[villalobos]

Anybody did that? I just did yesterday playing hockey. Hurt and still hurts. Not sure what to expect in term of recovery from the surgery... Sucks though, with the nice spring days right ahead....

[Mithras]

I'm getting surgery today for my fractured fibula!

Broke it -- way down at the ankle -- two weeks ago running around in the woods. It wasn't a bad break, so they just gave me a cast. But a followup x-ray found that it wasn't fixing itself properly, so today I get a plate and screw.

Recovery time really depends on the nature of your injury, but post-surgery I'm told to expect 2-3 weeks in a cast, then 4-6 with a "boot". If you broke your fib but not your tib, I don't imagine yours would be very different. So two more months on crutches

I've had great fun, though -- everyone treats you like a hero for accomplishing simple tasks like crossing the street and walking the dog. Good luck.

Here's my X-rays -- you have to share yours when you get them!

[villalobos]

Originally posted by Mithras:
I'm getting surgery today for my fractured fibula!

Broke it -- way down at the ankle -- two weeks ago running around in the woods. It wasn't a bad break, so they just gave me a cast. But a followup x-ray found that it wasn't fixing itself properly, so today I get a plate and screw.

Recovery time really depends on the nature of your injury, but post-surgery I'm told to expect 2-3 weeks in a cast, then 4-6 with a "boot". If you broke your fib but not your tib, I don't imagine yours would be very different. So two more months on crutches

I've had great fun, though -- everyone treats you like a hero for accomplishing simple tasks like crossing the street and walking the dog. Good luck.

Here's my X-rays -- you have to share yours when you get them!

Good luck with the surgery!!! Let's say that they did not mention not to do surgery, and that I went into the boards pretty hard (my foot was not pointing in the right direction after that....), so mine might be a little worse that yours. I have not had a chance to look at the X-rays yet. Surgery is soon, I am sure I will have plenty of opportunities see them....

Once again, good luch with your surgery.

[ghporter]

Man, when you did it, you did it right! Those are some very "interesting" fractures there (it looks like there's more than one fragment of the end of your fibula).

Good luck with the surgery; it's not routine for you, but the Orthopods that will be fixing you do this sort of repair all the time.

One word of advice: when they say "stay off of it," DO WHAT THEY SAY! It won't heal if you don't let the repair knit. And when they say to get up and start walking on it, it will HURT. Yep. Sorry. But the rest of the healing needs you to put weight on it and use it, so do what they say.

[cjrivera]

Originally posted by villalobos:
Anybody did that? I just did yesterday playing hockey. Hurt and still hurts. Not sure what to expect in term of recovery from the surgery... Sucks though, with the nice spring days right ahead....

Depends where the fracture is. A distal fracture (like the X-ray above) usually needs a cast or sometimes surgery, depending on the severity. A midshaft or proximal fracture can be treated with crutches, a compressive dresing, or in minor fractures, just rest.

[iREZ]

you think that's something...how bout having your left arm dislocated at birth, but never feeling the pain cause your double jointed, then finding this out when you start working out during the off season for college basketball, and then getting cut because you have an arm that cant be fixed. Because it was dislocated since birth, it never developed a socket so they could do one of only two things; radial head extraction, chop off the tip of the bone thats dislocated to stop it from rubbing against my other bone, or creating an artificial socket, placing my bone in place, and using a screw to keep it in place, not to mention not being able to use my arm for one year. Now that is ****ed up. I guess I'll wait till I'm hurting from arthritis (which I'm told will be when I'm in my mid 30's) to get the radial head extraction. I'll post my x-rays when I get home.

[wdlove]

I wish you both all the best with your recovery from a fibula fracture. Be sure to follow the orders of your physician.

[Mithras]

I'm back
Well, *now* it hurts like hell if it didn't before. (Steadily taking Percocet, which will hopefully eventually bring me to the requisite stupor....)

But the surgery itself was great, wheeled in, conked out, woke up. Then I spent the next two hours waiting for my spinal anesthesia to wear off so I could pee, which was the criterion for letting me go.

Good luck with your surgery, villalobos!

[villalobos]

Originally posted by Mithras:
I'm back
Well, *now* it hurts like hell if it didn't before. (Steadily taking Percocet, which will hopefully eventually bring me to the requisite stupor....)

But the surgery itself was great, wheeled in, conked out, woke up. Then I spent the next two hours waiting for my spinal anesthesia to wear off so I could pee, which was the criterion for letting me go.

Good luck with your surgery, villalobos!

Mithras,

cool to hear that things went well. Not too cool to hear that is hurts now more... I am already on Percocet (3.5, 325) and I have to wait until wednesday for the surgery.....
Best of recovery for you. I'll report back after the surgery.

[AKcrab]

I broke my tibia once. Was a strange break which the doctors deemed a 'spiral fracture'. I wish I had scans of the CT Scan, it was pretty cool.

They opted to put me under to set it, which involved a bunch of twisting I guess, but decided that they could get it properly set without pins.

Six weeks in a cast to my hip (yes, my hip) and then 4 more weeks in a cast below the knee.

Good as new now, never any phantom pains or arthritis or anything. The amazing thing was how thin my leg was after the six weeks in a full leg cast.

[sugar_coated]

They will get fixed in a few months and will become stronger.

[villalobos]

Originally posted by Mithras:
I'm back
Well, *now* it hurts like hell if it didn't before. (Steadily taking Percocet, which will hopefully eventually bring me to the requisite stupor....)

But the surgery itself was great, wheeled in, conked out, woke up. Then I spent the next two hours waiting for my spinal anesthesia to wear off so I could pee, which was the criterion for letting me go.

Good luck with your surgery, villalobos!

Well surgery was one day earlier, and just like you went pretty well. In, asleep and out. No nausea or anything of the sort, but it does now hurt like hell. Got 1 h of sleep this night. Oxycodon does not seem to be of much help. I am probably a wimp but God it hurts.
Don't have the X-rays. But saw them, and the surgeon congratulated me on a 'job well done'. I have a plate and 5 screws. Should not have any cartilage damage though, which is the good news. Not sure my foot is ever gonna point in the same direction though.... It sure dots not seem so right now.
Man I wish I could get some morphine.....

[Mithras]

My first 36 hours after the surgery were horrid for pain, I was counting the minutes until I could take the next pill. But by 3 days out, I even skipped some pills! So courage, it will get better.

[Mithras]

I graduated from a cast to a "boot" today, for those of you anxiously following my progress
Of more interest: I snapped some photos of my post-op x-rays. Pretty neat.

[ghporter]

Originally posted by Mithras:
I graduated from a cast to a "boot" today, for those of you anxiously following my progress
Of more interest: I snapped some photos of my post-op x-rays. Pretty neat.

You do realize that your feet are going to be very interesting to airport security folks now, don't you? Be prepared to show your scar...

[JustAnOl'Broad]

Originally posted by ghporter:
You do realize that your feet are going to be very interesting to airport security folks now, don't you? Be prepared to show your scar*...

Trippy! Not sure which one looks like the most painful;
the before, or after surgery photo.
Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

* My 82 year old Mom has plastic hips; we take the Xrays with us
when flying with her. You might keep your photo handy if you take a trip.

[Mithras]

Hey, how are you doing villalobos?

I'm doing little stretching exercises now; amazing how stiff the joint is! I can barely lift up the ankle. But things are good, and I'm really fast on the crutches now...

Hope you're recovering nicely.

[villalobos]

Hey Mithras,

doing better, much better. I also started moving my ankle (although you could say that moving in the case is probably stretching the meaning of that word!!). My ankle is amazingly stiff as well : i have maybe a range of one inch... The whole area is still full of different colors, from black to red through some blue and purple. I unfortunately do not have (yet) a copy of my x-rays, but it kinda look similar to yours : except I have two screws going through the tibia as well, due to the fact that the fibula separated from the tibia for some reason (supposedly unusual). Also the fracture in my case was higher in the fibula (about two inches). I got another 3 weeks of the boot I have now and of crutches (yeah I got much better at that too!!).
Best of recovery to you : I here challenge you to a race at the end of May to see who recovers faster (just kiddind I hate running!). And let's keep the updates coming!!

Originally posted by Mithras:
Hey, how are you doing villalobos?

I'm doing little stretching exercises now; amazing how stiff the joint is! I can barely lift up the ankle. But things are good, and I'm really fast on the crutches now...

Hope you're recovering nicely.

[SSharon]

I hope those of you with broken, but healing, fibulas are doing well. I had reconstructive jaw surgery and although they didn't put a plate in with the screws the x-rays look neat. I can't post pics since they are at home, but I can say that they have never set off a metal detector. I remember my dad ( a Dr.) looking at the x-rays a few days after surgery with my doctor and asking why he couldn't have used wing-tipped screws so he could tighten them if necessary. A joke of course, but it hurt me just thinking about it. Anyway, you'll be fine, just do what the doctors tell you to.

[villalobos]

Hey Mithras,

just wondering how you were doing these days. You were a little bit ahead of me in term of schedule, so I was wondering whether you were out of your boot.
I have about a week to go before X-rays, and hopefully the removal of the boot. I can't wait!!!! Crutches are fun, and one gets sympathy and all, but I am getting tired of relying on other people to go somewhere.

Hope you are recovering

Villa

[Garage81]

i fractured my fibula in 3 places when i was a freshman in college. i was in a cast for 6 weeks, then a boot for 8 weeks. didnt require any surgery, but they did have to "set" the break. anyone who has been through that knows its a pretty rad time.

after a few months of rehab, i stopped walking like a penguin. so there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

[Mithras]

So I'm using the crutches less and less -- today I walked to work without them for the first time -- but expect to be in the boot for another 2 weeks or so.

In some ways, having a 70% leg is more frustrating than a 0% leg -- scooting around on crutches was its own fun game, but now that I'm walking, I just want to be normal again! But it's so exhilarating just to have a leg again that I can't really complain. I think I start PT after I see the doc tomorrow.

I was hoping to be on a backpacking trip in mid-May, but I'm not realizing that may not be realistic. The SECOND backpacking trip I'll miss this spring, thanks to 6 seconds of idiocy on the ice! Argh. But hopefully I'll get to do some dayhikes at least.

Best of luck villalobos. And bring a digital camera if you have one to the doctor's tomorrow, so you can get a photo of your x-ray!

[villalobos]

Originally Posted by Mithras

So I'm using the crutches less and less -- today I walked to work without them for the first time -- but expect to be in the boot for another 2 weeks or so.

In some ways, having a 70% leg is more frustrating than a 0% leg -- scooting around on crutches was its own fun game, but now that I'm walking, I just want to be normal again! But it's so exhilarating just to have a leg again that I can't really complain. I think I start PT after I see the doc tomorrow.

I was hoping to be on a backpacking trip in mid-May, but I'm not realizing that may not be realistic. The SECOND backpacking trip I'll miss this spring, thanks to 6 seconds of idiocy on the ice! Argh. But hopefully I'll get to do some dayhikes at least.

Best of luck villalobos. And bring a digital camera if you have one to the doctor's tomorrow, so you can get a photo of your x-ray!

All right I finally got around to take q decent picture of my X-rays. Here it is. Quite different than yours as you see : I have bigger screws, I win.


I started walking recently. Still using the crutches but I am out of the boot. Things are improving, it's all good.

[flatlander]

Originally Posted by villalobos

All right I finally got around to take q decent picture of my X-rays. Here it is. Quite different than yours as you see : I have bigger screws, I win.


I started walking recently. Still using the crutches but I am out of the boot. Things are improving, it's all good.

Hi Villabos. broke my fibula a couple of weeks ago playing ball. but wondering if the plate and pins affect you in playing hockey?

[villalobos]

Originally Posted by flatlander

Hi Villabos. broke my fibula a couple of weeks ago playing ball. but wondering if the plate and pins affect you in playing hockey?

Not at all. It's like new, well almost. I have maybe 95% of the range I used to, but the plates and screws are no issue.
Good luck with the PT. starting to walk again in a pool was really good for me at first. I think you'll be amazed at how well the body recovers.

[Dino-Rider]

Heh. Cool to see an old thread like this, and how things turned out. Hockey is sweet... I wish I would have gotten into that sport when I was little, but I have enough expensive hobbies I guess.

[davesimondotcom]

Double post...

[davesimondotcom]

Reading about villalobos' run-in with the boards reminded me of watching a guy do the same thing when I was a kid. Our game was next and these were older kids - 17 or so, so they were playing some pretty intense hockey.

This guy was going full tilt to prevent an icing call and slipped right about the goal line, slid feet first into the boards right in front of me. They had to call an ambulance and have him carted off and taken to the hospital, his leg was NASTY.

I think his was a compound fracture, though. Was as bad as Joe Theisman.... ewww...

Speedy recovery to all those injured!

[devonharold]

hey, i had a spiral fracture to my fibula about 3 weeks ago, from skateboarding. i had my leg elevated the whole time from getting home that night of breaking it till surgery so iam pretty sure the swelling was down but i couldnt tell because i was in an odd 3 sided splint with ace bandage wrapped around it. i had surgery about a week ago, now iam in the same weird cast but it now up to my knee. i know that they had to put pins and plates in but i dont know how many. i am on crutches now and probably will be for a good while. i go back on october 6th to probably get my stitches out and other stuff, iam not real sure, this is my first broken bone. iam not supposed to bare any weight on it, and i dont but if iam sitting down it doesnt hurt to apply a little pressure. does any have any idea about how long it will be when i can skate/walk/basically have my life back again. its probably not enough information, but if anybody has any sugestions or tips that would help alot.

[ghporter]

devonharold, your fibula is a very important part of keeping your ankle working; as such it needs a lot of work when it gets goobered up. Spiral fractures are high-level gooberage.

You did a number on that rather important bone, but you'll have to take it easy for a while until it heals, and then NOT RUSH back into activities that stress the distal (ankle) end of the bone.

The bump on the OUTSIDE of your ankle is the end of your fibula, and it is the outside portion of the hinge joint that makes up about 50% of your ankle complex. Stressing it too early and reinjuring it would be BAD-it might NOT heal at all, or could heal improperly and lose you much of your ankle mobility.

So first and foremost, get scheduled for rehab NOW. Physical therapists and occupational therapists can help you adapt to your current limitations, and then work past them when your leg has healed enough. Let THEM tell you how far you should be able to go, how much to do, etc. and be patient. It'll be worth your wait when you have healed correctly and can walk normally again.

[villalobos]

Originally Posted by devonharold

hey, i had a spiral fracture to my fibula about 3 weeks ago, from skateboarding. i had my leg elevated the whole time from getting home that night of breaking it till surgery so iam pretty sure the swelling was down but i couldnt tell because i was in an odd 3 sided splint with ace bandage wrapped around it. i had surgery about a week ago, now iam in the same weird cast but it now up to my knee. i know that they had to put pins and plates in but i dont know how many. i am on crutches now and probably will be for a good while. i go back on october 6th to probably get my stitches out and other stuff, iam not real sure, this is my first broken bone. iam not supposed to bare any weight on it, and i dont but if iam sitting down it doesnt hurt to apply a little pressure. does any have any idea about how long it will be when i can skate/walk/basically have my life back again. its probably not enough information, but if anybody has any sugestions or tips that would help alot.

To go with what Porter said, do what the doctors say : no less, but NO MORE! It will take time, but you will be back to your old self. Patience.

[CleoW]

Good luck.

I fractured my femur in '93 at the age of eight and was still suffering three years later. I had surgery and had pins put in, which they initially planned to leave in indefinitely. A year later, the pins had shifted and hurt me so badly that I couldn't sleep. So, in '94, I had another surgery to take the pins out. A few months after that, I had tingling pains on the site of my surgery and my mother took me back to the doctor and complained. Turns out I had developed neuritis from the surgeries. The pain ranges, but can be very debilitating. So, for two to three years after the initial surgery, I suffered from moderate neuritis and seasonal aching (usually due to precipitation). And since it happened when I was so young, everybody led me to believe that the ordeal would be fairly short!

Not to make you nervous or anything...

[SpaceMonkey]

Originally Posted by iREZ

you think that's something...how bout having your left arm dislocated at birth, but never feeling the pain cause your double jointed, then finding this out when you start working out during the off season for college basketball, and then getting cut because you have an arm that cant be fixed.

Per tonight's re-run of ST:TNG, are you sure that your arm wasn't "severed...and then surgically re-attached" (by aliens)?

EDIT: Wow, I just realized iREZ's post is over a year old. Never mind!

[devonharold]

hey porter, how long are we talking, months?, year?!.... its been almost 3 weeks without skateboarding. ive done it all most everyday for about 5 years now its my life, thats all i know, iam more than certain i couldnt live easily without it. its the only thing in my life that keeps me happy.


when you reply i want you to tell me the truth. i want to know what you really think might/could happen.

thanks alot.

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by devonharold

hey porter, how long are we talking, months?, year?!....

At least another month before you're walking without crutches is a good guess-probably more, but I can't say without knowing your history.

Basically you need to understand the structure of the hinge joint (one of many joints) at your ankle. There's a bone called the talus that's part of the foot; it sticks up into the space between the far ends of the tibia and the fibula, which form the outsides of a "slot hinge". The fibula is a relatively slender bone that extends downward farther than the tibia. That end is supported by the bone's shaft and its attachment via ligaments to the tibia. Take a look at this site-the right hand x-ray shows the talus sticking up into the slot between tibia and fibula quite well.

If the bone is overstressed while it's healing it will deform, making your ankle much less stable. Try imagining skating WITHOUT a stable ankle. Skateboarding is almost as tough on ankles as ice skating-if you value the sport, give yourself plenty of time to heal. So ASK YOUR DOCTOR FOR A CONSULT WITH PT AND OT RIGHT AWAY.

[devonharold]

DAMN! porter are you a doctor or just smart as hell. thanks alot whoever you are. if you arnt a doctor you should hop on those applications and get that money.

[ghporter]

You cannot pay me enough to be a physician. And I am just not up to the physical strains of medical school. I AM in school to be an occupational therapist though, and we just finished going over some particularly bad outcomes from improper healing of joints. Your post was perfectly timed.

[devonharold]

thanks alot. you think that if i cover my cast i could swim to get exercise

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by devonharold

thanks alot. you think that if i cover my cast i could swim to get exercise

Ask your doctor, but my immediate reaction would be a big NO. The last cast I had was on my ankle/leg, and it was plaster. So I wound up getting it replaced about half way through recovering from a BAD sprain because I wound up finding a puddle of water while hobbling about. Fiberglass casts are better about that, but the padding can absorb water and then NOT dry out, which is a Very Bad Thing for your skin. A stationary bike may be allowable, but again, check with your doctor.

[Weezer]

Originally Posted by ghporter

You cannot pay me enough to be a physician. And I am just not up to the physical strains of medical school.

As a first year, it is almost unbelievable how much material I am responsible for. We have exams that cover 600+ pages of very dense material, and you don't even want to know how much material is covered on our board exams. Library has become my new home

[ghporter]

We had a number of second year med students as TAs in Gross Anatomy. They were GOOD. And I NEVER want to go any farther in Gross Anatomy than the level we went to. A summer version went pretty fast, but was DEEP. And our TAs knew all that stuff. They were great! And I would not trade places with them for a minute.

[Debolicious]

I am getting so frustrated. I had a slip and fall last February in downtown Calgary. I dislocated my ankle (my foot was backwards on my leg) and broke my fibula. I was non-weightbearing for 4 months (following surgery and 2 screws) and my fibula (no fixation) didn't start to heal until around 5 months. Now my fibula is healed but misaligned (and I think it might be moving).

Here's the thing. I have one PT that I've seen and my ortho surgeon telling me that nothing has to be done with this fibula, but another PT and several nurses that I've talked to telling me that something should be done with it, because even though it's a non-weightbearing bone, it's a support mechanism for the ankle. I've been told by at least 2 people to get a second opinion, but I really don't want to look like a fool.

It's now 7-8 months post injury and I'm now walking with a cane. I've had to get pressure stockings because my swelling is still severe. I'm still in quite a bit of pain and I'm still very stiff at certain angles of bending the ankle. I had it suggested to me today that I should see an orthopod as they really know the foot and ankle. Oh, and my ankle really rolls to the right still.

If there is anyone out there that could offer some feedback about my issue....you would make me so happy I just want to know that I'm not being a big baby. The thing is, I want my body to be happy, because I only have one....and I have to make it last!
Thanks for reading!

[Weezer]

first post on an Apple forum is asking for medical advice? Go see another physician if you are still in pain and not mobile. No one will think you are a fool.

[Eriamjh]

I had a shattered spatula once. I got a new one.

[villalobos]

Originally Posted by Weezer 

first post on an Apple forum is asking for medical advice? Go see another physician if you are still in pain and not mobile. No one will think you are a fool.

What he said. I was back on skates 7 months after my broken fibula/dislocated ankle. Every case is different, but it is hard to believe that you still experience swelling. What does your surgeon say about it?

[Mithras]

Just to confirm: This thread is #4 in Google for fractured fibula. Weird.

[villalobos]

Originally Posted by Mithras 

Just to confirm: This thread is #4 in Google for fractured fibula. Weird.

AH, I am famous! Well my broken fibula is.... It came at #8 for me btw.

[musicallil79]

I broke my fibula too playing softball last night. I got a boot today.

[Oisín]

Originally Posted by villalobos 

AH, I am famous! Well my broken fibula is.... It came at #8 for me btw.

Even after all this time (zombie thread alert!!), it still turned up sixth for me. Impressive.

[sek929]