Orthopedics :: MIPO (Spiral Comminuted Distal Tibia And Fibula Fracture)
Apr 18, 2014
Last February 11, 2014, I fractured my leg (distal tibia and fibula). My doctor calls it Pilon Fracture. Spiral comminuted fracture of the distal tibia and fibula involving the articulations.
February 15, 2014, I went through MIPO (minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis). 4 weeks(March 11) after the operation, my doctor advised me to put some weight on it and so I did. 4 weeks(April 11) later, I had an xray and it appears like nothing's changed from my 1st x ray 4 weeks ago. I tried to put more weight on it but surprisingly, it doesn't hurt nor caused me any discomfort.
How long does a distal tibia and fibula fracture that went through MIPO heal? Exactly when would I walk again without my crutches?!
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I broke my leg on the 21st September 2013, and it has now been broken for 15 weeks! I have a spiral fracture to the right tibia, and the doctors decided not to operate. I had a full leg cast for the first 8 weeks, and then went onto a half leg cast, fully weight baring! At first I could only put some of my weight through the bone, and would rely mostly on my crutches, but recently I have been able to hobble around with using no crutches at all - I only do this when i'm inside my house as I would still not rely on my bone fully to steady me. But in the last week or so, it has started to ache more, and it had completely stopped hurting before I am scared that I have put to much weight through it and damaged it again! The pain isn't that bad, it comes and goes and i only take paracetamol to make the ache go away, but it really is worrying me! I don't yet know when my cast is due off as apparently the doctors said my bone will take 4 to 4 and a half months to heal, but by my x rays he said it could be a little earlier! I am a 19 year old girl at university, doing a practical drama degree, so as you can imagine this has been a nightmare for me & I was so hoping I was nearing the end! It seems ever lasting! I'm just wondering if this pain that i'm experiencing now is normal, or if i have possibly done something to damage the break again! I am just panicking because i so want this to be over now i've come 15 weeks and i don't want to go back to square 1
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last year on 30th November I had an accident and resulted my right leg both bones tibia and fibula are broken “ just above the 5 inches from the ankle”. I went to a hospital which is located to near my home and met doctor , after watching my x ray doctor said its a compound fracture nd asked me to have an road fitment surgery. As me and my family was not having any experience about any fracture so my parents decided to meet more doctors for consultation.
They forwarded my x ray to some more doctors and one of my relatives references 1 doctor replied in this case we don’t need to have an surgery. Me and my family was believing into that if Doctor is saying there is no need for surgery then why should go for surgery by our self.
We followed this doctor , and he treated my leg with the help of “C ARM Machine” technique and the given alignment treatment to my broken leg by pressing hard by his hands many time . he casted my leg fully with the plaster and asked me to meet after 2 months.
After 45 days of my accident i went to that hospital which is located to near my home for x ray , suddenly that doctor( who suggested me road surgery) came in front of me and i met him and shown my latest x ray. He replied i asked you to have an road fitment surgery ,now as per your x ray your bones alignment is done properly, may be your leg can fall on land wrongly and may be i cant walk in right shape like before and may be will give you pain for long time also. He asked me i still can go for surgery...he made me confused fully......i hate this
I was worried....after 2 months ..i met my doctor again and told him everything and said some other doctor is saying this....he have seen my latest x ray( 2 months xray) and replied everything is perfect , there is only little angle difference and that may not result you all these things ....its acceptable. He said that doctor is misguiding you and want to make money through surgery only. There is no need for surgery that's why i did this best treatment for u, even your bones alignment is almost about 85 % and it cant be more better than this through this manual process treatment.
I was panic thats why very next day i went back that hospital’s doctor and asked him to do road fitment surgery and shown my 2 months x ray , this time he taken his step back nd replied its 2 months passed already now don’t go for surgery it may not give that much of good results as my fibula bone is already healed. He said there are few chances only ...or may be everything will be alright also......he made me so confused....i hate this......
So i trusted again my old doctor nd decided to follow him nd next day went back to him...he cutted my old full leg plaster fully and casted new plaster till my knee only...he asked me to move my knee slowly slowly by using sitting on chair, he told me i will feel some pain because my knee is not in working mode for past 2 months...he asked me if i want to walk then i can use crutches by pushing my broken leg little up.
Now 15 more days has passed ...totally 10 weeks ..........i don’t know whats going ...i am trying to move my knee by some exercise nd it was paining in the starting .....but slowly slowly its moving better nd pains little when i start exercise for first 5 minutes only .
Still i am worried internally ....i want my leg as before ...don't want to walk in any wrong shape...i just recently got married nd having my full life ahead.....kindly tell me how much more time it will take to heal completely...and when i will be start walking normally....plz give your comments about alignments of my bones also...i m attaching my 2 month x ray pic in my profile , want to attach in the main body but not able find this option
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Dec 2012 I broke my fibula in 1 place, my tibia in 2 and shattered my ankle.
I have had 2 surgeries and currently have one 10 inch plate, one 12 inch plate and 19 screws in my leg.
I realize I am only 9 months into recovery. My surgeon and pain management dr both have said the typical recovery is 18months to 2years or longer.
My question is this.. can the screws become infected or have issue at this point in recovery? While the majority of the pain is obviously deep bone pain, I have no feeling on half my leg and the other side the nerves go crazy and fire at random times.
However the last month I am feeling this weird pressure high up on the tibia plate where 4 screws are located. It is definitely warmer than the rest of the area and a small swollen area.
I still have major issues walking and stretching, but the last few weeks the largest area of discomfort (besides the ankle which is always there) is high up on the tibia where I mentioned.
I saw my surgeon two days ago and he said x rays did not show any issue with hardware and it is probably just my bone and muscle getting used to walking again.
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I have broken my tib and fib -(think it's called a bimalleolar fracture?) I did it on a pair of high heels at Xmas party, stupid or what? I climbed up one step and it was gone over, my future for next however many months mapped out for me I a nano second! I have the usual metal plate and screws like many of you folk in here. I had my cast off on Monday and went to a physio today who advised me to not use the airboot and "try " to use just the crutches in the house and airboot outside. I a m confused as the consultant at the hospital said keep boot on for two weeks then ditch it AND the crutches. I am really confused, I want to push myself but don't want to do any damage. I am so down, fed up and FRUSTRATED? I have been given exercises from the physio man which he said to do every couple of hours and push through the pain as he said it needs to get moving ASAP. My ankle is so swollen, STIFF and painful. I just don't know what advice is the best? I am 49 WAS fit doing spinning, gym, swimming and lots of classes.
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On April 30th of this year I broke my Fibula & Tibia in a work related accident. They had me in a External Fixture for four months which meant I had to hop around on one leg using a walker (My youngest likes to run around so I refrained from using crutches)
Now over time three of my toes (the middle ones) were starting to curl down, which I suspected was due to gravity just messing with me, but now I've been able to just have my foot on the ground for a while and to no success they remain curled.
Now when my foot is non weight bearing I can stretch my toes (By hand) just fine without it giving me too much trouble except for the fact it will slowly go back to position.
When the foot is planted on the ground the toes are way harder to straighten... Anyone have an idea what's going on.. The doc keeps telling me it will be fine and my therapist says it's something she's never seen before and can't really explain it.
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On January 31, I fell on ice walking my dogs and fractured my surgical neck of my arm and have a very large spiral fracture down my humorous. Initially the pain was pretty bad, I struggled with sleeping, but after day seven it started feeling a little less painful. But then I met with orthopedic again and he put me in a plastic brace to help align the bone and now the pain is almost unbelievable. The only thing I am taking is Tylenol because any kind of opiate makes me very nauseous, and I have a history stomach ulcer so I cannot take Ibuprofen. This whole ordeal has been a huge struggle for me to go from a very active person to sitting in the recliner all day long. I am alone also most of the days because my husband has to go to work. It's been really hard for me not to become overwhelmingly depressed. I'm dealing with the guilt of not being able to go to work as I am a supervisor of a program. In addition I have four animals that are being neglected because I don't have the energy and stamina to do anything with them. Not being able to be self-sufficient is also extremely saddening to me. It is hard for me to see the future when when the orthopedic is saying it will be at least six weeks before I will start seeing some changes. I have tried to keep my mind occupied with things but all I want to do is get better. How has other folks dealt with the pain, the lack of independence and the feeling of being cooped up?
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After surviving the longest MN winter ever, and being extra-careful out on the ice, I tripped on my stairs INSIDE last Thursday. My initial concern was my throbbing left shin, but the right foot ultimately won out, sending me to my GP on Friday morning. X-rays were performed and the fracture was discovered. I was placed into a moon boot, warned that surgery "might" be necessary due to the location of the fracture, and sent home sans crutches, knee walker, or anything else, to await my consult with the orthopod on Monday.
During the vast expanse of free time I had, I rediscovered this site and many others, and also emailed my cousin who is a physician, and managed to get myself totally confused as to the best course of action concerning the healing process.
Long story short, orthopod said fairly clean (though spiral) fracture, very minimal displacement, and recommended no surgery, NWB for two weeks, and a follow-up x-ray on the 17th to see if any bone 'tackiness' is evident (judging from what I have read, this seems highly unlikely).
My concern now is that practically ever since the fall, I have had little to no pain in my foot while bearing weight on the moon boot. My MD cousin said, as did some posters here, that weight bearing stimulates healing and bone growth. So... not to second-guess my ortho, but I am wondering whether I am doing myself and my foot a disservice by NOT putting weight on it. It seems to be getting stiffer and sorer (when I gingerly test my weight on it on occasion) ever since I have started using the crutches and the knee walker. Am I doing the right thing? Is the ortho being too cautious and conservative, or am I being too impatient and skeptical?
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On Feb 7th I was involved in a pedestrian vs auto. I was the pedestrian hit at about 45 mph and had multi system trauma. I had a right comminuted displaced proximal Tib Fib Fx which was repaired with an IM rod. I have a lot of knee pain, leg pain, and my knee pops in and out. I still have a lot of pain and difficulty walking at times. It is painful to extend my leg. Is this to be expected? Do you ever remove IM rods?
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I thought I would share my story and healing process as I am recovering from a ladder fall from about 8-9' up onto concrete in November, 2014. I welcome any and all advice and hope my story and (hopefully) regular updates on my own progress will help others who may go through this same event.
On Nov. 30, 2014, I fell from a 10' ladder as I was trying to hang a Christmas wreath above my front door like I had done for the last 14 years! I tried doing this without my wife spotting me on the ladder and, when I reached to try to hang one of the wreath wires, I lost the center of gravity on the ladder and had no option that didn't involve me likely killing myself other than jumping off the ladder onto the concrete patio below. I was wearing running shoes and, after landing and gathering myself after a couple of minutes from the shock and immediate pain, thought I might have ruptured my right Achilles tendon. After inspecting the back of my heel, though, it was apparent that the tendon was still intact and I then realized that I likely had broken at least my heel bond (Calcaneus) as I could not tolerate even the lightest touch on any part of the bottom of my injured foot. I was home alone and had to hop into the house to retrieve my cell phone, spraining my good left knee in the process.
A trip to the emergency room and an x-ray later, it was confirmed that I had suffered a Calcaneal fracture.
I was 57 years old at the time of my fall, just two weeks shy of my 58th birthday. I had gotten in pretty good shape over the course of the year, having gotten back to a regular gym routine and running with frequency, as well. I am 5'11" and weighed around 195 lbs. at the time of my injury. My ideal weight is likely around 180-185, so I was at least 10-15 lbs overweight at that time.
After finding the best qualified orthopedic specialist in the area (he is a part of the top ortho group in the area and is the only surgeon in their 12-15 member practice group that does NOTHING BUT foot and ankle surgery. Lesson #1 learned: Find a surgeon whose practice is all but focused solely on the foot!! I have complete confidence that I could not have found a better doctor to do this surgery in my area (Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas).
I had a CT scan performed a week after the injury and after some of the swelling had subsided - it showed a Comminuted Fracture (essentially shattered into three large pieces and many smaller). My surgeon could not have stressed enough how important it was to keep my foot elevated above my heart in the several days prior to the surgery and told me that, had I been much older, surgery might not have been advised due to deteriorating circulation issues in feet for patients over 60 years old. This was, in fact, his major concern throughout; namely, that adequate blood supply would allow for healing of the surgical wound required for the surgery.
I had my surgery on December 11, 2014, and stayed overnight in the hospital. My surgery involved an open lateral incision on the outside of my heel with the insertion and fixation of a titanium plate and eight screws that extend nearly all the way across the width of my reassembled heel. Because my subtalar joint was also severely damaged in the fall, my surgeon had advised me that a fusion of the Talus with the Calcaneus was likely after he visually surveyed the cartilage and he did, indeed, also proceed with this fusion procedure which resulted in about a 5" long screw being inserted from the very back of my heel near the base and extending into the Talus bone above. I was told I will lose most of my lateral flexibility in my foot but should eventually recover most of my front-to-back foot flexibility.
I had been given a nerve block after surgery and felt no discomfort at all until the nerve block wore off the next evening. When that block wears off, it does so with a vengeance! I took Oxycontin for the next couple of days, then switched to Hydrocodone for pain and Naproxen Sodium for swelling thereafter. I got off the HC as quickly as I could (3-4 days later) and still take naproxen on a regular basis to manage the lesser pain and swelling.
I will follow up in the next few days with my thoughts on my recovery progress and outlook since then - I know this post may have some overkill from a factual standpoint but I wanted to include information that I personally would have liked to have known in reading other threads.
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My kneecap was smashed into more than 10 pieces and was a displaced fracture. I had surgery on July 26th involving pins screws and figure of 8 wire to rebuild my kneecap. I was in a straight splint for two weeks and then a two piece cast with an adjustable steel brace. I spent the first 4 weeks with the brace set at 30 degrees then 60 degrees and 90 degrees for the final 4 weeks. I'm into my 5th week without the cast and I am walking unaided with a slight limp. I go to physio every week as well as doing my own exercises at home and finding it frustrating that I can only still bend my leg 100 degrees, it seems to be stuck here with no signs of improvement. Has anyone out there suffered the same injury and fully recovered? Would be nice to know if there is light at the end of the tunnel.
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My 6yr old son suffered a bad comminuted fracture to the tibia whilst on a bouncy castle. He was initially placed in a full back slab for a few days but was then meant to be changed to a full lightweight cast. Unfortunately the doctor deemed it far too unstable to mess around with and so has been left in the back slab with a full cast over the top. Its been on 2 weeks and has another 4 to go AT LEAST. i'm really worried about his recovery as he already had low muscle tone and hip instability.
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I fell 2 1/2 years ago over 14 ft. My foot was injured extremely bad and it was almost amputated. I have had two surgeries and have progressed nicely. Now I am having incredible pain on daily basis.
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I faced an accident one month ago and broken my tibia and fibula of right leg... i was operated with a rod surgery.. a rod and 3 nails were placed.. please tell how much time it will take to recover... and after how much time i should go for a xray...
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I'm a 22 year old male. On March 18, I broke both Tibia/Fibula bones in my right leg while playing basketball. The fracture was diagnosed as a displaced oblique fracture of the tibial shaft. The break is located fairly close to the middle of the bone, maybe just a little closer to the ankle. I had surgery on March 25, where an IM rod was placed in with two pins each above and below the break. Three weeks after surgery, the orthopedic surgeon told me it was okay to bear partial weight on my leg using crutches. It is May 5 (6 weeks post-op), and I have been walking around using my injured leg with the assist of crutches for the past two weeks. I have also been loosening my knee/ankle, and using foam rollers to loosen up muscles in the injured leg. I have no serious pain, just small amounts of swelling throughout the day. I was just wondering if weight-bearing on the injured leg is okay considering it is an oblique fracture. Is it normal to put weight on a fracture so early after post-op? Also, when do most people who experience a fractured tibial shaft begin to start driving again?
Thank you for any advice and help in advance.
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I broke my ankle 3 weeks ago now by rolling out wards stepping down a step I broke my tibia and fibula think it is a bimalleolar fracture? I had a half cast on for a week then a full cast and after a week put into an air boot. I have struggled to put weight on my foot and still need the crutches but tonight examining my ankle I've noticed I still have lots of bruising and swelling on the able it also looks deformed like a bone is sticking out prominently and feels hard to touch there is still pain and I also can't bend the last three toes on my foot.
I'm really concerned this isn't normal and the ankle isn't healing properly or the cast was taken off too soon does any one have advice? There was concerns I would need surgery but was given the all clear last Friday. I've also been discharged by the fracture clinic for no follow ups which I thought was also strange.
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I broke my tibia and fibula while playing soccer 7 weeks ago. I had an IM nail and 4 screws put into my tibia. I recently had my full leg cast removed at 6 weeks, and the doctor told me I could start partial weight bearing (25-45 lbs).
My question is, when the doctor said 25-45lbs, is that because that is the most that my bones can take? Or can my bones take my full body weight at this point? Is my doctor simply taking into account the fact that my joints and my muscles will be very atrophied (which is true)? So can I simply start bearing my full body weight as soon as my joints and muscles let me?
I also got a walking cast, but I do not enjoy using it. Do I have to use it? I can just be careful when I'm outside.
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I meet with an accident on 24 sept and and my left leg broken both tibia and fibula at the lower end and I gone through a surgery .
It is almost 12 weeks now I want to know that my doctor is telling to remove one screw from the upper part of the rod. Is it a good decision or not as my broken bone is not yet joined totally and there is a pain at my toe also.
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I broke my Tib and Fib near the ankle on January 18 (two days before this post) and it's been ok. When it itches I use a blow dryer in cool setting to blow it, and apply ice to it every few hours. I'm trying to keep it above my heart, but it is very uncomfortable and I can't find a proper position. It's a little tight around my ankle, but it's manageable. Any tips for me guys?
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About 7 months ago I broke my femur, fibula, and tibia in a MVA. These past 7 months have been brutal to my mental health for the reason that I led an active lifestyle. So I've been through tons of PT and home exercises, bike riding in the past 4/5 months to try and get back my normal life. I've progressed tremendously. Been to the orthopedic doctor also and he said my bones are looking good and were pretty much healed. That was about a month ago.
If it's useful I have a rod from my hip to my knee with 6 screws in it. Then I also have a three inch plate down on my fib/tib with some screws in it as well.
So my question is, when will I be able to start skateboarding again normally. I've been a skateboarder for ten years so I do know what I'm doing. I can "ride" my board quite well. Anytime I start trying tricks though my lower leg has pain from the impact of jumping.
Is it just a mental and physical block from my body that I have to slowly progress out of or does there need to be more time before I start going at it again. Maybe because my lower leg needs some more time?
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Background: I suffered a closed spiral fractured tibia and fibula about 1/3 up the leg in a skiing accident exactly 6 weeks ago. The fibula has a bone fragment at the break and looks as though two points of the fibula are touching with the fragment rotated 65 degrees in place. After IM nailing the tibia and leaving the fibula as is, I was put in a walking boot and given crutches, I ditched the crutches after the first 2 weeks and have been in the walking in the boot around my campus slowly but surely as instructed. I'm 21 years old and was fairly active (gym, basketball, skiing regularly and some occasional running). At 4 weeks, I started physical therapy for mostly range of motion of the ankle and some small exercises for thigh muscle. My first X-ray will be this week and the Orthopedic Surgeon ideally wants to take my boot off at the 7 week mark. I have been doing everything I'm told my Surgeon and in my PT. My goal is to be able to sprint/run/jump as soon as possible and at least by next year. My ankle is still swollen (not bruised but swollen), I would say I have maybe 30%-45% range of motion and my knee gets tight if not active for awhile, but no pain usually unless I walk A LOT during the day, which feels like having very bad growing pains with soreness.
Questions:
1) Generally is this the speed a usual Tib-Fib fracture progresses in terms of recovery?
2) My Surgeon tells me that fibulas will "heal on their own" and that "They are not that important anyway" even with the fragment, but if my fibula doesn't show signs of recovery should my boot still come off? Or should I seek a second opinion/surgery?
3) Could my early ankle ROM exercises have impaired my fibula healing process?
4) How important is a second opinion if it eventually looks like the fibula is not healing? (I believe my surgeon would tell me to take boot off and walk or just wait for healing to start)
5) Generally how long is it before someone like me is able to do leg curls, swats, leg lifting, and distance running again?
Thanks for reading! Lmk if you have any questions or comments!
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