my quadriceps muscle. It’s been 6 months of walking unassisted and building muscle and rehabbing this leg, and I still feel the hardware no matter what I’m doing. If I’m just walking casually around the house, it’s not so bothersome. Being that walking is kinda my thing, it’s gets really painful walking for more than 5 minutes.
I feel like there is a vice grip around my knee and someone keeps tightening it. I get shin splints while walking also. I don’t let it stop me, because then the injury wins. I push through all the pain and discomfort. Why? Because I refuse to let this injury dictate my life.
I’m still not running yet either. I can do sort of a gimpy jog, but running just isn’t in the cards right now. I’m setting a plan of action in motion and I hope to achieve my goal. It could be weak muscles that are preventing me, or even fear of falling, or not trusting my leg enough to hold me up. I know that I’m still healing and have faith that I’ll be able to run again someday.
I still struggle with stairs as well. Going up and coming down isn’t fluid at all. When I go up I can feel the muscle weakness in my quad and need to hold on to the banister for support and aid. Coming down is a bit easier than going up. I have to be in my bare feet too. If I’m carrying something heavier than 5 pounds, I’ll usually do the nonalternating ascent and descent. It’s just too risky at this stage in the game. Everything from my lower back to my ankle creaks and cracks coming down the stairs.
It feels like I’m complaining but I’m not. I’m extremely grateful I can go up and down compared to the bum scoot that I had to do for 13 weeks.
There is something else I want to talk about. Recovery timelines. Just as unique as our injuries are, so are our recoveries. Don’t use someone else’s recovery as a bible for your timeline. Doing that can automatically set you up for failure. Don’t let your orthopedic surgeon set your timeline either. The one thing I’ve learned throughout this recovery and my tibial plateau fracture support group is that our surgeons are experts in fixing our broken bones, but they don’t have a clue as to what is involved with this recovery. I’m sure there are a few surgeons out there who are a bit more educated as far as recovery goes, but generally speaking, this isn’t their area of expertise.
That’s why you’d better have a great physical therapist. Or research PT exercises online for this injury. Not everyone can afford a physical therapist, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do your own PT at home and recover just as well as anyone else who has a physical therapist. Ultimately, we can have the best PT in the world, but if you’re not putting in the hard work, it’s fruitless.
A recovery timeline can’t be attached as a one size fits all with this injury. There are so many other factors influencing our recoveries such as prior health history, surgical vs nonsurgical, ligament damage, attitude, etc. You can certainly use the overall experience of people with this injury as a guide, like I did in my support group, but just keep in mind you will be on a different recovery plan, because even our surgeons have different individual care plans when it comes to this injury.
For instance, if your surgeon tells you you had better be bending your leg to 90 degrees by a certain time period postoperatively, my advice to you is to explore the “whys” with your surgeon. I’ve seen it time and time again, just because we aren’t bending our knees on our surgeon’s timeline, doesn’t mean it’s not going to happen. You see how that can set us up for feeling like a failure and thinking we are never going to heal correctly?
Let’s say your surgeon wanted to do a Manipulation Under Anesthesia (MUA) because you weren’t bending your leg on “his” timeline, but you decided to give it a few more weeks and got to your goal on your own schedule. Yay you! If you hadn’t waited, you would have had to have a needless surgery. I’m not advising not to do it, I’m just saying explore other avenues with your surgeon before you jump into another surgery that you need to recover from.
That’s why I say our surgeons are experts at fixing us, and most really don’t have a clue about how hard we work to get through our recoveries. They see us intermittently throughout our recoveries spread out over weeks if not months at a time. My surgeon never once communicated with my physical therapist. I even asked my PT if my surgeon requested my PT records and my therapist looked at me quizzically and said, “No he never asked. We typically don’t communicate with them unless there is a problem.” Huh, come again.
I find that kinda weird, being that PT is such an integral part of recovery. And it’s not that I don’t like my surgeon. My trauma surgeon was great! He did a phenomenal job fixing my leg and he ordered me the proper amount of physical therapy. He just never asked about it. That’s why you have to be your own advocate for your recovery.
Don’t forget, even though generally speaking our surgeons have our best interests at heart, they are also running a business and they are in the business of making money by performing surgery. Just keep that in mind and weigh all your options, do your research, and weigh the risks vs. benefits before you jump into anything that you don’t feel comfortable doing in your recovery.
I’ll keep you all posted on my next OS follow up visit. Happy healing TPF friends!
So glad you are recovering well! I’m prepping myself for surgery on Friday and already know that I’m going to be putting in a lot of work physically and mentally. Thanks for continuing to post updates
Best of luck on your surgery. I hope all goes well. Stay strong, you will get through this!
Hi Sherri, thanks for your updates! I am just a few days past my one year surgery anniversary. It has been a life changing experience this year. I am grateful for the things i can do, but still so many things I can’t. My leg from the knee down is not straight, I am told it is not uncommon after TPF. I still limp and like you stairs are difficult. We just had our first grandchild and I can only sit and hold her…I can’t walk with her or carry her. I continue to use my recumbent bike, walk, and do my daily exercises for flexion and extension and strength. Most days my attitude is positive, and it helps so much to hear about your recovery and that of others. The only mention
of further surgery was maybe a knee replacement, but I am so not ready for that yet. ???? Thanks so much for your updates, they are so helpful!
Hi Janelle. Congratulations on your first grandchild! What a blessing. Believe me, I don’t want to make it seem like I don’t have frustrations with my recovery, because I do. But we have two choices, give up or keep on keeping on. Happy continued healing!
Hi Sherri, I am currently two weeks post op from my TPF so it’s in that awful stage, tough times ahead but I am lucky to have fantastic support from my wife but the inclusion of a 7 month old baby in the mix meens she is stretched bless her. Your articles have made for very educational and most importantly education reading thank you very much for publishing them. I’m confident and ready for the challenge ahead!
Hope you are progressing well still.
Kindest regards,
Bryan
Hi Bryan. I’m so sorry for your injury. As tough as it is on us with this injury, our caregivers bear a heavy load as they help us recover and pick up all areas of slack because of our injuries. And yes, I’m still recovering and know this injury can take up to a few years out to continue making the gains we lost in those few seconds of trauma. I wish you a blessed recovery.
Educational and Inspirational reading that was supposed to say.
I love these updates so much! They’ve been so encouraging for me. I’m a 42 year old guy. I was hit by a car while riding my bike March 8, 2018. I had TPF surgery March 9. I’m six weeks out and doing really well, considering I can’t put weight on my leg yet! My range of motion has gone from 55 to 137 in three weeks! PT is going well. And I have an appt. with my surgeon April 26 to talk about partial weight bearing. There are so few blogs out there on this topic. I have so much appreciated reading about your journey. It’s helped me immensely. There’s light at the end of the couch-only tunnel! Thank you and congrats on 10 months!
Neil, I’m so sorry for your injury. How traumatic to be hit by a car while out for a leisurely bike ride. You sound like you’re doing really well. Believe me I searched the dark corners of the internet to find blogs and personal experiences and only found a few. I read them over and over during my recovery! I wish you a continued blessed recovery. Hope all goes well at your next OS appointment. Oh, and LOL at the end of the “couch tunnel.”
Thank you for your blog! I’m 7.5 weeks out and have my good days and bad days. Today happens to be one of the bad days where I feel like I will never walk without a limp again. I am a health care professional myself and know how long it takes for a broken bone to heal. However, when it’s your body you feel as though the timeline should be fast forwarded for some reason. I finally made it to 1.5-130* but can’t seem to find those last couple of degrees of extension. Somehow it’s easier to second guess everything and wonder if you will ever be back to the physicality that you once were.
Prayers of healing to everyone here!
Angela, I wish you all the best in your continued recovery. Thanks for your comment.
Thx for this blog. I am now 4 mos past my TPF ….also hit by a car on Feb 4th, 2018 … hit while walking my bike across the street at a crosswalk at a major intersection. This has been the absolute worst experience of my life. I went for a beautiful February day bike ride and 15 minutes later ended up in an ambulance. Four broken bones in the same leg and hard getting to a good “new normal” but I’m trying…
When the car hit me he was making a right on red and did not look back my direction. There was nothing I could do but brace and protect my head as I fell. My first thought was that I had a broken hip and I do still have a lot of hip and back pains but they say nothing broken. I also am walking with the gimpy walk and I hope that will get better with time. I am a wife and mom of five that went from living a fast paced lifestyle to everything coming to a complete stop! I’m not one to sit around and watch tv. My nights were long and painful in the beginning too. I’ve pushed the best I can but my recovery hasn’t gone as fast as I had hoped. I started back to driving a couple of weeks ago. I too feel the hardware and wonder if my surgeon will remove it some day as well. Side steps are almost out of the question and present a bigger weakness for me. Working to get stronger. Hope everyone can get back to themselves soon! Thx for sharing your journey.
It is reassuring to read other people’s experience with TPF. Had my accident 1/10/18 and surgery 1/12/18. So in my 8th month of recovery. about 2 months ago I felt I was finally making progress. Then took week vaca at all inclusive in cabo, after attended a conference both requiring lots of walking. Felt like I regressed several steps backward. Anyone experience this? Slowlly I feel I am rebounding, but has taken almost 7 weeks. Kept up PT 2x per week with at home exercises, this is just so much work!
It does make me feel better that there are others who understand and can offer their support. So my main question right now for those with experience is it common to have thses relapses?
Hi Betty. I’m sorry you have to join us in this awful TPF injury, but yes, know that you are not alone. I have set backs all the time. When that happens I just rest and pamper my leg. But then I’m like, shoot I probably should be rehabbing this leg! It’s such a complicated injury and always has us guessing from one day to the next. Even with having partial hardware removal, my leg still gives me grief. It feels better with the metal out out that which was causing me pain, of course, but it doesn’t resolve my stiffness and general aches. My leg still feels weird when I walk even at 14 months PO. I wonder if it will ever feel “almost” normal again, but only time hold the answer. This injury is the gift that keeps on giving and comes with a side of WTF! I wish you all the best in your continued recovery.
Hi Sherri!
Thank you for providing this invaluable information. I am 54 and almost 4 months post- op. Feeling depressed as I can’t really walk without pain. I live in Canada and am at times frustrated by our system as I have received little info from the OS with respect to walking normally and pain free. I am also switching physiotherapists as I have made little to no progress in weeks. I have pain and pins and needles in my calf and foot which worsens when I walk. Do you have any tips for me ..ie alternative therapies or exercises which you found were beneficial? Thank you for the great info— I realize that I am just going to half to be patient and maybe not expect to ever be completely normal again!
Thank you for this- it is good to know there are people who really understand what this injury means and how life changing it is . My family do not understand and expect me to be walking as if it was a simple fracture . Friends suggest I drive over . They have no idea. I have been finding it very depressing as I live alone and have had to do most household jobs myself- with difficulty! It is totally exhausting. Again no one seems able to understand why it takes me so long to do stuff. I cannot get them to read any literature about it… They compare me to hip replacement and ACL and don’t u derby and why it is taking so long. It is very upsetting. No Physio yet 8 weeks after surgery- I couldn’t get there anyway as I can’t drive. Trying very hard not to get depressed( by playing Don’t worry be happy mostly ) I wish surgeons would give family a booklet explaining things… Thank God for my little dog. She is there with me and follows behind me step by step as I go up or downstairs. We go slowly round the garden several times a day so she can get fresh air . It seems eternal this process but every day I try to make one small change or progress. I am finding it hard not to be hurt by family leaving me to cope alone for so long though.
Susan,
I’m so sorry you are having a rough time. I remember those days. This injury can be so isolating and seems to cut us off from the world. I hope you know it’s not always going to be this way. I’m so thankful I didn’t lose a leg due to my injury or because I was thrown off a horse and landed hard on my back that I didn’t break any vertebrae or worse…become paralyzed had I landed on my head. It really made me open my eyes to what people with severe disabilities go through. Those were the thoughts that kept me going. And you’re so right, very few people grasp the realm and complicated recovery that comes along with this injury. It’ not just another broken bone. Yes, we heal…in time, but the mental and physical anguish we endure can put us in a dark place. I really hope things improve for you and I’m glad you have your dog to help you through the sad and lonely times. I wish you all the best. You’re going to be so much stronger when it’s all said and done.
I’ve yet to find a comment about bending. My TPF was 4/23/18. (skiing). At 61 years young, it was my first injury, ever. I believe i got poor guidance as far as p.t. (my surgeon told me not to MOVE. Three weeks later at follow-up he said, how come you’re not moving). Then i received at-home inept p.t. I was naive, armed with zero information and education about p.t. As of 11/6/18, i was finally at 80 degrees (thanks to a wonderful doctor in Florida). As of mid-November, I limp unassisted. I’m doing my own p.t., because i just don’t know where to turn. (Sucky insurance part of the problem). Pain has never been an issue for me. I simply have a cinder block where i used to have a knee. I remain swollen. Like another writer here, my leg is crooked from the knee down. i walk in pools; do an easy step-climber; lots of leg lifts, tightening the quad, daily. Today I even tried a little walking lunge action. I am dedicated, rarely down in the dumps (I just can’t go there, I like life too much) but deep down I’m scared. And of course sad about the loss of sports. A couple of awful results of my lack of good p.t. and range of motion early on, I have severe osteoarthritis/porosis in both legs. The foot of the TPF is also arthritic. (Still no pain, just very stiff). My leg and foot were blue/purple for months after surgery. Nobody was concerned. ANYWAY, can anyone relate? Thank you, Diane.
Yes most def can relate. Please no squats or lunges EVER!!
LOL Diane. I can squat and lunge now! Four years out and I’m doing things I couldn’t do during the first couple of years of my recovery. Hang in there! Wish you all the best.
Hi Sherri,glad I found this post! How far out are you now and how’s your current condition? I’m 8 mos PO and struggling with the stairs yet. Wondering at when you were able to do them without assistance? Doing PT several days/wk and that’s my biggest issue. No skiing or shoeing for me this year.
I am 18 months post op from TPF. I started PT 10 days post op and even after a month I was stuck at 88 degrees flexion. I have the best PT ever but was resistant to the manual bending that was necessary to progress; it was scary and uncomfortable. Once I let the bending ( and straightening for extension) process happen and some of the scar tissue released, I made steady progress and am currently at 142 degrees, more than we ever hoped for, or need. I went to PT twice a week for several months. Luckily I have good insurance. My leg was crooked but it is noticeably straighter with time. I still exercise to get stronger and to stay flexible, my knee does tend to be stiff at times and I do have a small limp, some days more than others. I still check in with my PT every couple months. I can’t say enough how important both my PT visits were and my exercise that I did (still do) at home daily. TPF is a nasty injury with lots of post injury issues, I am glad I got past the flexion issue. Best wishes to you who are still struggling with it and thanks Sherri for this website!
Hi All,
My name is also Sherri and I suffered a TPF skiing on 2/16.
Surgery was 3/1, a plate and nine screws.
I am NWB until at least my next OS visit on 5/16.
I’ve had some at home PT, but will not receive any further and will go to our patient PT once weight bearing, hopefully right after 5/16 appt.
I am currently doing ROM exercises and wonder if anyone has a good resource/list of at home activities I can do to improve my outcome.
I am in an unlocked Bledsoe brace and use a walker to get around. I am 53 years young and this has been very difficult for my husband and extended family.
I am totally bummed out. I know God will help me, but the journey feels like eternity right now.
Hi Sherri, echoing all the thank you’s for your blogs re TPF. It is so hard to find info on it, and to hear other peoples recovery stories is reassuring. The feeling of tightness around the knee is weird and even mentioning this to the Physio got no response from him! It feels like there is something heavy tied around the top of the tibia, from other comments it seems I’m not alone which was good to know. I’m 8 months post op (fell over in my garden on concrete) and now the proud owner of a plate and 7 screws. I still can’t get the leg fully straight, I’m still working on it, although the bending is around 135. My limp is exacerbated somewhat as my other ‘good’ leg was dislocated back in the 80’s and I have a drop foot due to severing the nerve. I’m walking around the office and home without crutches now but still using one if I go for a longer walk. I’m trying to build up distance and speed and stamina, but there is still a lot of pain involved. But every time I get downhearted I just think back to when I couldn’t get out of the house, or walk up or down the stairs I still need to use one hand on the stair going up and the banister for getting back down. I’m practising with the last couple of steps down to go hands free! Or how I can now carry something in both hands. Every little victory and achievement seems a step toward normality again. I’m back at the gym and trying to do as much exercise as possible. To all of us, keep on hobbling on!
Can’t believe how much my recovery is a mirror of yours. Depressed at 6 months as doing more but pain is bad and by late afternoon want to cry and give up. Walking for any length of time at best not comfortable but then pay the price later. Sore leg back hips. Thank you for helping me thru this
Hi Sherri
I had my TP accident 2-22-19. Also tore my meniscus and MCL. Interesting timing in that I’d had foot surgery two weeks prior on the same leg. Also interesting is that I was injured in the lobby of the facility where my foot surgeon”s office is located. Was there for my 2 week post op check!! My knee scooter hit something slick and it just shot out from under me. They had me up to the Doc in no time.
Luckily I was splinted instead of that X Brace thing. Had to wait 2 weeks for surgery. Lived in my recliner with a portable toilet near by. Thank God my wife took time off to do everything.
It’s been a little over 5 months since surgery. It’s cetainly been life altering to say the least and the pain…WOW!’
My foot and ankle swell awful With little effort on my part. This really sucks as it slows down the progress of my therapy. Can’t wait to be walking without a walker or cane.
Your story gives me hope and confidence in my efforts to get better.
To all those reading this… Im sorry your having to deal with this awful injury. Best of luck and don’t quit.
Hi Sherri
I broke my fibula and have a tibia fracture as well, This happened on June 11 of this year. I did have surgery and I have a plate and three screws. It has been 11 weeks and I see the surgeon on Sept 3 to see if I can weight bear. I like you had taken walking for-granted. I am encouraged to hear about your recovery. This has certainly been a long haul I am a very active 61-year-old and this is certainly depressing. Thanks for your encouragement in your journey.
Shirley
Reading about your experiences has really helped me. I tripped on the last two steps of my staircase and broke the tibia in two spots one on each side. I have 2 plates and assorted other hardware. You are so right when you speak about frustration and isolation. My friends just can’t understand why even 5 months out I am still unable to walk without a cane and my knee is still swollen and stiff. I feel like I have a peg leg and I can only walk for short distances before fatigue and pain set in. I can see progress from when this whole experience began but it is so slow. My physical therapist has been the most important part of my rehabilitation. Just want to be able to go outside and pull a weed from my garden. I just want to be able to do everyday activities. Had to cancel my trip to London for October. I do have a new appreciation for those who are disabled and I appreciate the little things more than I used to. I had no idea how long this journey would be. I am trying to be patient and stay positive. I wish everyone who is going through this all the best. Thank you for your sharing your experience with TPF. It has helped me to know that I am not alone in this. Take care❤️
Has anyone ever had tibial plateau fracture with no surgery? My 90 lbs plus dog ran into my knee on July 5, 2018 and was in a leg brace with no weight bearing for three months. Lost almost all of my left glute muscle. Still can’t walk without limping. I am 55 and also just got diagnosed with moderate osteoporosis. This past week, I tried walking longer and today my knee is so painful. I have been working with a PT for the past year as my butt is so sore. Got my butt back but don’t understand why the knee gets so sore. I am concerned they missed something or I did something to it. Very depressed and freaking out. Scared that maybe they should have done surgery. Any suggestions? Thank you.
I had no idea this blog existed til today 6-1-20 when I was looking for post-op complications of TPF.
I too was slammed into by my 75# dog at the dog park. 1plate & 9 screws later it was been a journey that I wouldn’t wish on anyone. 3+ months of an immobilizer, non wt bearing for longer and not bending my knee for that period of time. Balance was an issue for a while too. I am 71 and this happened 11-3-19. I can’t walk very far for very long and I’m now having ankle issues. I was supposed to see the PA in 2 days but because of the virus I suppose, my visit has been changed to a phone consult. I was beginning to think I was a wuss but no longer feel such after reading all of your experiences with this type of fracture. Stairs are still an issue. I can alternate going up but not going down. I need to hold the railing and use my left hand for balance of sorts against the opposite wall. A couple of months ago I guess I overdid when I had a day and it was feeling good and did more walking than usual. Paid for it for the following 3 days. Everything in moderation I’ve learned. So I will continue to do my exercises and not expect a fast recovery because it doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen. The surgeon said 6-12 mon. before you’re back to normal. It’s already been 7 mon., so I need to be patient and not get depressed which I have at times. I wasn’t used to having people wait on me and have to hire house cleaners and a dog walker. Losing your independence is such a challenge to me as it is I’m sure to many. Good luck to all of you and I understand what you’re going thru. I’m in the same place but in time it will get better. In the meantime, I guess it’s grin and bear it. Hopefully no one is also dealing with the coronavirus.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the posts. I am recovering from a tibia plateau fracture. I was pulled off a porch by a 70 pound dog. I landed on my left knee and shattered it. I had an external fixator for about 9 days. Now I have 11 screws, along with something that resembles an erector set in my left leg. I spent 20 days in the hospital and another 13 days in a rehab center. I am happy to report that after 6 months I can walk with a cane. Your postings help me more than you will ever know. One day I think I will be just fine and the next my knee hurts and I feel I will never heal. Never give up!!!!! That is my motto..,,,thanks again for your blog…..it really helps😃
How comforting it is to know that other folks understand the complexity of this injury. I fell off the loft ladder landing on my left leg last September. It was such a stupid accident and shoudnt have resulted in the amount of damage. It completely shattered the top of the tibia and tore ligaments in my ankle. The surgeon was convinced I’d at least hit a mountain side skiing but no. So I ended up with 7 screws and a titanium plate. So here I am 10 months on walking about 5/6k each day during lockdown more than I could have imagined. I too have good days and bad days . Sometimes the leg feels sore especially when I’ve been standing for too long. Also I experience that feeling that my leg is in a vice like grip. One bit of advice the surgeon gave me was to do whatever the leg can tolerate then rest it and carry on , and for the most part it seems to work. Sometimes I come to grinding halt I can now walk up the stairs without the use of the bannister but need to hold on coming down. I look forward to my appointment in December to discuss whether or not to remove the hardware. It’s difficult to tell if the pain and stiffness is due solely to the hardware or not. Will it be worth more surgery and possibly more time on crutches non weight bearing that I have to say has wrecked the tendons in my hands so much that I now suffer from trigger thumbs on each hand . It’s a difficult decision to make. Any advice would be most welcome. Thank you.
Denise, not everyone has be be back on crutches post hardware removal. In fact, most are full weight bearing post hardware removal. I was full weight bearing in recovery. While all surgeries are serious HWR doesn’t compare to ORIF surgery. So while we all have unique injuries and recoveries. I recommend asking your surgeon if you will be weight bearing post HW removal. Most of us who have had our HW removed maintain it was the right decision. I definitely feel that way, but it’s a very personal and difficult decision, especially if you factor in other health issues. I wish you all the best in your continued recovery.
Thank you Sherri that’s most helpful and very encouraging.
Hi I am grateful for this blog/thread/community. I fractured my TP 6 months ago. Got a plate and 3 pins. Got off crutches after 3 months. I am an athletic, healthy 52 yr old female. My surgeon said I’d be back to regular activity by now. I have a 6 inch scar, and hard lump about the size of a golf ball, near the scar. Sometimes when I walk it feels like I have a deep cut, I get an ache, and sometimes sharp pain near that lump. Is this the hardware? I have been walking, doing some PT, pilates, ballet moves, etc. but I limp, walking ALWAYS hurts. I try to make my gait normal, its hard, I often don’t want to bend the leg, I swing it out from the hip instead. I wonder if I should push through the pain, or rest every other day. I also wonder if I should try to get the hardware removed. I don’t want to get cut into again, I also don’t want to hurt like this. Am I going to get better? Should I get hardware removal looked at? Should I push through the pain or take a day off in between exercise days? Thanks in advance!
Hi Sebastienne. So sorry for your injury. It’s still so early in your recovery, it’s hard to say if it’s your hardware causing the issue. This injury takes a very long time to heal from. I still get pains in my leg when I walk, and I don’t think that will ever completely resolve, but I’m used to it.
I’d give it at least a year before you decide if it’s your hardware causing the issue. I do encourage you to seek your surgeon’s opinion on removal. It was a great relief for me to get some of my hardware out.
I always say, let your body be your pain guide. If you feel you need to rest a day between exercising related to extreme pain I say do it. If it’s just mild pain, the I recommend powering through.
I wish you all the best in your recovery!
Thank you for your posts. I have been recovering from an open reduction internal fixation surgery since June, and there is such a lack of information on an injury like this. Your posts really helped me not feel alone and gain some reassurance.
Grace, I wish you all the best. Hang in there! I’m still making gains 3.5 years out.
Hi there…I had TBF surgery with plates and screws on July 6, 2020. Your description of vice grip is exactly right. After walking for long periods of time I get shooting pain that concerns me. I, too, have rehabed but my quad is not as strong as the right leg. My phyical therapist said he wanted to ‘graduate’ me after 2 solid months of therapy. How long did you do it or did you do it mostly on your own? Also, I continue to have swelling in the knee and in this age of 8 hours of Zoom calls my ankle swells badly too. Was the surgery to remove the hardware easier? Thank you!
Hi Marci. I’m so sorry for your injury. I had a total of 3.5 months PT. My therapist only wanted to see me once a week. He would guide me through exercises then have me do them at home. So to answer your question, I did most of my PT at home. It’s still fairly early into your recovery, give it time, the swelling will subside at some point. Maybe try to elevate your leg if possible. I used an office chair under my desk and propped my leg up for several hours during the day. It really helped to control the swelling.
Yes, the surgery to remove my hardware was SOOOOOOOOOO much easier and less painful. Recovery time was easier as well and my surgeon had me walking post op with no assistive devices.
I wish you all the best in your continued recovery.
Today marks five months post collision with a young, fast moving shepherd at the dog park.
I did not require surgery for a tibial plateau fracture. Bless all of you who did! However, the descriptions of prolonged recovery including stiffness, swelling, fatigue, good and bad days are so familiar. I am so thankful to have found validation through this thread. Thank you so much.
Wishing you all the best Annette.
Hi All, I am a 74y/o woman who had an electric bike accident and surgery with ORIF for tibial plateau fx 7 months ago. Recover has been progressing till I developed pain in the joint with walking. I have been very aggressive with PT at home daily, both floor and bike. Probably overdoing it.
Anyone in my age group in this blog??
I also feel the hardware but am concerned about removal and the recovery.
Great to hear so many positive outcomes be they all – two steps forward and 3 steps back –
From what I have been reading it is a LONG recovery, I just hope I will be able to resume my ” almost ” normal outdoor life.
I did buy an electric tricycle to get me off the hill we live in the country, getting out and about is wonderful
Smelling fresh air after 3 months off leg was wonderful
Wishing all the best Gabby. It is a long recovery and hoping you get back to your active outdoor life very soon.
I had emergency Tibial Plateau surgery February 3, 2021. I fractured knee in 7 places from a snow skiing accident. Hearing about everyone’s recovery stories has helped. I am an active 66 year old and had PT for 3 months after being NWB for 3 months. I have been walking, biking, stairs a little hard still and leg aches, ankle swells but overall pretty good.
All of a sudden though I am having a sharp pain from the point of injury down my shin bone. So bad when it hits I cannot walk. Has anyone experienced this type of pain. Thank you for this blog..it has helped hearing everyone’s story.
Thanks for sharing your story Nancy. Hopefully you’ve consulted your surgeon regarding your pain. I get shin pain from time to time but it usually resolves itself with rest.
Wish you all the best in your continued recovery and hope you get to the bottom of your pain issue and get it resolved.
My accident was March 16, 2021, when I fell out of a tree, off of a ladder with a 10 foot pole saw. I broke my right heel, my left tibia in 2 places and shattered my tibial plateau so they went in and put a metal plate under the plateau with 6 screws going down my leg. I was bed-ridden for the first 4-5 months, which was extremely hard to handle both mentally and physically, but thankfully I have been able to live with my parents and have them there to help me every step of the way. I am now about 10 months post op and still having to use a cane, have issues with stairs and still have throbbing/aching pain in my knee, and sometimes it almost feels like one of the screws catches on the bottom of my knee cap or something. Definitely a life changing incident, but for the most part I’ve tried to keep a positive attitude and try to keep on keeping on. My main problem is my work and other people not understanding why or how I’m still “recovering”. I just get so tired of trying to explain that this wasn’t a simple bone break, it’s literally one of the worst injuries you can insure! I even had a coworker say that I’m faking it in order to get out of certain work duties, which is just beyond frustrating to me. My boss keeps insisting that I get a new doctors note (which is a standing order) that explains my limitations in more detail because he doesn’t like how “broad” of wording my surgeon and Physical Therapist wrote my work limitations letter. But anyhow, I’ll keep on staying positive and trying to move forward as best as I can with the hope that one day I’ll be able to do more normal things that I enjoy 😊
I’m very pleased to have found this thread because I also suffered a tibial plateau fracture in a bicycle accident 4 1/2 months ago. I broke my tibia and fibula but they have both healed very well and I am walking around two hours a day without the age of a walking stick. However, the knee continues to be the main problem and I can only bend it to about 90°. I’m hoping that the next stage of my physiotherapy will help me achieve better range of motion in my knee. I hope that others will gain inspiration from this blog, and perhaps, like me get a better understanding of the problems which other patients are facing. One thing I learned during my 10 weeks in hospital was that there are many other people who are much worse off than me. I will continue to check back on this thread. Thank you very much.
You’re very welcome. It takes time for your ROM to come back. I’m still lacking just a bit, very minimal like I barely can touch my bum with my heel. I have to stretch it and it is uncomfortable, but that is still a win in my book!
I wish you all the best in your recovery.
I live in Michigan and had a ski accident in Colorado in April 2021. Had emergency surgery on right leg. Tibial plateau injury. I now have a rod, metal plate and 9 pins in my right leg and once back home had a pin put into my left thumb as well. Had to live with my sister for 2.5 months until i could walk again. Did 6 months of PT on m y leg 3 days a week, and OT on my thumb for 6 months/3 days a week. In another month it will be a year since my accident. I still feel pain sometimes in my leg, and still have a limp at time depending on the weather and the day. Go for massage regularly, helps a little. Chiropractor helps a little too for hip alignment. However, it still doesn’t feel like my old normal leg and probably never will. I had a very severe injury I am told. They say the hardware will never be taken out. I am told down the road may probably even need knee replacement. Who knows….lol. But it has been a LONG road. I did go back to work a month ahead of schedule though. Progressed from being bed ridden for a month then a wheelchair, then walker, then a cane. Never used crutches. But….very long recovery. I am told it could take a year and a half for my recovery before I am to my new normal. Seems endless for an injury that took a second to happen! But….I am getting there. still cannot run or hop on it. I can kneel with caution. Scar is nearly gone in one area of the incision…it is incredible….thank you Colorado surgeons that are used to this kind of injury/surgery. Hang in there everyone…it IS a long road but you will walk again and for that I am thankful. I could be paralyzed right now. You can and will do this!
Also forgot to mention that my pain is not actually in my knee…it is more down the right side of my shin along the rod i am assuming. My leg doesn’t lay as flat as it used to, although I am told that i can actually hyperextend my leg when i stand to where it would flex back further than most people’s. So now it is really as straight as most people when they stand…but next to my other hyperextended straight leg it does look a little different…not as straight.
Jackie, so sorry for injury. Yes, it’s a very long recovery but I can say that almost 5 years out from this, I’m doing great and I don’t dwell on it like I did on the early days of recovery. Each year has gotten progressively better, and for that I am most grateful.
It definitely has been a long journey, but one that has taught me many lessons along the way and for many which I am grateful. Mainly, that I was able to walk again I was so afraid I wouldn’t be able to. That fear was valid but also so many of us had had this injury and we almost all get back to a “new normal” life.
Wish you all the best.
Sherri- how lucky for me to stumble (no pun intended) upon your blog. It is inspirational, hilarious at time (like the WTF factor) as it is informative. I am 61 super active (before) Mom of 3 sons and grandaughter 3 1/2 who is fascinated by Gigi’s “owie”. I am 3 1/2 weeks post-op closed TPF suffered skiing (last run of the day) in Colorado. Stupid slow twisting fall after I hit a hole in flat light. I heard the POP and figured it was a ligament. I was in some denial about this injury until I saw the concerned look on the PA’s face who X-rayed me the next day. She said, “I’m so sorry this happened to you.” Meanwhile I’m thinking, “so what, it’s just a broken bone.” Nooooooo way, sister. Shit. Fuck. I had to wait about a week for surgery and that was one rough night in the hospital as I refused a dose or two of the IV narcotics. Thought I could do it with Toredol. Bad idea people. Take what those angel nurses want to give you. And ice, ice, ice baby. That helped the pain. As a previous poster mentioned, the Colorado surgeons are quite adept at TPF repair, especially in the resort areas of CO. I chuckled at your teeny crush comment about your OS. My OS is like 12 years old (not really) but I could totally be his Mother. Anyway, he has commented on how tough I am. (If he only knew the mental gymnastics when you are sitting on your Ass watching terrible TV and news.). Like you, I have an amazing partner- my DH who has been through some knee trauma himself from football, but nothing like this. He tells people I “blew out my knee” which I bite my lip to prevent myself from educating him about the gravity, severity and rarity of this injury. I do it out of self preservation. So a couple questions for you- how did you stay slim and fit during your recovery? I am very committed to protein shakes and lots of vegetables and eggs for health amd being careful to ensure I do not go to a bad place of snacking or drinking although I crave an icy cold Stella or Rose I must admit. That can wait til my b-day in June Ive decided. I am hoping OS prescribes PT in May at my 6 week check. Your comments about the OS being focused on their handiwork is indeed SPOT ON. At my 2 week he said he’d consider PT for me “if I need it.” I about wet myself on the exam table. How can someone with a TPF NOT need PT? I cannot imagine healing from this and walking at all not to mention without a limp without some serious professional PT and follow up at home. I had a total hip (same leg as the TPF) in 2020 with about 10 sessions of PT (not always fun but effective) which helped tremendously. I plan to go back to the same therapist- we have amazing PT in Colorado. I am very happy to read about your journey and glad you are doing well 5 years out. Your stories and those from others are helpful as I recover from a recliner we ordered from Wayfair for the sole purpose of recovery. I know “this will pass” but it sucks in these early weeks when you really think about it. My son graduates from college soon and I am hoping for the stamina (or coffee) to make it through the ceremony and dinner afterward. I feel like time is standing still right now. When I get frustrated, I find that taking a shower, putting on some makeup and and remembering what I am grateful for does help. Anyway, I will do the work, but want to know if your under the desk cycling thing helped you stay slim by burning some calories and where you bought it. Thanks again for your blog and to the others who commented!
Hi Susan. I’m so sorry you had to join this crappy club. But it’s great to know we’re not alone right? I wish you all the best in your continued recovery. I don’t know if you went on that post graduation dinner outing, but if it’s not too late, I recommend a wheel chair to sit at the table. I made that mistake once early on in my recovery and man I learned my lesson.
To answer your question as to how I stayed slim, I can’t really answer that. The only exercise I got during recovery was doing PT exercises. As crazy as it sounds, I actually lost weight during my recovery laying on the couch. It wasn’t like I watched what I ate. I mean I tried to eat foods that would heal my bones, like a lot of protein and salads etc but I think because our bodies are trying to heal that they burn mega calories. Which happened in my case. I was also somewhat fit when I had my accident because I had been walking about 2 miles a day prior to my accident.
I didn’t necessarily get the desk cycle for losing weight as much as I did for rehabbing my leg while I was working. We retired the cycle to the attic for now and realize that both me and my boyfriend have knee issues and may need it again at some point so we hung on to it for now. I purchased my desk cycle on Amazon and left a link in one of my blogs on where you can purchase it. I’ve also seen another brand at Target as well.
Funny as it sounds, a few weeks back I was was loading my kiln in the garage to fire some pottery and my shorts snagged a pin on my kiln lid and I got caught up and stumbled in my flip flops and broke my damn toe! LOL my boyfriend was in Mexico on a business trip and the weird thing is, I just went about my life as usual! I didn’t even go to the ER. I taped it to another toe and went on with my life. I kept weight off it as much as I could because, yeah a broken toe still hurts, but nothing in comparison to a broken knee amiright? LOL it’s much better now but still feels a bit owie here and there.
I wish you all the best in your continued recovery. Hang in there, it gets better.
Sherri, I love your blog. It gives me hope! I took a fall off a ladder cleaning debris from my roof. Ended up Type VI TPF, and plateau fracture with diaphyseal discontinuity. This happened exactly one week before Thanksgiving 2021. ORIF was horrible and I wish I would have known about your blog sooner! Everything you say about how hard it is to bath, to use the commode, to do anything! I have 2 large dogs and we run 5 miles a day. I had to fabricate a tether out of unused dog leads, scoot my butt and one dog at a time to get them to potty. You turn into McGyver with this injury. Plan every move as I wheeled around on a shop chair. I’ve been a runner/hiker my whole adult life and this was horrific. I am now 4 months post op. 3 plates, 12 screws and a bone graft and one heck of an ugly scar! It looks like the Eiffel Tower. 2 days ago, I took my first hike. It went incredibly well except for downhill. Stairs are my enemy. I’m a 49/YO woman extremely healthy otherwise. Don’t ever give up!
Babs, I’m so sorry for your injury, but it sounds like you are heading well and coming along great. Hang in there, it gets better.
Mine was the first week in November! I fell on rock hard ground while trying to mount my horse! I’m 70, and I’d consider myself very healthy and very active.
I actually had a similar fracture on my opposite leg over 10 years ago, but I didn’t need surgery, and was much easier to heal. I had my surgery 2 weeks after my injury so I’m just at 7 months, and it’s been hard work!
The one thing that gets to me is I now look knock kneed for some reason. I’ve read that this can happen, but I never see anyone bring it up.
Stairs are getting better for me, but first thing in the morning I’m stiff. Good luck to you!
Hi Anne, so sorry for your injury but glad to hear you’re on the mend. I obsessed for a bit over how my knee and leg looked compared to my good leg. After a while, I just accepted it for what it was and think the my obsessing over it made it look worse in my mind than what it actually was.
Wish you all the best in your continued recovery.
I’m another one who just discovered your blog. I’m 70, and 7 months out from surgery.
Mostly, I’m doing great, but I’ll admit that lately I’ve been discouraged and a little depressed. I’ve worked really hard to do my PT exercises every other day (I found that every day could be too much). I’ve always been very active, and it’s hard having to slow down.
I’m grateful that I’ve been able to ride my horse again, but it’s harder in some ways than it was, and I get tired a lot faster. (I get tired a lot faster in general since this injury.) I didn’t expect everything to heal quickly, and I was figuring on at least a year. Now, I see that it can take years!
My surgeon never said anything about eventually removing the hardware, although I have read about other people doing that. I sometimes wonder if the hardware is what causes some of the discomfort?
And, where did you find a support group? I could really use that, although I’m going to make an appointment with my psychologist—my husband doesn’t need to be the one listening to me complain!
I appreciate the reality check, and it is helpful to know that the things I’m experiencing are normal for this kind of injury. Thank you.
I found the support group on Facebook. It has been renamed to All Tibial Plateau Fracture Recovery- Surgical and Non Surgical.
Perfect timing to discover your blog and range of other tibia casualties and recovery stories. Mine is fresh just happened, hopeful to not have to have surgery (I pray)! Sad to hear the length of recovery and challenges associated for so many. I send you all healthy healing energy and pray mine will be to regain full use and can be back to my active lifestyle soon! I’m a healthy 58 year old who experienced a nasty skiing wipeout as a newbie skier who’s also super independent and lives alone, it’s a big bummer and I know now from reading this blog I have quite the journey ahead.
Update! Distal hardware & screws coming out next week. So grateful. 14 months post op. Thank you so much for your inspiration and positivity. My first goal is to run since I turned into a puffer fish due to lack of normal activity for me. It will be amazing to not have that metal smacking off my ACL/kneecap. Take care!
Where is there a tibia plateau recovery support group?
Hi Michelle, it is on Facebook. I believe they changed the name to Tiabial Plateau Fracture Recovery Surgical and Nonsurgical. Hope that helps and I wish you all the best.
Sherri….the FB site has been AWESOME for me….thanks for mentioning it.
Hi! I’m an active 76 year old mom and nana who fell down some stairs last Thanksgiving evening (Nov. 24, 2022) as I was saying good bye to my grandkids as they were leaving! Thankfully, I was in the U.S. at the time (my hubby and I retired to Nicaragua) and I had decent health ins. Anyway….they put an external fixator on my leg for about 10 days then did the surgery inserting the plate and numerous screws on Dec. 5. I can honestly say I have never ever experienced such pain in all my life (childbirth seemed easy after this). I truly thought I would never walk again and even the pain meds only helped a bit. All I did in the hospital was cry. After three weeks in the hospital and 10 days more in an awful NURSING HOME/rehab, I was able to be at my daughters a few days before Christmas, thank God. Well, here I am at 10 months out and walking again like a semi-pro! Not without pain, but more or less bearable. I’m still stretching my leg daily as the nerve pain seems to never go away nor the popping when I bend my leg. My OS mentioned offhandedly when I saw him, that he had to put the nerve under the plate and that I tore both meniscus….maybe this is why it still hurts? Also, the shin of my leg is about 90% numb, weird, right? I also get sudden sharp pain behind my knee occasionally, which actually stiffens my leg for just a minute….you think this is just normal? The holes from my external fixator on my tibia seem to have healed onto the bone…..not a real problem, the two holes just looks weird. Anyway, at 10 months out, I still have difficulty going down stairs…I try to do 2 legs but the right leg just doesn’t want to bend down far enough so I’m still doing one leg at a time going down stairs. However, I CAN do both legs going up stairs but mostly holding on to the railing until it starts hurting then I sort of drag myself up the last couple holding on lol…. I walk around town with a cane just for stability and balance as the streets and sidewalks here in Nicaragua are very uneven. My OS never said anything about removing the screws etc so I’m thinking at my age I’ll die with it all in place. I have been extremely concerned about the aching and stiffness but finding your site here, has helped me to realize I WILL get better and better as the months go on. I know at my age I have arthritis in there too so I look to the ibuprofen for that little relief. Thank you so much for your site and for all the posts from people suffering from the same injury. Now i I feel much better as I know this is a damned slow process and I’ll bet by my anniversary date in Nov., I will be even stronger. Btw, I have found the most wonderful therapy for my leg has been swimming in a pool! NO PAIN at all in the pool while kicking my legs and stretching….it is the very BEST therapy. I thank God for you Sherri and for all the folks that shared their stories….thank you, my depression is lifting🤗🥰😘
It is like you have written my story. Thank you for sharing.