Hardware removal after tibial plateau fracture (tpf)

Hi, @rileydog. Thanks for your post. So sorry to hear you are still experiencing discomfort from your hardware from your 2016 surgery for tibial plateau fracture. @nancylh had also mentioned this type of fracture and may have some input. @contentandwell, @gailfaith, @leh09, @flor, @amberpep, @tallteri, @dawn_giacabazi and @ronnie3716 may also have some insight for you from their experiences.

What type of discomfort are you having from the hardware?

I still have regular pain at the location of the hardware, especially when my leg is not held straight, like when crossing my legs. And I always feel a tightness around my knee area, as if I were wearing an ace bandage.

@lisalucier sorry, I am not familiar at all with this having just had a TKR. Obviously that is not hardware that could be removed although I would like to have a revision at some future point.
JK

@rileydog I had a bad tibial plateau fracture following an accident and had a bone graft, plate and many screws put in. I’ve had constant pain since the surgery 3 years ago. I was reluctant to pursue hardware removal bc of some complications after my initial surgery. Finally I just couldn’t take it anymore and decided to move forward with removal after consulting 3 doctors (!). I had some screws (not all and not the plate) taken out a couple of weeks ago and the pain is pretty much gone. GONE! I wish I had done this years ago. Would have saved me a lot of suffering. Go consult with 3 drs if you need to until you feel comfortable with a decision based on your unique set of circumstances. Good luck!

The reason I only had partial removal is I wanted as minimal a surgery as possible. The screws that were removed were jutting straight into the soft tissue in a very particular, tender spot.

Hi Riley Dog, I had an occult subchondral tibial plateau fracture in my right knee along with a list of other things. They did not treat the fracture or the meniscal tears. They said i would just have the same things return because of total lack of cartilage. So they replaced the knee. They will be replacing the left knee tomorrow morning. So while i cannot help you regarding plates and screws, well maybe. My daughter had a compound fracture in her arm and had the screws and plate removed due to pain. The bones had healed and it is like 20 years later and no problems. Anyway, not quite the same scenario.

So, all chatter aside, i extend my empathy to you. This pain thing is a bear to deal with. Sometimes i just want to scream and run and run and run away from it. I think skronky 100 is on to something there. Get some second/third opinions if you need to, but if the bones are healed the hardware could maybe be removed or at least adjusted if they have come undone. I'm not a physician so i can't say, but it seems reasonable. Having painful hardware if it has already accomplished what it was put there to do...........well enough. Have to go get ready for surgery tomorrow. I hope you find the path to take in your situation. Blessings. n

I am six weeks out from a level 4 tibial plateau fracture, displaced. I have five screws, a plate and bone graphs. I already can tell one screw -- the bottom one -- is causing me heavy pain and discomfort. I am still NWB for another week. Then progressive weight into 10th week post op. The doc can see the screw is coming through the bone and said it's probably hitting my MCL. He said he'd take it out "later." I have had a meniscus repair (not a clean out, actual repair) and ACL and lateral tenidosis (spelling?) on this knee, previously. My worry is that (1) the MCL will be damaged by this screw or (2) it's the meniscus that's the problem and that the repair was ruined with this injury. Probably questions for the doc next time I see him but in meantime, wondering if anyone else has insight. Thank you. This has been hard.

After a year, still with constant pain under knee and on side where plate was, whenever I walked or put pressure on - I had hardware removed. It has been one month and the pain under knee and on side of leg are totally gone. There is a very slight (not constant) pain where fracture was, but I am doing lite strengthening exercises every day and it is better every day. I do recommend getting the hardware removed. The screws move around eventually and cause a lot of pain. If I had to do this over again, I would never put hardware in - never. It is better to do it the old fashioned way and keep leg in traction or even possibly in a cast. This hardware procedure is NOT the answer.

@clca Im sorry you had all that pain but your right the body doesn't like foreign objects put in it .

Hi, I was wondering if you ever had your hardware removed. My tibial plateau fracture surgery was one year ago. I have 14 screws and two plates and still feel pain when I walk. My doctor says it’s probably not the hardware but the x-ray shows the the bone healed just fine! I also feel the tightness around my knee, feeling, like you said, a tight ace bandage. Doc said it must be scar tissue (?). He has no answer as to why I’m still feeling pain...