Hardware removal after tibial plateau fracture (tpf)

Hello @byrd3155, Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect, a welcoming online community where patients and caregivers share their experiences, find support and exchange information with others. Thank you for sharing your experience with other members in this discussion.

Do you mind sharing what you were searching for when you found Connect and also any tips or articles that helped you make your decision?

I’m in a similar situation. I would like to know if 5 years post surgery is too long to have plate and screws removed from my ankle. I broke my ankle in April 2016 and lately it is swelling and hurting. I wonder since I have osteoporosis if I can have the plate and screws removed?

This is a question that needs to be answered by both the surgeon and whoever helps you manage the osteoporosis. The pain and swelling may actually be a sign that the screws have moved, the bone has deteriorated around the screws, or you body is becoming sensitized to the metal. Without an accurate diagnosis it would be very hard to know.
Sue

I just had surgery on April 7. I had a very large cyst inside my talus bone. I had to have bone grafting from my hip to fill the space the cyst left in my talus and also had to have my tibia cut to access the talus (and put back together with 3 screws). I am just starting to feel a lot better. The first two weeks were awful. Have been dealing with nerve issues but my doctor has me taking B1 and B6 and it has helped a lot. The boot has caused me the most pain from constantly rubbing on my incision (even with extra padding). My main reason for this post is that I have just started my daily exercises and I can feel the screws on the inside of my tibia when I turn my ankle inward. Will this go away or does it mean that I will eventually have to have them removed? I can also feel them pressing against my incision inside the boot as well. I had no pain going into this surgery. The cyst was an incidental finding.

Hi - I had a severe tibial plateau fracture in March 2020 w/ surgery right after. I'm still having pain in my knee and struggling to build back my muscle. I'm a healthy 26 y/o and have been recommended to have my plate and 6 screw removed. Does anyone here have experience w/ plate + screw removal? I'm very hesitant to get surgery again knowing how awful the original procedure was.
Please let me know - thanks.

In reply to @barono123…..@migizi-I had hip surgery at 13 (1969) and when in my 20’s, doctors recommended I have the hardware removed too….I had 3 pins, bolt, and a plate….after a number of doctors kept giving me the same recommendation, I finally agreed and although I didn’t want to undergo surgery (when I was young, I was very inexperienced with surgery) it turned out to be a good decision. The aftermath allowed me more freedom of movement in my hip and the recovery was MUCH easier than the original surgery, when I spent two weeks in the hospital and 4 months on crutches. This was my experience and I wish you good luck with whatever decision you arrive at.

Hi @barono123 and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. You'll see that I moved your question to a discussion that was already talking about hardware removal. I did this so that you could connect with the members here about personal experience. I had my screw and plates removed about 3-4 yrs after mine, but its because my bone against the plate developed an infection. The second surgery was not nearly as painful.

How much pain are you having?

Thanks Amanda...appreciate it! Decent amount of pain on a day to day basis right where the plate is and very sensitive where the scar and plate live.
Biggest hurdle has been struggling to build back my muscle after the injury, even after PT two times/week for nearly 1.5 year and daily long distance bike rides. My goal is to be skiing by Dec 2021 and after reading through this posts, that seems doable if I get the rods removed.
What was your experience like after removal? Did you continue PT and were you able to build up muscle faster?

I had My surgery last July after a traumatic injury from jumping into shallow water to rescue my Granddaughter. I have A plate and five screws and also had a high grade strain to the Lis Franc in my foot. Now I seem To have some type of nerve pain the runs between the foot, knee, hip and buttocks. I am So uncomfortable and wondering if the hardware could be pinching a nerve. It seems to be getting worse instead of better and I’m going on one year since the injury. I am Wondering what the recuperation is like after hardware removal bc I spent Last summer in a wheelchair and not looking forward to that again. Do you have to start all over again after hardware removal?

Hello @pegleg27 and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. It is completely understandable not to want to go through another summer in a wheelchair!

I am wondering if you might have already shared your suspicion of your nerve pain with your surgeon and if he/she recommended hardware removal?