*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*
Surviving at home:
- A shower stool will help you shower (link). A garden stool is not recommended, because the plastic leg could bend or slip causing you to fall. The stool should have rubber at the end of the legs
- Always wipe the bottom of your crutches before leaving the shower room.
- If your hands hurt from using the crutches consider getting a crutch with shock absorbers, or ergonomic crutches (link)
- Replace the rubber at the bottom of your crutches if it cracks. this could be a safety issue.
- A gripper (link) will be very useful in allowing you reach, grasp and grab all those out-of-reach items. If you are on a wheelchair you will be very happy you got one.
- Use a big bag or drycast (link) to keep your cast and brace from getting wet while showering.
- Use a small bowl of water and a towel to wash your foott while you cannot wash them in the shower.
- Hinged braces will fit over tight jeans, but wide sweatpants are much more comfortable and will fit right over the
brace. Make sure to get a pair that is wide enough to go over your brace (link). - An electric massager can help relieve muscle tightness and spasms. Use it gently (link).
- keep a set of dishes and healthy snacks on the counter for easy access.
- Use your wheel-chair and a tray for taking food and dishes from place to place. A cushioned tray is perfect for holding with one hand as it rests on you thighs, leaving your other arm free to maneuver the chair (link).
- storage bowls with lids (link) will also work to help transfer food, especially if its liquid.
- Always keep at least one bottle/box of painkillers in your pocket.
- In most areas It is possible to get groceries delivered home, but it’s best if you have someone else do the groceries.
- A backpack (link) is very useful for moving things around while on crutches or going shopping. Just make sure nobody in the shop thinks you’re trying to steal!
- Holding plastic bags while on crutches is not very comfortable
- prepare a library of entertainment. You have a lot of free time on your hands. This is a chance to watch that show you always wanted to watch, all 300 episodes of it. consider registering to a service like Netflix or Amazon prime or similar.
- keep a positive attitude
{adinserter AmazonManual}
Hastening the recovery
- Don’t overdo it. Your body needs rest
- Smoking will prolong the recovery and might cause complications. Try to avoid it.
- Alcohol, Caffeine and salt should be avoided
- Eat well, supplement if you feel you need it. Make sure you eat enough protein(link).
- consider taking a multivatamin. Studies have shown this helps the healing rate and reduces the rate of nonunion (link)
- Do your exercises
- Do you exercises
- This is not a mistake.. Do you exercises
Legal
- Consult a lawyer to understandweather you should be filing an insurance claim.
- Keep all receipts for all medical expenses, and other expenses caused by the injury.
- Keep a detailed log of how the injury affected your life
General
- If relevant, ask for a “disabled parking” authorization from your OS. This can be very helpful.
- If someone offers help, they mean it. You should take their offer.
- A “clicking” or “cracking” feeling in your knee or ankle is normal and are caused by joint instability
- Find a doctor to give you a second opinion
- Talcum Powder is very useful in preventing itching while using a cast or a banbdage
- don’t use long objects to scratch an itchy spot inside the cast or under your bandage. This carries a risk of damaging the skin or surgical wound and could cause an infection.
- When replacing your bandage, make sure to wrap it from the foot all the way up to the knee. This will prevent the edema.
- If you have edema, A medical pressure sock will help. wear it for a few weeks, but not during sleep.
- Drink a lot of water. this has a lot of medical benefits when recovering from a fracture.
- painkiller can cause constipation. Consider using natural laxatives (link).
- Some studies have shown that ultrasound may help bone healing. This is not yet medically established.
- It’s very easy to announce that things are getting better prematurely. sometimes things go up and down and get better before the become worse. Be hesitant to announce to friends and coworkers that everything is OK now.
Hope is was all helpful. If you have any more tips or tricks, post them below or email me at [email protected]
Shlomi
Hi
I fractured mine 11 mos ago. Thought I’d go crazy but only gained abt 12 lbs. you’re prob doing PT now @ week 6.
Swimming is prob good. The more u build up strength , the better
Problem w me is I became a little depressed and am working through that now. Keep up ur protein and stay strong
Thx mickey for the encouragement.
So even after surgery recovery time could be over six months to attain weight bearing ability on my left knee tibial plateau fracture.
Kay
Hi, I am on week 6 of my nwb period, go back to see consultant Tue and hope to be moving forward from then …… I took a redundancy package and finished work from a horrible 23 yr job and started my own business dog walking !! 2 months in I broke my leg…..horses not the dogs lol …… so i want to get back to walking as soon as I can, but im not going to be stupid, I have been and will do exactly as im told ……but when am I going to be able to take my dogs back from a temp dogwalker who is helping me out at the mo !!
Will swimming help me….I will ask the doc when I see him on Tue but I want to do everything to help myself….when will I be able to ride !! lol I know no one can answer that
My friend broke her ankle yrs ago and used one of these electric pulse pad things on her leg, would this help or would it be a waste of money …..im eating all the protein I can…. I tend to eat plenty anyway ….Help !!
Thanks v much Kathy for posting as it was very encouraging to read. I refused surgery, I am 44 and doc recommended physio in my fifth week of recovery for my left knee tibial fracture.
I use fore arm cruthches and passing time resting is being difficult for me.
kay
I had an accident skiing and suffered a bilateral tpf in 2011. I have 15 pins and two plates thanks to a great Bulgarian surgeon. I know it sounds a long time ago but I clearly remember it was a drawn out, tedious recovery – six months non-weight bearing a further three months building up to full wb and getting rid of the crutches. I was 52 at the time and wondered how it would affect me long term. It hasn’t. I work, travel, do yoga and am heading overseas to work again for a couple of years . All that’s changed is I now have scars and sometimes set off security scanners. My tips 1) Get a bag with a long strap to sling over your shoulders to carry phone, painkillers, flask of tea etc 2) The plastic plaster covers mean you can get into the shower/bath – bliss. 3) Take the painkillers regularly for as long as you need them. 4) Physio, physio and more. It was worth paying for some private sessions. 5) Once I started walking I treated myself to some decent, winter boots so I could hear my footsteps and focus on walking evenly.6) Probably the most important thing was accepting I had no choice but to give my leg time to heal. Best wishes to anyone going through it
please suggest- i had tibial plateau fracture and tibia is displaced by 12mm, 3 weeks ago. i havent gone for operation and i think ill be able to heal on my own.
can anyone suggest or give me some tips? has anyone recovered without surgery?
[email protected] please email me or comment on the post.
regards,
Kay
I fell october 25, 2015 and ended up with a sprained medial collateral ligament and a tpf. I’m a 60 yo female with no previous history of falls or fractures. No surgery but in a knee immobilizer brace, now 3 weeks out. Previously very active, so this stinks. Pain isn’t too bad but stiffness is driving me crazy. My toes and ball of my non weight bearing leg are very stiff and numb. And my back is very sore from being in this crazy wheelchair. I don’t know what to expect before they will let me bend my knee or begin some weight bearing.
Hi Ann: I am wondering how you’re doing today after several months of healing. How were you able to get away from surgery? I thought a TPF required it. Was the fractured part not displaced for you?
My wife just injured hers 2 weeks ago and finally had the surgery 3 days ago. She’s generally quite active but now is quite discouraged of course, knowing how long the healing will take and how immobilized she will be.
This site is great to share experiences and ideas and ask questions of similarly unlucky but gutsy people.
Cheers – Jake
Hello everyone. Tons of go information here. This was my first bone break and night in the hospital and surgery in my life all 34 years of it. I am a truck driver and my tpf occurred on the job this past Monday, the 10th of August at 12:14 pm. I deliver creosote polls to co-ops. I had just finished unloading 45, 40′ x 10″ polls and was pulling my outrigger in and the pile shifted and 5 polls crushed my right leg. I ended up drive over 150 miles back to my office location in a standard transmission Mack truck. Went to the hospital for X-rays and they all just stopped and looked at me. The break was a jagged point stabbing me and had several nerves and tendons wrapped around it. Did surgery had some screws and pins installed. I’m home now trying to recover.
My question is. How in the hell do I sleep with this? Are there any tips and tricks for getting comfortable enough to sleep?? Please help.
My best solution was a 3ft by 3ft pillow (who said throw pillows are useless;-)) under my leg, with an icepack that I placed under my knee.. It helped to elevate the knee a little higher, and the icepack somewhat numbed the pain for at least the first few hours.. Definitely didn’t look forward to having to wake up in the middle of the night, but this too shall pass. Good luck, and God Bless you and your recovery!
I quickly became resigned to the fact that I had to sleep on my back which is not my favourite position for sleeping but what can you do? I don’t have one but a bed cradle that keeps the covers from crushing your leg, would be very helpful I think. I’m 8 weeks post surgery and still find it hard to get comfortable in bed at night but always take Panadol osteo before I go to sleep so when I actually get to sleep, I sleep all night.
I have trouble sleeping at night also. my background for comparison – the damage to my knee was pretty serious, which I incurred during a motocross race. the first surgery was to install external fixators and they sliced open both sides of my lower leg to allow for the swelling. even though they would drug me up until I was almost passed out as soon as they touched the knee my pain would go through the stratosphere. second surgery they removed the external fixators and installed plates/screws. since then pain has been better, but I still have trouble sleeping at night. I also have nerve damage and cannot lift my ankle. I experience muscle spasms and sharp pain for short durations that wake me up at night but the frequency seems to be decreasing with time. additionally, parts of my leg and foot sometimes feel like they are on fire. the best solution I have found so far is to place my leg in the cpm and let it run all night. the movement keeps the pressure points down and also adds flexibility in my knee. ask your doc if he can prescribe you one or you could try renting a machine as I don’t think they are that expensive. hopefully this helps.
Our injuries occurred about the same time, although yours much more severe than mine. I fell backward off a retaining wall onto a brick patio. Surgery was not an option. Had severe allergic reaction to two successive pain relievers and decided not to use them.
The first three weeks were the longest weeks imaginable. Could not believe the intensity of 24/7 pain. And I thought about the people who had much more severe injuries than mine, and tried to imagine how they persevered.
Yet have difficulty sleeping at night. Seems like the muscles in the injured leg never quite get relaxed. Most helpful are massaging my knee and leg with a loofa in the shower, massaging same areas with oils after the shower. Ice packs were with me constantly the first 1.5 months. Although I did not find them early on, Chattanooga Col Pak Therapy packs are the best I have used. Bought the 10 X 13.5 size from Amazon, and am amazed how long they retain the cold. First 1.5 months slept with a cold pack inside knee brace. Could sleep 3 hours at a time, usually on my back with leg elevated by pillows. Replaced the cold pack every 3 hours when awoke.
Hoping at the end of this month (11 week recovery) will be able to be weight bearing. Have the go ahead for step/hop walk with a walker at the present time. My question to others, how many weeks does it take to get a more normal gait? Concerns me that this will be a long process, and looking for insights on what helped you with returning to walking. Thanks for any input.
My TPF occurred on Jan 9,2015
I’m an OR nurse and have scrubbed on many of these surgeries. I was SHOCKED to find out my diagnosis. I also was very angry because it happened because the property manager at our condo failed to have our steps shoveled and it was 1:30 pm!
As usual, no weight bearing for 6 weeks w that awful leg brace. I became very depressed due to situation and weight gain! ALL in my abdomen.
Still trying to remedy it but I’m also unemployed and the three things combined made me more depressed.
I did use a step stool in the shower without a problem — the issue was getting in and out! My husband had to bear hug me and lift me. My in laws were like meals on wheels thankfully and continuously dropped off delicious meals. Thank goodness.
I found this site very helpful just being able to share stories w other TPF sufferers. So hang in there everyone. It will improve.
This is a helpful site and I just wanted to share my TPF experience so far with everyone.
I met with a road accident on 02nd June and broke my proximal tibia on the right leg, classified as Schatzker VI: Tibial Plateau Fracture. At the hospital emergency, the attending doc told me that my knee is dislocated and I have a complex fracture. The next day, docs performed Closed Reduction + External Fixator Application which remained for the next 5 days until the swelling on the knee came down. On 08th June, the docs again performed the second surgery to remove the external fixator and secured a 10 holled plate on one of the sides of the tibia. One of the two docs who performed the surgery told me that I won’t be able to get the full ROM and will have some limitation.
I had been doing weight training regularly prior to the injury and had kept my quads in a good shape with 90 pounds of squatting and lunging, twice weekly. When I woke up after the first surgery of external fixation and saw my right thigh, i was literally shocked and felt so demotivated to see that all the muscles (and hard work in the gym) are completely gone and there is only a little amount of muscles loosely hanging.
I got discharged on 10th June with full leg brace for the next 2 weeks for any mobility outside the bed and No Weight Bearing for 6 weeks. I could not move my leg by itself for the first few days and had to assist them to move and lift. On discharge, doc had advised me to do only couple of exercises for the first two weeks which are Quad Setting and Leg Lift apart from Ankle Pumps which I had to do from day 1. While I could perform the Quad Setting exercise with some pain, the Leg Lift was impossible for the first few days. Finally from second week, I got both these exercises going with leg lifting. I had to go through some sleepless nights for the first 2 weeks due to muscle spasms which were really not painful but some irritating sensation of something happening inside the leg and jerking me on and off. From 3rd week, I started adding more exercises on top of the Ankle Pumps, Quad Setting and Leg Lifts. The additional exercises were Sidelying Hip Abduction, Long Arc Knee Extension, Passive Knee Extension Stretch, and Heel Slides on bed. By the end of 4 weeks, I reached ROM of 90.
During 5th and 6th weeks, I increased the number of reps on my exercises and also period of hold between each rep from 5 seconds to 10 seconds. When I met the doc at the end of 6 weeks with an x-ray of the progress, he measured me at 110 degs of knee flexion and said that I am making a good progress and asked me to continue on no weight bearing till end of 8 weeks after which I can go on partial weight bearing.
Right now, I am on 7th week and continuing my exercises with some additional exercises added. I have also reached about 120 degs of flexion now and hope to get the maximum flexion by end of 12 weeks. Right now I do not have any pain and able to move around my leg freely though there is still some amount of swelling around the knee joint which is slowly reducing. I am confident of getting past 130 degs ROM. Also, I have resumed my upper body workouts in the gym (without disturbing or weight bearing on my injured leg) and also relying on the scoop of whey protein and 3 egg whites post the workout which is showing some improvement on my quad muscles.
So, the difficult period to pass through is the first two weeks after which you will see good improvements subject to your eating well and exercising regularly to a schedule. If you are someone who is going through the early phases of TPF, hang in there and follow the tips and information on this site which is really good and helpful.
On July 3rd, 2015 at the age of 47 I had my tibia fracture operated on. There was only one screw put in ( I joked with the doctors that the screw can’t be from China–whoever does home renovations gets that joke ) so I consider myself lucky. My question is : Why am I so tired? It has been 12 days now and I am exhausted.
Found this site when looking for different types of braces, it is very informative. I also find it includes a lot of info on knee injuries:
http://www.knee-pain-explained.com/knee-brace.html
To help ease the stiffness in my knee, when trying to bend it, I experience pain especially behind it. Ive gound deeply massaging my injured leg reslly helps. In fact I now keep my fingernails very shortly trimmed so I can massage my tendobs behind my knee. I have been using some okive oil & lavender essential oil. I first pour a small amount of olive oil in my palm & spread this evenly on my injured leg, focusing on the area that was injured. Then I add about 10-12 drops of lavender oil all around the area and massage this in very deeply. I do this 3 x’s a day. I also vigorously massage my thigh & calf musles w my palm, whenever it feels stiff, this works well. Just remember to not rub hard on any bone – massage/rub muscles, soft areas only.
Since Ive been on crutches since Easter, Ive found that a large canvas tote bag that I can hang from my neck helps me carry light weight items from room to room. Ive also moved the bar stools between couch & kitchen eat at bar, this way if Im in the kitchen, I set a drink/cup of coffee on the bar, crutch over to opposite side of the bar, set the drink on the barstool, then sit on the couch & retreive my drink. The totebag & positioning of the bar stools have allowed me to do somethings on my own.
Hi Maureen
I had my my tpf in June 14. I found that my knee was swollen and incredibly painful. I couldn’t walk very far at all. I saw my consultant and they suggested removing the hardware. That was 3 weeks ago. My knee is less swollen and j could instantly feel that the metal had gone. I had an arthroscopy done and bone removed. I do not need a knee replacement yet but they said that I would probably need one in the future. My leg is less painful to walk on and the surgery was no where near as bad as you can weight bear immediately. Prior to my 2nd op I thought the pain can’t be any worse so I thought it was my only option. I’m pleased that I did it even though I’m still in the early stages of recovery, good luck Catherine
I had my op a year age with metal and screws etc, my leg is deviated and is still painful to walk, they are
talking about 2 more ops to take the metal work out and then a knee replacement. Has anyone experienced this? Im wondering if its worth having done, I am very limited in my walking as I am now.
Thanks for all your tips