@bettes I had my 2 surgical plates removed from my ankle because of pain and hives I was getting anywhere on my body. I was getting skin pigmentation too over the plates. I am so glad I had them removed as it solved those problems. The recovery was easy. I could walk and weight bear just fine. I used a little ice and elevated my ankle. There will be increased risk of fracture because of holes from screw tracks until those fill in so you will need to be careful, clearly, I was having an immune response to the metal.