Welcome to the TPF Home Page.
This page has many useful sections with information, and fellow Tibial Plateau Fracture sufferer stories.
If you’ve recently suffered a Tibial plateau Fracture this is the place for you. This site was created after having myself gone through the recovery process of Tibial Plateau Fractures, and this site aims to contain information you need and want to know during Recovery. You can visit the forum to chat and share your story with others. Or, start reading in the Recovery Section Above. In the different pages you will find a lot of helpful information for your recovery period including medical information, first hand accounts of personal recovery stories as well as many useful tips & tricks. It’s Important to understand that this info is based on personal experience and research but that I am not a medical professional. This site is not intended to provide personal health advice. Your doctor is the professional source of information and if any advice your doctor gives you contradicts something written in this site- stick with your doctors opinion.
If you’re asking yourself how long your recovery is going to take, or what to expect, check out the recovery section. If you’re looking for some helpful tips and tricks from people who’ve been there – have a look at tips & tricks. We also have a Forum with recovery stories of different people Containing many inspiring stories and a place to ask fellow visitors questions.
If you’re looking for a community of people who have been through the same also check out the forum, or if you are looking for more information and references, those can be found in “further reading” which contains links to other websites and pages.
This page currently contains mostly information regarding recovery and recuperation after a surgery or non-surgical treatment. If you are still in the hospital and want to know more about your injury this is also the place for you. In future I might add some useful information for your stay in the hospital.
Hope you feel at Home, and feel free to contact about anything at all at [email protected]
Note: This site is currently in building and so some sections might not yet be complete
Shlomi,
September 10th, 2013
*Note: this website is not intended to provide medical advice. Your doctor is a much better source for medical advice. This information is based on firsh-hand personal experience and research*
How long are you in the hospital after surgery?
Sandy Fila
I sustained my displaced rt. tibia fx on 12/13/14 a little over 1-1/2 yrs. ago when I was 71. A metal plate with screws and some type of “cement” was used to stabilize it into place. I also had a 2 blood clots in my lower rt. calf due to the fall which was treated with a blood thinner.
Since the injury I have had 2 manipulations with 1 debreement to try and get the knee to bend more than 70 degrees on my own. Also ongoing PT, Dyna splint for 3 months within the first year and another home device for 2 weeks which was not very helpful. My PTprovider can force the bend to little over 100 degrees, but it stiffens up within hours. I do daily exercises to try and bend it with a yoga strap as well as other leg exercises just to try and not loose what mobility I have.
I am only able to do downstairs one step at a time. I walk and am able to drive but feel ongoing pain,stiffness of the knee and surrounding area with a feeling of a tourniquet around my knee almost constantly. There is a feeling of “pins and needles” from my knee radiating down to the bottom of my foot most of the time. Quite often I experience lower back pain due to a poor gait walking. My surgeon feels my bending problem is all in my head. I’de like him to have to deal with my leg for just a day.
Before this injury I was doing yoga and was very active biking,gardening, hiking,and traveling which has become almost impossible.
I am strongly considering getting the plate and screws removed as I feel they may be one of my problems and I’m sure I have some scar tissue and adhesions that are causing some of the restrictions with bending.So tired of dealing with this problem. I’de appreciate any suggestions.
It’s been 2 months today since my fracture was able to get surgery because of no insurance,unfortunately. Currently waiting for approval from disability in order to get approved for Medicaid so i may have the surgery. Is it still gonna be necessary. Very concerned
Hello
Here are some side effects is still have after 8 months from my surgery:
Still feels very tight just below the knee. Almost like a rope is tied around my knee. I have a lot of pressure below knee. Also very tight quads when I walk. Still needing my knee ball to fold back into my leg . I have been trying for months. I think it will take a miracle!!
I broke my tibia platuea last Aug 2015. Nothing was done because of a poor decision from my doctor . I did have surgery in Dec . Had to rebreak the bone. My only problem is completely extending the knee. I have been relentless in exercising to build the quads , to bring it down. Has anyone had a similar problem. I’m going on 8 months after surgery
Hello Colleen, I am 15 months post op and still working on my extension. My quads are also poor and this despite doing 100 leg presses a day and doing leg extension 75 times a day using equipment at the gym. I do PT exercise every day too. Not sure of your age but I am 66 and was fit before my TPF.
All we can do is keep working at it. My knee feels like I have a rope tied round it too and I also feel pressure when standing/weight bearing.
Best wishes, Marilyn
Extension has been my main problem as well. I am using a device made by DynaSplint which has been very helpful. There is also a device called an Extensionator that I have used in therapy.Best of luck to you.
Hello Sally, thank you for the recomendations.I live in the UK and cannot find either of these products available here, which is a pity. Best wishes to you, Marilyn
wow, where to start… My experience was probably not typical, so don’t be discouraged. In 1995 I was skiing when I sustained this fracture type in my left knee. I was taken to a local hospital where they told me they need to perform surgery and I needed to stay for several days, etc. Since I was in a foreign country and it was the last day of my vacation, I opted to have them place a splint on my leg and I came home (9 hour flight, ugh).. Upon returning, I went right to he ER and had one of the best orthopedics in the Philadelphia area look into the injury. He performed surgery the next morning. He used permanent sutures to place the broken piece of bone back into place, and then I had the full cast for about 8 weeks. He tried to scope the surgery, but was forced to open the knee up (5 inch scar).
When the cast came off, I expected to jump up and walk away, but my leg was dead from being prone for so long. I started therapy of course, but after a couple days, my knee sort of locked up in a prone position where I could not bend it either way. My next surgery was to break up the cartilage in the knee so it could bend and more therapy, etc. The same thing happen again. By this time three or four months had passed and I was hobbling around on a cane with a leg I could not bend. The Doc told me is was best to wait a few more months before attempting this again to let the calcium content build back up, so we did.
so, the third time, he cleaned up the cartilage and placed my leg in a temporary cast with teh knee bent, so it would not go back to the same way it had previously. After a couple days I jumped right on the CPM machine (at home) every few hours and it all seemed like it was coming together at last. After a day or too of this, I had some of the worst imaginable pain in my knee from all of the stress and trauma it had gone through. Almost as if the muscles were spasming like crazy. I was eating perocet every hour or less, it was crazy. Finally, it started to feel better and I was (and am) almost back to normal. Once in a while now it will ache, or get a bit sore, but quite honestly, I am happy I can walk again after going through this ordeal.
I have skied a few time since this happen, but not for several years after. I guess it’s just something I have to live with now, but nothing so terrible.
Sorry for the long post, but I thought I would share. I do not think this experience is typical. Maybe it was waiting to come home and not having surgery right away, maybe it was just my body, who knows..
Hi all,
I fracturedon’t my tibial plateau on the 15th April and thankfully it hadn’t displaced so I didn’t need surgery. I was in a cast for a month which was awful and uncomfortable. I then moved over to a knee brace with metal support and a hinge limited to 90 degrees range of move for a further 2 months. As of 1 week ago today I’ve been able to take the brace off and full weight bear. Initially I did this but felt concerned my leg was too weak due to the muscle loss so I’m currently wearing a sports brace and it’s helping alot. I’m now able to walk albeit with a limp although my ankle has swollen due to it not being used to the weight.
Basically what I wanted to say to you all is that it does get better over time. I’m 13 weeks on from the injury and I’m driving and walking albeit with a little discomfort but I’m getting there. I’m now swimming to rebuild the muscle and things are looking up.
Chin up guys and gals.
Shane
Hi I fracture my tibial plateau and they put me in the kneee brace with 90 degrees right away what do you think I should do about that go to a different doctor
Amanda, as you did not need surgery (re forum comments) your doctor has I believe followed the correct and modern procedure. A cast would limit your movement and lead to muscle wastage. The brace will allow you to do some gentle exercises keeping your leg muscles active -a positive. You will also be able to work on your ROM too. A cast would prevent this. I know, I was in a cast for several weeks and my muscles are still weak (despite going to the gym and pool dailey) and my accident was 18 months ago.
I wish you well, Marilyn.
I fractured my TPx2 on Jan 27. Had surgery Feb 2. I have a steel plate, screws and a strange chain like device running down my Left lateral leg. Had a blood clot pIist surgery and took Eliquis x 5 months. Since month 3 my doctor has been trying to release me to go back to work. He has not visually watched me walk…move…get up and down. I am a very determined person but I must look out for myself. I was on FMLA and my job extended my leave x 1 extra month but was terminated when I was unable to return to work in June. My life has had many changes. It is still difficult to walk but my endurance is getting stronger. I am a 60 year old RN. My jobs have always required a lot of standing and endurance. I don’t know anyone in their right mind who would hire me at this time. I am afraid that my doctor is going to discharge me from disability in August (6 months post sugery). Can anyone share with me their abilities to return to work after 6 months?
It took me 9 months to get back to work but company i work for has been great.
I just had the plate and 11 screws removed after almost three years. It’s been almost a month since that was done, and today, I feel pretty good, but other days, it’s been a bit painful, and of course, I am very careful. My decision to have it done was based on the fact that I had reached a plateau on the road to recovery, and heard that some folks got more relief after removal. Also, to do a full knee replacement on that leg, the metal would have to come out anyhow. The jury is out on whether it will now get better, but I’m hopeful. My surgeon said it would be at least 3 months before a full knee could be considered after the hardware is removed. The removal is fairly simple, back home the same day, but of course it is invasive, so you’ll have a large incision that must heal. A month of limited activities is recommended, but I do what doesn’t hurt and that’s my guideline. I don’t regret having it removed, but I had anticipated a lot more relief a lot quicker than I’m seeing so far. I might mention that the external immobilizer procedure that was done before the plate was put in resulted in a condition called “foot drop”, which has really complicated things in my case. Much of the pain I have is caused by the foot drop condition which continues to improve. At times, I can’t distinguish whether the discomfort is from the knee or the foot. I’m also 73 yrs old, so there are many factors which could influence your case. Overall, my feeling is, removal is the way to go if the surgeon feels you are ready for it. You will be up and on your feet the same evening with caution of course, I used the walker for a couple of days, cane for a week or so, now walking and healing.
Did anyone remove their plate after 2 years ? How do you feel, do we need to go through similar excercise post removal of the supporting plate in TPF ?
Removed my plate and 13 screws after 3 years. First 3 and a half weeks seemed like it didn’t help at all, two days or more with walker and then cane for a week or so. Now, after nearly a month, it seems to be better with better motion of the foot and ankle. Still a bit sore around the knee, but hopeful and surgeon says at six weeks he will give me a cortizone injection in the knee and recommend therapy. I’ve already returned to doing limited exercizes on my own because the knee and leg are feeling better. I’d say get the metal out, about 70% of people report some improvement, but it’s your decision. By the way, I’m 73 for reference and was very active prior to tpf,,, motorcycle accident.
I am 11 days post-op and noticed today that it hurts around my knee cap! I am so nervous, that its not healing right and also so nervous to get blood clots!!!! Is it normal to have weird pain here and there in the knee?
I get Charlie horses all the time. I also have severe insomnia since my car wreck that caused my tpf. I have now been diagnosed with ptsd which is causing the insomnia. Also I have had a sleep study performed and they said because of the amount of pain I am still in my body never goes into rem cycle. I have been on lunesta and Ambien and neither helped. They said I have to just live with the insomnia for now until they can get my pain under control which won’t happen until I can have surgery to rebreak my tpf and replace the plate and 11 screws. I hope this is not similar to what you are going through because it is miserable. Especially knowing there is no end in sight because my original surgeon is in a different state and no other surgeons want to touch it and if I do find one to accept me as a patient I will have to travel at least 2 hrs away.
Samantha,
I get charlie horses too. I get them at night and they are so sever that I hate to go to bed. What do you do for them? Any one else care to comment on this?
Thanks,. Jim
Yes…the charlie horses! I bought a massager from sharper image I keep near my bed. It takes a few minutes for the muscle to stop contracting with the help of a hand massager. The doctor said to increase potassium. Night is the hardest time for me.
Update: I’m on 6weeks since surgery Plate and 1screw, staples wete removed and still using pain meds, crutches and wheelchair. No weight bearing but hopefully soon. I will also start PT 3 times a week. I had a great Dr and team that got me through this horrible injury. My family support Helped tremendously, having my children help with bathing, toileting, meds and bed exercises. It was something I never thought I would ever need but it showed me that when I needed my children they we’re there for me.
NOW, I can get around in my wheelchair, transfer myself from the bed to wheelchair on my own. I can go and use the bathroom on my own as well as bathe. Its not easy its still painful but I push myself to do it. I get tired if I’m doing to much and my body tells me to slow it down..I’m hoping to be able to drop my son off to college in August. That is my reason and why I push so hard. I hope everyone heals and gets through this painful Injury. My next appointment is on June 27th hoping swelling goes down and that there is no injury to my acl, praying my acl is OK.
I also posted earlier I get Charlie horses n that my friends are painful and I have insomina which is why I’m typing at 3am.
I wish I could get some good sleep.
Hi everyone,
Does anyone get a Charlie horse? Or insomina? I get both and it’s driving me crazy. Help
Hi I had a tpf v high energy in February 15 had a external fixator fitted for 8 months only to find out when removed it had not healed properly managed to go back to work only to support my family as a taxi driver on the ct scan reaveled a hole in the middle of the knee so was back in Durham hospital to have cerement b cement insurted to fill the hole stil 2 weeks on in pain and can’t walk hardly was wondering if any body has had this insurted and what was the out come