Compound fracture of tibia and fibula recovery

G’day everyone from Australia!
I’m pretty glad to find this page, I had a car accident two months ago and fractured my tib/fib and also fractured my c4/c5 in my neck. After having bone removed from my hip to fuse my spine, and this leg op all at once I’ve only just realised the severity of the situation, the pain in my knee and ankle has been very strong but I’ve forced stretches and exercises everyday and have regained full range of motion (still on crutches). I have lots of extreme physical pain in neck, nerves and leg but it doesn’t make me flinch anymore, it’s the mental battle that I’m petrified of now, but reading other people’s experiences is some sort of antidepressant. I hope everyone is positive and recovering well !
Aaron

Hi Aaron,

Thank you for posting and so sorry to hear about your accident.  It is definitely helpful to hear others discuss their experiences.  

For myself, I could never even start to imagine being immobile for so long (I was in bed with my leg lifted up for 5 months until my back went numb, and for the first 2 months I couldn't move anything except one toe), and giving 1-2 years of my life to the injury.  But when it happened, I feel that I wasn't as depressed as I thought I would be.  First, the pain keeps you from wanting to do anything.  As soon as the pain started going away, I started to get anxious about going places, even thought I counted.  I focused my time and efforts to doing research about getting better.  I was looking so hard online for some statistics, and guidance for my situation and couldn't find it, so I started this topic to get first hand experiences.  It also helps to actually work if you can.  I worked from home the whole time and it helped me feel some sense of accomplishment and also kill a lot of time.  Otherwise I don't know what I would do.

It's great news that you gained all the motion in your leg.  Its been a year and 3 months for me, and I still don't have 100% range in my knee and ankle.  

Did they insert the nail through your knee (cut above the knee), or below?  They inserted mine through the knee, which really injured it more and I have a lot of knee issues now.  Mainly, my knee collapses randomly, and its very weak and hurts if I exercise, and worse of all- my knee cap falls out of its place when I straighten my leg.  Then, it grinds its way back in.  This really prevents me from exercising because it hurts and feel really gross.  When I started physical therapy, my knee was getting super inflamed, red hot, and hurt like hell at night.  I had to ice it all the time.  That has gone away now.  I still ice it after I exercise (sometimes). Right now, I can walk, stand, hike, swim, do most leg exercises, I cannot run, jump or do lunges on that side.  Also walking downhill or downstairs is still hard.  

Since my knee was so bad, I didn't pay a lot of attention to my ankle. It was a bit stiff and weak, but recovered just fine with some PT.  If I sit for a long time (like in meetings), my leg gets stiff and my limp comes back for a few steps, then it goes away.  Its getting better though.  I would recommend moving as much as possible, not sitting too long in the same position.  You don't have to do hard exercises, but make sure you move some blood around and as you already did- get your range of motion back.  

One more thing on range of motion- if you don't walk, your hip gets stiff as well.  No one told me that, but it happened and it was really hard to get it moving again.  So, when you are on crutches, try to swing your left back, it will help keep hops from giving up on you too.  

My balance came back just fine, but coordination did not.  I have to look where I step, because I don't trust my leg.  It feels like my brain doesn't communicate with that leg as well anymore.  I sometimes trip because I didn't lift it enough to go over a step.  I just have to be extra careful.  

I believe that the nutrition is very important during this time.  When I asked about this at the hospital no one had any suggestions which was disappointing.  From the research I did, you need to eat at least 3 time the calories you normally do because that energy is spent for bone regrowth, eat calcium and mineral rich food such as sardines with bones, bone marrow broth, sesame seed (hummus is good because it has tahini sauce in it), and dark green veggies that are rich in iron and copper.  

After the injury for the longest time, body parts can look disfigured and nasty.  My leg looked like a corpse, black and blue, swollen at parts and scars all over.  Don't worry!  It goes back to normal at some point and you will only be left with scars.  Although I still have a bruise where my bones broke.  But its a small one at time point.

If you can, its a good exercise to walk in the swimming pool.  Sounds easy but it does wonders!  First off, it feel great to be standing/ walking upright, just mentally feels great.  Second, it gently works out your muscles.  Walk forward and backwards.  

Losing musculus takes only 2-3 weeks, rebuilding them takes FOREVER, and its hard work.  I still hope it will get better with time and I will go back to normal. It is not impossible!

I'd love to hear about your progress and your thoughts on my comments.  I hope it helps!

Wishing you a great recovery!
Zorana

Hi J Jo,

So sorry to hear about your injury.  Those are kind of accidents we can't predict.  

I’m 5 weeks post op on an rod & 3 screws for a broken tibia and fibula. I broke the bones playing softball (slid into 2nd base and my foot caught under the bag).  I’m an extremely active person, so this injury has been pretty traumatic (both physically and mentally).

It is a definitely a life changing event.  I had my surgery 1 year and 3 months ago, and I am reminded of it every step I take.  When I started doing a research on this surgery and recovery times, I was extremely optimistic.  I had no idea how difficult it would be.  For some reason, I thought Id be walking again in 2 months.  Most people that get this surgery are active people, and still the recovery time are very slow.  I heard that it takes 1.5 years to go back to normal.  But you will walk and do stuff much sooner than that!
Mental recovery is hard too.  It took me a long time to be able to look and touch my leg.  I also had some PTSD that was gone after a couple of weeks.  

The first few weeks were just horrible, but every day is progress. 

Yes, the first 2 weeks were the most painful ever!  I've experienced pains and feeling I never had before.  And a leg is a pretty big part of the body, the pain was so awful, I don't think anyone could understand it who hasn't gone through it.  
In the first couple of weeks I only got up if I absolutely had to- to go to the bathroom.  The pain when the blood rushed into my leg was just horrible, every time.  Also, every little movement made some clicking sounds which is why I tried not to move at all.  Which then cause so much stiffness that I am still working on a year later.  
 

I started going to a Physical Therapist week 4 and they focused mainly on knee and foot movements— just trying to bend those stiff joints. I go 3x a week, for 5 weeks. I have an appointment with the surgeon again on week 6 and 1/2, so I’m just trying to stay focused and positive until then. I was told to not put any weight on it until I talk to the surgeon. 

I was told I could put weight on it right away, but of course you cannot because of the extreme pain.  Since the rod fixes it all in place, you don't even need a cast.  
Did you insert the rod through your knee or under?  If they made an incision above the knee and inserted the rod through the knee like in my case, it can cause some knee issues.  They told me it wouldn't but it did.  
Ice your knee after PT!

At this point, I can’t even imagine putting weight on it—-I can’t bend my foot or ankle more than a few centimeters. 

That's normal.  Joints go stiff if you don't use them.  It happened to me and I had a really hard time with my knee.  Ankle went a lot better.  The range of motion will come with time.  Its hard to even think about it, but it will come.  Your therapist will give you appropriate exercises and you will feel amazed at how much they help.  

My foot turns bright purple when it is not elevated. Is this normal?

Yes, it is normal.  I wish someone had told me about that because I freaked out seeing my leg turn blue in literally seconds of putting it down.  When you have a total muscle atrophy, the blood goes into the leg by gravity and the leg does't pump it back, so it just accumulates there.  Once you start to build the muscles again, it will get better.  

I’m still taking hydrocodone and Ibuprofen for pain — wondering if 5 weeks is too long for hydrocodone.

I took oxycodone.  I started with 2 pills every 4 hours and at first I could barely make the 4 hours till the next pill.  Then I started to space it more and more and only take when I the pain gets really bad.  I stopped taking them after 12 days. I try to be healthy and eat healthy and taking this amount of a synthetic drug made me feel very uncomfortable.  The pills did the job, took most of the pain away, it didn't get me addicted and didn't make me feel weird.  I just didn't like taking them long term.  I would recommend spacing them out and only taking them when you absolutely need to.  

I’m so worried about getting back to normal activities. I loved Crossfit, but I can’t imagine doing any of that anytime soon. I just hope I can be active again and not live in fear of this happening again. 

You will, but it will take time and hard work.  Really hard work.  Loosing muscles takes no time, but building them back is hard.  But its possible.  I read somewhere to set small reasonable goals, so that you would feel good about achieving them.  Thinking about getting back to normal life is too early.  

I would recommend taking up new sports till you can get back to cross fit.  I picked up swimming and kayaking.  The very first thing I did was spinning.  And I mean not a hard core spinning classes, but just going back and forth as I couldn't even make a full rotation due to limited range of motion in my knee.  Spinning is low impact high intensity exercise and its great for leg recovery.  I go to the gym now and I try to do everything in tabata and strength group classes, but I still cannot do lunges on one side.  I cant jump or run yet due to knee issues.  But I still hope.....  And the hope that keep me going is still seeing some progress- very very small progress with a lot of work.  But its there and I hope there will be more of it.  

I’m really glad to hear from people who have been through this because I don’t think anyone understands how painful this is unless they’ve gone through it themselves. Thanks for any positive thoughts you can send. 

I found out after my surgery (and this is my first surgery ever), that it is very important to the patient to receive pleasant messages, happy thoughts etc.  Its kind of silly, but its true.  No one can help you with the pain or make the recovery faster, but it means the whole world to get a call or a message to see how you are.  And especially with people that have gone through the same experience!
Good luck with the progress and please write back about how it goes!

Best wishes,
Zorana

Zorana Dicic wrote: Hi Aaron,

Thank you for posting and so sorry to hear about your accident.  It is definitely helpful to hear others discuss their experiences.  

For myself, I could never even start to imagine being immobile for so long (I was in bed with my leg lifted up for 5 months until my back went numb, and for the first 2 months I couldn't move anything except one toe), and giving 1-2 years of my life to the injury.  But when it happened, I feel that I wasn't as depressed as I thought I would be.  First, the pain keeps you from wanting to do anything.  As soon as the pain started going away, I started to get anxious about going places, even thought I counted.  I focused my time and efforts to doing research about getting better.  I was looking so hard online for some statistics, and guidance for my situation and couldn't find it, so I started this topic to get first hand experiences.  It also helps to actually work if you can.  I worked from home the whole time and it helped me feel some sense of accomplishment and also kill a lot of time.  Otherwise I don't know what I would do.

It's great news that you gained all the motion in your leg.  Its been a year and 3 months for me, and I still don't have 100% range in my knee and ankle.  

Did they insert the nail through your knee (cut above the knee), or below?  They inserted mine through the knee, which really injured it more and I have a lot of knee issues now.  Mainly, my knee collapses randomly, and its very weak and hurts if I exercise, and worse of all- my knee cap falls out of its place when I straighten my leg.  Then, it grinds its way back in.  This really prevents me from exercising because it hurts and feel really gross.  When I started physical therapy, my knee was getting super inflamed, red hot, and hurt like hell at night.  I had to ice it all the time.  That has gone away now.  I still ice it after I exercise (sometimes). Right now, I can walk, stand, hike, swim, do most leg exercises, I cannot run, jump or do lunges on that side.  Also walking downhill or downstairs is still hard.  

Since my knee was so bad, I didn't pay a lot of attention to my ankle. It was a bit stiff and weak, but recovered just fine with some PT.  If I sit for a long time (like in meetings), my leg gets stiff and my limp comes back for a few steps, then it goes away.  Its getting better though.  I would recommend moving as much as possible, not sitting too long in the same position.  You don't have to do hard exercises, but make sure you move some blood around and as you already did- get your range of motion back.  

One more thing on range of motion- if you don't walk, your hip gets stiff as well.  No one told me that, but it happened and it was really hard to get it moving again.  So, when you are on crutches, try to swing your left back, it will help keep hops from giving up on you too.  

My balance came back just fine, but coordination did not.  I have to look where I step, because I don't trust my leg.  It feels like my brain doesn't communicate with that leg as well anymore.  I sometimes trip because I didn't lift it enough to go over a step.  I just have to be extra careful.  

I believe that the nutrition is very important during this time.  When I asked about this at the hospital no one had any suggestions which was disappointing.  From the research I did, you need to eat at least 3 time the calories you normally do because that energy is spent for bone regrowth, eat calcium and mineral rich food such as sardines with bones, bone marrow broth, sesame seed (hummus is good because it has tahini sauce in it), and dark green veggies that are rich in iron and copper.  

After the injury for the longest time, body parts can look disfigured and nasty.  My leg looked like a corpse, black and blue, swollen at parts and scars all over.  Don't worry!  It goes back to normal at some point and you will only be left with scars.  Although I still have a bruise where my bones broke.  But its a small one at time point.

If you can, its a good exercise to walk in the swimming pool.  Sounds easy but it does wonders!  First off, it feel great to be standing/ walking upright, just mentally feels great.  Second, it gently works out your muscles.  Walk forward and backwards.  

Losing musculus takes only 2-3 weeks, rebuilding them takes FOREVER, and its hard work.  I still hope it will get better with time and I will go back to normal. It is not impossible!

I'd love to hear about your progress and your thoughts on my comments.  I hope it helps!

Wishing you a great recovery!
Zorana

Hi Zorana thanks for the reply ! 

I’m almost at 3 months and Im waiting for test results to come back so I can start loading and rehab to walk, it’s safe to say I’m super excited but I’m also not getting my hopes up too much just yet.I also had my nail inserted above my knee and what you described, I seem to have to same problem, I believe my knee is definitely damaged as the pain, clicking and grinding is almost unbearable. I stretch and move it and also massage my leg and neck many times a day which seems to help, and I believe you about nutrition and quality food, I’ve been eating truck loads of good food and the healing seems to be very good. My leg and foot is also disgusting to look at, I’ve lost a lot of it’s size and it looks like a dead body limb, I think a lot of people are in shock when they see it haha.I never thought about the hip movement and also haven’t been told about that until now, thank you, I will certainly start researching some exercise for it ASAP.I’m a little unlucky being unable to work just yet, and living in the middle of no where unable to get around makes it a little difficult at times but I manage to do washing, cooking, cleaning and dishes daily and try to keep busy. I find the worst part is the burden on others and the independence lost, it’s degrading, I can’t stand it and I believe friends and family either don’t understand or think differently of me now, the whole situation is a serious test of character and I feel for anyone who has to go through such a thing. It’s currently Winter here in Aus and I don’t have access to a swimming pool, but once I can start walking and driving again I’m prepared to travel to a heated pool.It helps a massive amount just to read or hear other peoples experiences and realise that it’s not just me in this position, I hope your healing and recovery keeps getting better and would love to hear about your progress, thanks a lot for the advice! Aaron 

J Jo,
Assuming you are young (20s, 30s 40s....), and you had no open wound when your foot got caught, you have nothing to worry about!
If you read my post, you'll see that I sustained a more serious injury that created a deep, bloody wound, tearing deep into my flesh, as well as the broken tibia and fibula, around where your injury took place, judging from your initial X-ray.
I was hit by a car, and went flying through the air. Anyway, I'm probably quite a bit older than you (which makes it harder to heal), plus the flesh wound could have caused infection. I had to have two surgeries (the second this past May 12, 2019), as the first surgery did not help the tibia to fuse, way back in December, 2018, which the original surgeons thought might happen, without having to put a rod through my tibia.
Anyway, on June 12 (a little over a week ago), I went back for more X-rays, to see the surgeon, and to see an infectious disease specialist as well. I even had to wear an electronic device that pumped antibiotics from a bag, inside a pouch, which I had to wear around my shoulder, which pumped the antibiotics through a plastic tube that went into a PICC line in my arm, that went into my chest, branching our near my heart.
Having had it for four or five weeks, the infectious disease specialist informed me I had no infection, and got his nurse to remove it immediately. Right after that, I went to get X-rays, and the surgeon who did the second surgery said the broken tibia was beginning to fuse, having packed some sort of synthetic bone material between the breakage. The fibula seems to be doing alright, and clamp and screws were removed from there, back on May12th.
So anyway, it appears as though things will work out alright, as long as the tibia continues to fuse. So you'll be fine! If you want to heal faster though, make sure you do whatever physiotherapy you have to do, maintain a good diet and avoid junk food, at least for a few months, quit smoking (if you smoke), don't drink much, if any, alcohol. Regarding alcohol, I have read that 'some' beer actually stimulates bone growth! But I never found out just how much. I imagine it's not a good idea to drink too much. For the most part (and for the time being), I've switched to non-alcoholic beer, as it has gotten better over the past couple of decades. I suppose a glass of red wine wouldn't hurt each day, since it's supposed to be good for you, btu I haven't researched that one. And finally, have good sleep each night. 

G’day and wow so glad to have found this forum and THANK YOU to everyone who has shared their story!

I’m in Australia, 46 year old female. Active work life (Nurse) and I walk/bush walk from 45mins to 2.5hours a day.
A week ago today day I slipped going down a hill (slippery grass and wearing Crocs...     ) and I now have a distal tib and fib fracture, about an inch from the ankle.  To swollen to open and pin so I’m currently in external fixation & home on strict bed rest with toilet privileges only. I’m using a frame to hop there. In 2 weeks I get back for the ORIF.

This has completely stumped me and I’m really struggling at the moment. The down time has given me lots of opportunities to reflect and think. The pain is also awful. I’m on the usual opioids unfortunately but the alternative is not a better option. Incidentally a friend gave me some cannabis butter and I’ve had 1/2 teaspoon at night and it’s really helped with sleep and night time pain.  

I’ve got a couple of questions from all of your amazing stories I hope you don’t mind answering :~) I’ll probably have to do it as seperate questions as my brain isn’t savvy enough atm to work out how to do it as one long post.

  Simone 

Zorana Dicic wrote: Hi Aaron

I believe that the nutrition is very important during this time.  When I asked about this at the hospital no one had any suggestions which was disappointing.  From the research I did, you need to eat at least 3 time the calories you normally do because that energy is spent for bone regrowth, eat calcium and mineral rich food such as sardines with bones, bone marrow broth, sesame seed (hummus is good because it has tahini sauce in it), and dark green veggies that are rich in iron and copper.  

Hi Zorana, this is really interesting would love to read more about it, where did you find this info? I have cut my calories as I’m on bed rest and worried about putting on weight. 

  Simone

Mike Mu. wrote:Only thing is that whenever I am on an extended crack that requires foot jams- the fracture site, which is just above the ankle like yours, gets a little testy. It is twice the size of my other leg in the same location due to all the bone growth. But I deal with it just fine because I’m a hardcore mother f&@$er

Mentally, you just gotta be hard. I would let the weakness drag down my thought patterns sometimes thinking I wouldn’t climb again or whatever dumb shit but that might have also been the oxys. 

Love it    thanks Mike for your story.  Nurses are traditionally really bad patients but I’m aiming for the gold star and being very compliant - too much is at stake. I had wondered that if the leg would increase long term in size due to inflammation, bone growth etc. Have you found that your shoe size has changed?
Also agree that the Oxy’s play a bit of havoc mentally but while the external fixer is on I don’t want the alternative option of pretty intense pain.  I imagine it will ease once its pinned and plated.

Your story is inspirational thank you for sharing  

PS apologies for delay in replying cos I’m new here I’m only allowed x amount of posts then I’m locked out for awhile   
Simone 

David Thomson wrote: 
You are eating lots of minerals and vitamins. This is good. However, if you are consuming any commercial calcium, you will likely be visited by persistent and never ending bone pain; even years and decades after recovery. Calcium citrate, calcium chloride, calcium tri-phosphate, and calcium carbonate are just a few of the calcium sources that are added to foods and supplements. All of these calcium products cause constipation, hypertension, calcified teeth, and most relevant to you, bone pain. You can look up the side effects of calcium supplements on the Internet. It took me ten years to track this down and figure it out. It was actually a calcified tooth that made me try ridding my diet of commercial calcium. Not only did I permanently eliminate the tooth pain in three days, I was suddenly no longer constipated, my blood pressure normalized, and the pain in my ankle was reduced considerably.

It did not take me long to find natural supplements with adequate calcium to rebuild and maintain my bones. In fact, the calcium supplements I discovered were vastly superior to the commercial supplements. Not only did my tooth pain go away, but within a couple months of eliminating commercial calcium and consuming only natural calcium, two fillings popped out of my teeth. Over the course of the year, the voids filled in with brand new tooth material. I now have two regenerated teeth in my mouth. I reason that if my body is so happy with the natural calcium and the elimination of the commercial calcium that it would regenerate two of my teeth, imagine what it is doing for healing my bones and increasing my bone density!

The natural calcium I take is one 00 capsule of moringa powder, one capsule of broccoli powder, and one capsule of hackberry powder, along with a cup of dandelion tea every morning. You get much more than just calcium in these supplements. They are loaded with other natural minerals and vitamins. The most potent and most important herb of the list is hackberry. I happen to have a hackberry tree growing in my yard (and broccoli and moringa, too). I make my own powder from the hackberry's Spring leaves and premature berries. The hackberry is a true miracle worker for people who need natural calcium in their diet. I would not be surprised if it could cure osteoporosis and other bone degeneration, but that is pure speculation at this point. Hackberry used to be a staple food in the diet of ancient North Americans and Europeans, and I can see why.

Hi David this s was so interesting thank you for sharing. I would love to read more about the bad effects of the commercial calcium do you have any good links?
Also I cannot find Hackberry powder anywhere online... any suggestions?

Many thanks!

  Simone

Hi all, so glad to find this specific topic and the q&a helped me a lot to understand my recovery and align my expectations.
I’ve broken both fib and tib  ( compound fracture) on 11 July ( X-ray same as Zorana). Overall my recovery is going well however, when I bend my knee, the rod seem to protrude slightly. I’m seeing my specialist next week and will ask him but I was wondering if this is the case with others. Thanks 

Everyone's stories has me both faithful and fearful for my future as I have tib-fib fractures in both my legs.  I got hit by a van 5 weeks ago.  I had a rod placed through the knee in my left leg and a plate and I believe 5-6 screws in my right leg.  The swelling is what's causing my leg pain at the moment but bending my knees is easier and easier everyday.  I can't bare weight yet, I have an ortho appointment on the 8th of october and by then I should be able to bare weight.  I came here to see what recovery would be like after I barely weight and I'm so excited to get back to walking but I'm not looking forward to the pain although it hasn't been that bad thus far.  I take only tylenol every once in a while for pain.  

Just broke my tib/fib on Oct 19,2019 had xfix surgery anf then ORIF.  Stuck in separate state from my hubby and kids as accident happened with me falling down a hill on vacation. Thank you for all the info as I feel much more normal and validated on my feelings.

Going back for follow up to see if everything is healing on Monday.

Anyone have a better healing boot? 2 weeks post surgery, this thing lossens on it's own and flops around whever I move. Thinking a tibia splint and an ace bandage might be more comfortable. I take boot off a few hours a day to work on ankle motion and knee motion. 

Hi everyone!

I also broke my left tibfib and had ORIF surgery where the plate was inserted also through my knee. I have a plate through the whole tibia and 4 screws ( 2 top and 2 bottom). They left my fibula to heal on its own. I broke mine from a bad landing while indoor bouldering in my home gym at Boulderz in Toronto.

I am also a Physio which helped me a lot even the moment I broke my leg. I broke it last Sept 15, 2019.
Although I'm not fully recovered, I'm back to work and very functional.  I cannot emphasize how early mobility and weight bearing is important. Once the bones show healing or callus formation, weight- bearing makes the healing bones stronger.

Here's my timeline of recovery so far and what I did to help myself:

Sept 15: broke my leg Sunday evening, brought to the ER, had closed reduction and temporary cast

Sept.16: saw the first ortho Surgeon, I was shown the fracture and was actually given a choice if I would go for an operation or see how my leg heals on its own. He said it was borderline that it can be ok on its own but in my opinion I would not risk it not healing properly and had to go to surgery anyway and just prolonging the recovery. Anyway, I definitely made the right decision by choosing the surgery because when they did the operation the break was more complicated than it looked. My surgery was 8pm and finished almost midnight.

Sept. 17: I got discharged a day early because I don't have pain issues and was able to move around while in a cast with the crutches.

* I personally have a high pain tolerance and I'm informed of what to do and the normal expected healing processes( being a Physio) which definitely affects a person's pain perception. I took the meds given to me in the hospital but I didn't feel the need to take any pain meds except my first night back home just in case I might have issues sleeping. Otherwise, my percocet/ oxycodone was untouched.
While at home, I was walking with the crutches non- weight bearing and my leg in a cast. I elevated it a lot, wriggled my toes whenever I remember. I also tried to bend and straighten my knee within my tolerance. It's normal to feel a lot of pressure with the leg, even the color changes when the leg has been down for a long time is normal. That's why it's important to elevate the leg.

10 days post- surgery: Surgeon appointment. My staples were removed and my cast was replaced with a fresh one. I was allowed toe-touch weight bearing or very little weight bearing on the casted leg. I had more space to move my knee and worked on getting the most mobility within tolerance. ( I also attended a wedding with my cast and crutches) X-rays shows the alignment was good but no signs of bone healing yet.

24 days post-surgery: Follow-up appointment, x-ray showed fibula is healing but minimal healing on tibia . I was given an aircast/boot since I was flying a week later for another wedding half a world away. I was allowed 50% weight bearing on the leg while wearing the boot meaning I still walk with crutches. My leg was still bruised and swollen being in a cast.
Being in an aircast has lots of advantages, it let me wash my leg, moisturize my skin that was dry from being in a cast, massage my leg and the scar tissue ( healed surgical site) and most importantly it let me move my knee AND ankle. (Remember how important mobility is?) I also started driving short distances. I didn't have any issues driving because I drive automatic and I broke my left leg. Still, I don't drive a lot because it's too tiring for me and in case I don't get a good parking spot.

I keep my leg elevated and out of the boot if I wasn't walking. I massage my leg, bend and straighten my knee, do ankle pumps whenever I'm not wearing the boot. Please note that I'm also a Physio, I can tell how much movement is ok. Walking at Hong Kong airport was a good cardio. I was doing some upper body exercises.

45 days post-surgery: I got back to Canada 1 wk prior. X-ray showed healing in the tibia though the doctor was expecting more healing. I was allowed full weight bearing on the leg with the boot. I was scheduled to see him again in 3 wks. To be honest, I wasn't paying much attention to my dietary requirements. I started taking supplements regularly ( Vit.D3, Calcium, Vit. C and Ferrous Sulfate because I'm anemic too)

I still massage my leg and the surgical scar. Due to the nature of the surgery, my knee aches more than the fracture site. Tenderness around the knee, fracture and incision sites were to be expected. I started more stretches and exercises with my leg. I wear the boot only if I'm going outside and without the crutches. Inside the house, I don't wear the boot but I walk with a crutch. The last few days before my next surgeon appointment I started to walk inside the house without the boot but with assistance from walls/tables etc. 
I also went back to my climbing gym mostly to train and exercise. I did some auto-belays and top rope.

I also started going back to work a few hours, 2 days a week. Knowing I don't have full strength and how physical my job can be,  I limited the condition of the patients I accept and have breaks in between patients.

70 days post-surgery: X-rays showed a lot more healing. The surgeon said I don't have to wear the boot anymore.

It's been 8 days today since I stopped wearing the boot. It's been 2 months and 2 weeks since I broke my leg.

I can say that my progress and recovery has been pretty good. Firstly because I'm a Physio, I know what to do, what to expect and how to gauge myself with activities. I know the limits of when and what I can start in terms of stretches, exercise and wound care. Still, that doesn't guarantee that I'll heal faster. I have to practice what I preach right?

I would advise to be INFORMED of your condition or injury. Research about it BUT don't just rely on doctor google or what other people say. Consult your doctor, or a health professional/ physio about your condition. What are the things to expect while you're at your stage of recovery.

It's true that everyone's recovery is different. There are a lot of factors that influence this. Your psychological and emotional state has an impact on your pain perception, it's not solely dependent on your physical condition. Our body has its own timeline of healing but we can definitely help it get better faster or slower.

Know your limits, accept your current limitations. Some people need to be encouraged to do more, some need to be slowed down. There is always something that you can work on recover faster, whether it's strengthening, mobility, balance, weight- bearing even rest. Your recovery is the sum of your physical, emotional and psychological well- being. Set S.M.A.R.T. goals for yourself. Be patient and don't be too hard on yourself. 

One thing that I observed is that the more positive my patients are, the faster their recovery.

**
I'm still a long way from full recovery. My muscles are still weak and I still have a minor limp. My knee and ankle mobility are functional but still have minor swelling that limits my end-range movement. I still get bruising on my leg/ ankle. I have mild numbness on my inner ankle that I know will go away eventually. I'm back to climbing but sticking to ropes which I know is gonna be for a while. I have plans to try beginner ice climbing in 3 months. ;)

Hello everyone, it’s been so reassuring to find this forum and relate to people that have been through the same experience. I broke my tib and fib 10 days ago now and although I’m trying to stay positive, it’s difficult with all the uncertainty and discomfort and immobility! It’s been very reassuring to read some similar experiences and I just have a few questions that I was wondering anyone else shared

I have numbness in my heel and on a patch on my lower front leg, is this normal? I’m not sure if the heel is due to the elevation of my and how it is bearing the weight of my leg, or if it is a more serious sign of nerve damage? Is numbness something to be concerned about?

Also, when I lower my leg to any position (other than when it’s elevated) I get a terrible sensation of what feels like the blood rushing to my leg and an enormous pressure that feels like my leg might burst! It also goes a darker colour. I’m not sure what is causing this so would appreciate any explanation!

I know I have to stay positive, it’s still early days and I have to remember that with time and physio eventually I’ll get there. Just as anyone that’s gone through a leg break knows, it can be so tough when all you’ve got to do is sit and sit and sit and think about the injury. Any reassurance would be appreciated. I also know I have to be realisitic that there will be long term issues most likely, but the issues above make me nervous about worst case scenario!  Sorry for stressing, just any similar experiences would put my mind at ease. 
Thanks 

Hi all,
Here from Toronto and after reading the posts and comments i wanted to share my experience as well.
I had a motorcycle crash in July 2018 where is lost traction mid turn due to gravel and slid at a relatively high speed into a guardrail with my left leg. i ended up breaking my femur from 2 places plus had a compound tib fib (so both bones broke through skin). Where my experience differs from many of yours is that i also lost about 5 inches of my tibia right in the middle of the bone so after the surgery i had 2 rods. One in my femur and one in my tibia.
Femur healed well and the fibula also healed on its own but almost 1.5 yrs later im still missing most of the 5 inches of bone i lost in my tibia.
There has been some very slow bone growth which is why my surgeon is holding off a Bone Graft surgery because thats another very involved surgery with all the usual risks.
So here is my experience so far.
I was kept in the hospital for about 3 months because the open wound where my bones came out of my body was very large and wouldnt close so i was on a VAC machine for about 4 months (after they removed my cast) but the wound eventually closed (luckily) saving me yet another surgery.
About 1.5 months after the surgery i was allowed to put about 15% weight on my leg and like many others every few weeks i was allowed a little more weight. It was about 4.5 months after my surgery that i finally took my first step without crutches.
Until this day however i can not run and i have knee pain when i walk too much.I also sometimes have ankle pain (my ankle was intact and nothing broke in the accident so i think its because of the missing piece of bone and forces not being able to travel up properly as i walk). My tolerance was getting better for walking as the time went by which is good news for anyone with this kind of injury.
However as of last months ive been getting some unexplained soft tissue (im guessing) pain in the same lower leg. Feels like shooting pain/electric shock/cramping which usually starts near my achilis tendon and if i keep walking slowly moves up along the tibia (on the inner side so facing my other leg) and eventually goes to the medial part of my calf muscle. It is very painful and i will need to stop walking immediately and usually only goes sways after resting over night. I will be seeing my surgeon in a few days to see whats causing this because rest and using crunches isnt helping.and the lower leg always feels tight recently.
Im only sharing this because i couldnt find many posts with tib/fib fractures where part of bone is missing.
i will try and update regarding these new soft tissue pains once i know more.
Hoping all of you are feeling much better since youve made your comments.
All the best!

I wanted to take a minute to thank all of you for your feedback. I broke my Tibia/Fibula via torque fracture while skiing in NH on New Years Eve Day. I teach adaptive students and was taking a free run and had an unexpected fall.  The on an off mountain emergency response was incredible and I had surgery 4 hours from the accident.  I have the rod through the knee with 3 screws and they cut my patella about 6 - 8 inches.

Pain was excruciating at first and getting that boot of was memorable. I followed the path of most of you. First week was horrible and has gotten a bit better everyday. I have been in the walking air cast since day 1. I am 25 days into my recovery and things seem to be progressing well. I was off the meds in 7 days and am taking Advil 800 mg 2x per day. I am going to look at natural inflammation methods based on the feedback from the site.

The biggest issue now for me is patience. It’s my right leg so I am pretty much at the mercy of others. My wife has been unreal but I will terrible about the support I need for normal things. I’m 52 years old and For the first time in my life I feel vulnerable because I need help to do pretty much everything.  The feedback from this site has really helped put my situation in perspective. Thank you.

Question for the group.

When I take the aircast off I can wiggle all my toes but my foot and toes are pretty numb. Is that normal?

Dicky B - Boston 

Richard Brooks wrote: When I take the aircast off I can wiggle all my toes but my foot and toes are pretty numb. Is that normal?

It's been 10 years - so memories are foggy.  Still, when I had my cast taken off, the doctor ran his fingers over a part of my foot and asked whether I could feel it.  Apparently, it is not uncommon to have surgery-induced nerve damage. Still, I could feel where he touched.

That said, it is also possible to have nerve damage from the cast itself.  I recall some localized pain (ache) in the days after my casting.  I let it go.  And I did have numbness in other parts of my foot for some time there after.

Edit: Gotta appreciate our significant others who see us through times like this. At one point, when I was feeling really low, I said to my wife “You should just take me out back and shoot me.“  Her reply was “I’ll wait until you can run.”  :)

When I take the aircast off I can wiggle all my toes but my foot and toes are pretty numb. Is that normal?

In my experience thats normal. When i took my aircast off i couldnt move my ankle or toes at all. The physiotherapist at the hospital showed me a few exercises that i had to do few time/day to get my toes and ankle moving but when i wanted to try to move my toes using my hand (basically pushing them down) there was such a severe pain that i was sure my toe was also broken and they just missed it.  It was so weird that i asked them to take another xray or my foot which showed the bones are all fine.
Bottom line (in my case anyway) was that your foot and toes havnt moves for weeks so it takes lots of exercise to soften them up and get them moving again. Pinch your toes in the meaty area and see if the color changes due to blood pooling (gets pink/red) to makes sure there's blood flow. As long as theres blood flow everything else is normal its very normal to have numbness or not have the ability to to move your toes/ankle in the beginning but after a few days/weeks you should be mostly back to normal.
Keep in mind you might never get 100% of your range of motion back (based on myself and a few others i met during my experience with similar injuries) but you will get it back enough to be able to do everything you used to.
My ankle bends but slightly less than my non injured foot.I'd say i have 80% range of motion in one foot. Thats just how it is for me now. Hopefully yours is better than mine but dont worry, what youre experiencing is normal :)

Thank you very much