Should I have Tibia Hardware Removed after Healing?

Hello. I am completely new to this website. I don't do many things online at all. But I am recovering from a tibia plateau fracture type 2. I had surgery for this and I have a metal plate and screws. I am five and a half months out from my surgery. I have made a lot of progress. At home I don't use anything to walk around outside I use a cane. But I have a very deep curiosity about if I need my plate removed. I walk kind of crooked. It's not a regular limp it's not that I'm in pain but I feel that the plate is over to the left side too much and like it's heavy and interfering with me walking straight. I'm very mobile the physical therapists are so amazed that my flexibility but yet I walk crooked. I'm wondering if anybody else has had this problem almost 6 months after their surgery. So of course I'm thinking about plate removal. I haven't discussed this with my doctor yet. But if anybody else has been through something similar please let me know thank you very much

@albertagraziosa Welcome to Connect.

Here are a few discussions where members are talking about tibia fractures and plate removal. Your post was also moved into this discussion, so look at earlier pages for comments.

Most surgeons wouldn't remove a plate unless it is bothering you and causing pain, etc. I had a ankle fracture involving the tibia and fibula and I had 2 plates and a screw inside the fibula. I did have mine removed for pain, and my surgeon made me wait at least a year so the bones would be better healed before removing the support. I also had hives for months that started 6 months after the fracture with implanted plates, although no one gave me a definitive answer if that was the cause; I have no hives now. The pain got better after the plates were removed. It made no difference in walking or movement, as plates are just along for the ride. Your physical therapist is probably the best person to ask about why you walk crooked. It may be weakness and muscle atrophy and coordination that was lost. It takes a very long time to get that back and for ligaments to settle down, so it's like having a sprain all the time. I still have some trouble 2.5 years after the injury. You are at the beginning of your journey. It may be years to get back to maximum functional healing.

– Tibia Plateau fracture – Days away from 1 year – Feel like I’m 80: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/days-away-from-1-year-feel-like-im-80/
Hardware removal after tibial plateau fracture (tpf): https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/hardware-removal-after-tibial-plateau-fracture/

Hi @albertagraziosa, I moved your message and question about if and when to have the metal from a tibia plateau fracture removed to this existing discussion:

- Should I have Tibia Hardware Removed after Healing?: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/hardware-removal-1/

@don34 asked a very similar question and got helpful responses from fellow members like @shieldmom @jenniferhunter @sueinmn @cindylu85382 and others.

It's encouraging to hear how well you are doing with physical therapy.

I have 287 screws in left arm and leg combined all resurch I've done says I'll always have them but if your bone is intact the healing process complete removal is done. My wife had only a few screws and a rod after a healing period of a couple years they were removed but each person heals ddifferently. There is no time line, if they remove them be very carefully of blunt force to the area or weight force test the water before you jump in.

Update
I had one of two screws near my knee removed and it totally resolved pain in my knee going up and down stairs. I also had two screws removed near my ankle and the numbness in my foot has improved greatly
I will leave the rod in for fear of further trauma to my knee
I am so glad I had this done and I hope it gives good information to those considering having hardware removed. It’s been two years since my bike accident

@don34 I had all my ankle fracture fixation hardware removed from my ankle because of pain and I was having chronic hives for months. The surgeon said I was at risk for fracture after that because of the holes left from the screws. That resolved everything and the holes fill in with new bone in time. I am glad I had the hardware removed.