Hardware removal after tibial plateau fracture (tpf)

Yes, that was one of the options he presented at my last visit. I have another appointment on Wednesday to further discuss this option which is why I was looking for feedback from people who have already gone through it.
I know every patient is different, but I remember in the hospital initially hearing 18 weeks recuperation and thinking that was excessive. Well, it has now been almost a year and I can’t make it through a full day on two feet due to the pain and discomfort. And sleeping does not provide much relief, and even sometimes makes it worse. I’m really hoping that hardware removal is the answer for me.

I am reading with interest @pegleg27 and hope you get the right answers and relief.
I am in a similar situation except it was my ankle and fibula 5 years ago. Now I have daily pain upon moving where the plate is.
I have an appt. this Wed. with my ortho that did the surgery and will need to have my thoughts together incase he wants to remove the plate.
I, too, am looking for others experience on plate removal after at least 5 years.
My concern is how strong are my bones with the osteoporosis I have.
Wishing all well.

Hello,
I will address this response to you and @dappy -
Plates and screws are "foreign matter" in our bodies, and everyone reacts differently. I had 2 tiny screws in my knee after ACL replacement that had to be removed because it was like a toothache every time the barometer changed. My sister-in-law had 5 plates in her foot and ankle after a complex fracture, but the only one that had to be removed was the one she could feel every time she moved.

The removal process, while another surgery, does not send you back to square one in your recovery - it is quite simple, and usually a same day procedure. The main concerns are the incision - which needs to be monitored as any surgical site, and the question of how well the bone has healed, especially in the case of osteoporosis, but that can usually be determined with imaging prior to surgery.

@pegleg27 Is it possible that the injury caused you to change gait or alter the way you walk? This can also contribute to pain in new places - sometimes a good PT eval can pinpoint a cause that doesn't seem to have a medical explanation.

I wish you both luck.

Sue

@sueinmn, thanks so much for the feedback. I will see what he says Wednesday!

Thanks for all the feedback! Apparently Wednesday is a big day for everyone! Hopefully I will get some answers too, and then go for a second opinion.

I am looking forward to having my hardware removed next year. I fractured My Tibial plateau last July (2020). I seem To have a bundle of nerves caught in the hardware so I now Have pain in my ankle, knee, hip, and butt. I saw My doctor last week and he said I have To wait another year to have the hardware removed. I’m 56 so perhaps due to my age? He gave me a cortisone shot in the hip because he said he didn’t want to inject it near the hardware and he put me on Celebrex (or the generic new one) It does seem to be helping, but I’m wondering how come you were able to have the hardware removed so quickly. I cant Wait until it’s out! Good luck and continue to feel better. My doctor said the recovery is only a few weeks~another year can’t come soon enough for me!

Hi, I just recently broken my tibia and gotten surgery and doing PT. I haven’t started walking just yet. But reading everyone’s comments I’m worried that the hardware left in the leg, may cause problems. Now, how long are supposed to keep it in? The doc said 1 year at least, but it heals in 2 to 4 months from the surgery. So, I’m asking how long you had them in before getting them removed?

My injury will be a year in two weeks. I’m back in PT, but I’m starting to think and hope that I can Live with this. My Dr won’t consider removal until next year and from what I have read 24 months seems to be the average. Everyone heals differently and not everyone has to have the hardware removed. My Dr said it is not a huge recovery though. It’s a same day surgery at a surgery center and crutches w some weight bearing for only a few weeks. I have A plate and 5 screws after a tibial plateau fracture. I’m leaning towards doing the surgery, but I guess If I feel fine in another year maybe I will change my mind again. I’m on Celebrex and although that is helping a lot I would rather not be on any medications.
I think Your age and the extent of the injury, pain from the hardware, and doctors advice would all be factors. Good luck!

@danim I have a broken ankle (Tibia and fibula) injury too with 2 plates and 7 screws (1 inside the fibula) and I am a year out from the injury. My surgeon would not remove the hardware until at least a year. I just started walking last September and still use an ankle brace because the tendons and ligaments take turns hurting. Things change when you stop weight bearing and using muscles, so they atrophy, and then you play catch up in physical therapy to try to regain what was lost. If there was any nerve damage, that affects muscle recovery too. I still have muscles that are small and weaker. It doesn't just bounce back because you start walking, and it's easy to compensate and not walk correctly because of the difficulty. I do have a limit of how much I can walk before fatigue and aching sets in for a few days, but slowly, it is progressing. I do have to walk to take care of and feed horses which gets me out there otherwise, it would be easy to just be lazy on the couch. I am now putting off getting hardware removed only because I don't want to miss good weather for playing with horses. The plates do cause pain and for the last 6 months I developed chronic hives so I have to stay on antihistamines to avoid crazy itching. I do have toe protection in my work boots and try to keep from getting stepped on. I have started riding again this spring with my ankle brace on. That fatigued me too because of weight bearing in the stirrup, but it does add to strength. The key is do it in small doses so as not to overdo it.

Hi, I know this is an old post maybe you will respond. I had a 5cm crushed tibia plateau and tibia fracture requiring 2 plates and 6 screws. I'm 7 month post op. My knee joint feel great with good movement. I have bad pain down my tibia to my ankle, the fracture was only 6 inches down from the top of my knee. I feel that the plate is keeping my tibia from flexing when I walk or stand naturally. Idk for sure. What I do know is I have bad pain and I feel the hardware is the culprit. Does this sound like what you went through?