Hardware removal after broken leg

Looking to hear about other people's experiences with hardware removal. I'm a year out from my injury and still having some pain, which mostly seems to be where the hardware is. My surgeon said I wouldn't be able to lead for about 2 months after hardware removal. Trying to decide if it's worth it.

My hardware (rod and 7 screws) has been in since 1996.  It stopped hurting where the hardware is.  And there were other things in my life that I wanted to do (or not stop doing).

I broke my ankle bouldering in the gym (from entrapment.) I got a plate and a bunch of screws and was climbing again a year later, but it was always sore, and my shoe never fit right. I could see the plate under my skin and it gave me the heebie jeebies.

The hardware was removed less than 2 years after the fracture and healed really quickly. I was climbing again 4-6 months later this time.

Personally I'm really happy I had it taken out. Now almost 20 years later, I barely remember the fracture happened, but that plate rubbing on my shoe sure would have bothered me.  Losing a couple years of climbing in my 20s has more than made up for letting it heal properly now that I'm approaching 50. Consider how it will affect you for the long haul. (Two months is nothing in the grand scheme of things.) 

Right now you probably already need to start over with training. What if you wait 3 or 4 years, get all ripped and recovered, and then decide to to take the hardware out? Then you really will be starting all over from scratch.  

I shattered my femur in 2014. The surgeon did a fabulous job of collecting the pieces and screwing those to a long plate. After three years, that leg was an inch shorter. My surgeon then said that enough bone had filled in the blanks such that he could remove the hardware, saw off the femoral head, and hammer in a prosthesis. I’ve lost some flexibility and am more fragile. I’m not supposed to fall off of the rock or my mountain bike. I’ve since done a lot of leading of climbs well within my ability, even if somewhat runout. If it’s difficult or dangerous, I want a rope gun. 

I had this rod inserted through the knee for a compound fracture of the tibia.  Second surgery 6 months later to cut the fibula, as it was preventing the ends of the tibia from knitting up.  Third surgery 1 year later to remove the rod because the tibia finally healed, but I still had pain in my knee that I thought came from the hardware.  This was 20+ years ago, long before I knew anything about climbing, but I was active with other things, and I think recovery was only about 4-6 weeks.  Obligatory "your mileage may vary" disclaimer, but I would absolutely chose removal again.

I think a lot of it depends on what kind of hardware you got placed and the accessibility of it. Similar to Free Spirit, I had a plate and 11 screws in my lower tibia. Broke the leg and had surgery in January 2019. When I finally returned to weight bearing activity, there was nagging pain in my calf and shin with high impact sports like running.

In November 2020 I decided to have the hardware out. I was top roping again at about 5 weeks, running at 6, and lead climbing at about 8. Yes it sucked being sidelined, but the pain is totally gone now and I’m glad it’s out. It’s only a fraction of the recovery and stress from your initial injury, and your fitness will bounce back faster than you think. 

I'm writing bc I spent my career is in the med device industry, a few years with these products. Don't have any hardware in me, so no first hand experience.

You don't say if you have plates and screws (goes on the outside of the bones) or an intramedullary rod (what Annie shows), which goes inside long bones are are used to hold many pieces together because the rod is load bearing. Plates and screws are for smaller bones and not load bearing, generally speaking..

Plates have a unique design. There is a midpoint (goes over the break) and when the screws are tightened on other side it adds compression, pushing both sides of the break together, for obvious reasons. The screws go thru the plate, thru that side of the bone, and out the other side. Yes, the screw tip exits the other side, so the point touches soft tissue (muscle). If the screw were only in one side of the bone it will wiggle and the repair will fail. The tip in the soft tissue on the opposite side of the plate typically doesn't irritate the tissue because deeper tissue moves less than superficial tissue. By no means is the tip of the screw gouging/tearing your muscle apart. But if the break didn't heal right, if the screw tip extends too far, etc., something could be amiss, so ask your doctor.

Lastly, every surgery has risks. Exposing the inside of your bones is higher risk as deep bone infections are harder to treat. That's partly why orthopedists doing these surgeries wear what look like space suits. It's also to protect themselves from flying bone chips when sawing, drilling, and hammering. Only you feel your pain and can decide how bad it is, and if the benefit/risk of another surgery to remove it is worth it.

Best of luck.

I broke my tibia + ankle on a lead fall a year ago this Thanksgiving. The injuries were fixed with an IM rod as well as 2 ankle screws. I was having some pain by my hamstring attachment (where the top rod screw was) once I started hiking longer distances again. I was convinced the screw had to come out but since it was too early for removal my PT suggested I try strengthening my hamstring (since that side was clearly weaker). I spent 2 months working out my hamstrings and the pain disappeared. 

Regardless of being pain-free, yesterday I had my 2 ankle screws removed (they were prominent and occasionally irritating). I also had the top screw of my rod taken out at the recommendation of my ortho. He knows I'm an avid skier and felt it would prevent the rod from interfering with bone flex once I started skiing again. I'm one day out from screw removal and am walking around fine (albeit with some soreness at the incisions). I am not allowed to ski for at least 2 months (I'm waiting 3) and I wouldn't risk leading until next season. But, for me it's worth taking that time off since I can still TR, train in the gym, bike + hike. 

I was nervous about the anesthesia and recovery but the screw removal surgery was a non-event (30 minutes) and I was able to walk right away. I haven't even taken a Tylenol. If you're just looking to get the screws out I'd say go for it because it's a minor surgery. I can't speak to rod removal but I know that's more major and carries the risk of re-fracture. So I might avoid that unless it really is the rod that is causing the issues. Plus, I don't know about you, but it took some time before I got my knee back to normal again. Not sure I'd want to risk another incision there.

Anyway, hope that's helpful!

Had hardware to repair a broken trocantor major (near the head of the femur), which was still uncomfortable a year after the surgery and seemed like it was limiting recovery of the thigh. Took it out and was quickly pain free, with a stronger leg and back to climbing. Mind you I was in my early 30s and would rather avoid general anesthetics and surgeries now 20 years later.