View Full Version : Got Hardware? Questions about hiking after surgery.
A couple of weeks ago I broke the bones in my ankle. I now have a plate & 9 screws holding the bones in place. My surgeon in NC was wonderful and I have lots of confidence in the job that he did. Now I'm back in Ohio and my treating doctor is telling me that I'll always have a limited range of motion and will never be the same as I was. :mad:
I'd love to hear from people who've had knee, foot, ankle, whatever surgery and are still able to get out there and enjoy hiking without pain.
Can you help me out? I'd appreciate hearing a bit about your rehab experience. Like:
How long were you off your feet after surgery?
How long and how often did you do rehab exercises?
How many months did it take before you were able to fully hike like your old self again?
Do you still have problems or is it all healed up 100%?
Did you complete a thru after surgery?
Thanks!
Laura/1Pint:sun
After any orthopedic surgery..you will never be 100%
I was off my feet after my last surgery, a bone transplant. (the last of 4 procedures) for 6 months. It was a yeaer and a half after I got outta that chair that I steped of springer.
Rehab as much as possiable...just use it and listen to your body. It will tell you what you need to do.
Last year I had very few problems with my ankles and only got of trail for home issues, This yeear, I feel it more, but the problem lies in my post-surgical knee.
You will feel the hardware.....is the hardware in the tendons too? If so, you will have to slow it down or end your day if the tendons swell. YOu don't want to tear.
I guess all and all, just see what you can do......your body may amaze you!
Drop me a PM or find me at TDs if you want to talk about it
I split my Knee cap from top to bottom in a fall on a sharp piece of flagstone. It also cut the tendon that holds my thigh muscle to it causing it to bunch up at the top of my leg. After two days in the hospital i was wondering if the hiking trip i had planed in Escalate,Utah in five weeks was a bust. As soon as I could I started using crutch's to walk around the block. This was two weeks before 911. To sum it up, I went and with a little limp I hiked with a 30 lb pack for 8 miles camped for 3 days. Did day hikes and hiked out. Today its as good as ever. There is this stitch that is more like a rope that is under my skin that held the knee cap together. Its a good time to be alive. I don't think medical science could have rebuilt me as fast 20 years ago
I broke my left femur in the winter of 1989, and in spring of 1990 walked from Springer to southern Virginia, about 650 miles. I still had the stainless steel hardware in my leg during that hike. I was on crutches for about 3 months following the break and used a cane for another two or three months after that. "Full recovery" took about maybe nine months... and was aided by lots of hiking and focused exercising of the affected leg.
hammock engineer
05-16-2007, 14:14
I had surgery on my back a few years back. I felt 60% and was running again 5 or 6 months later. It wasn't until the end of the first year before I felt as normal as I'm ever going to get.
Now as long as I keep my weight down (both on me and my pack) and listen to my body I don't have any major issues, minus the one time I give gives up every year or so and lays me up for a couple weeks.
My adivce is to do all the PT you get, and keep doing it long after you stop going. Also make sure you are seeing a sports med. doctor. They are used to these type of injuries. But more importantly that are used to getting people back in proformance shape as quickily and saftely as possible. Don't be afraid to switch docs if you don't like what one said.
With a foot thing, be careful not to overcompensate with the other foot. I hurt my good knee one year doing that after I hurt the other. I would talk more to your doc about this one.
Frolicking Dinosaurs
05-16-2007, 14:35
So sorry to hear you were injured, Laura. :(
I have a metal rod from knee to hip in my right leg, a large screw in my upper femur (hip) and various other screws and hardware to hold the rod in place. Except fot the muscles and nerves that were permanently damaged in the head-on collision, I was back to nearly normal within about 7 months of getting out of the wheelchair.
I did the PT exercises 3 times a day, every day for 22 months. I now do an hour of aerobics / stretching / strength training weekday mornings (with trainers on Lifetime network) and walk from .7 to 2.8 miles depending on my strength / stamina. (I'm older and run out of steam sometimes)
As others mention, you need to pay close attention to your body and stop when it says stop. You will always feel the metal - especially when the barometric pressure changes rapidly (like before storms). While it doesn't seem possible, the metal actually gets cold inside so you may need extra socks / other insulation for that foot in cold weather.
The Solemates
05-16-2007, 15:56
what bone(s) did you fracture and what type of hardware?
Different injury so it doesn't directly relate, but in two seperate incidences I tore the ACL in both of my knees. Both times I was back out hiking (carefully) at three months and back to all normal activity in about six months. Nothing has recovered back to 100%, but it's close enough to not matter. Although it has already been said several times, I think it needs to be said again....PHYSICAL THERAPY!!! It is the single most important thing that you can do to help yourself. Do it, do it well, and you'll be back hiking before you know it.
Steve
my treating doctor is telling me that I'll always have a limited range of motion and will never be the same as I was. :mad:
I'd love to hear from people who've had knee, foot, ankle, whatever surgery and are still able to get out there and enjoy hiking without pain. I haven't come back from surgery, but I'm a geezer and I will never be the same as I was. (And I wasn't that hot to begin with.)
I have arthritis and a limited range of motion and some pain (though not much). It is something to adjust to. I didn't adjust graciously at first, but eventually I realized that just because things had changed and I couldn't do everything I wanted, I could still do most anything, just not at the same level.
As time goes on, and you learn what limits are real and which are not (you may have fewer limits than your doctor thinks - most doctors are used to dealing with "normal' people, not active ones) then you will become accepting of what you can do and can't do as well as before.
Good luck
cannonball
05-16-2007, 16:35
I had major disc surgery this Febuary and did my first over nighter excactley 3 months later. Granted it was only a 12 miler on the FT but I was out there. Sure I am presently only about 60% of what I was before but I am fighting my way back slowly but surely. I think alot of your progression will become attitude after while.
Again, I am soooo fat and out of trail shape now, never the less I am not going to miss my spring AT section hike because I was physically set back this year.
Doing Troutdale sobo to Damascus end of May/ first of June- Hows the water situation there?
one way of affecting motion with very little impact is to get on a bicycle.
Peace. J.J.B.
Mother's Finest
05-16-2007, 17:45
After any orthopedic surgery..you will never be 100%
I was off my feet after my last surgery, a bone transplant. (the last of 4 procedures) for 6 months. It was a yeaer and a half after I got outta that chair that I steped of springer.
Rehab as much as possiable...just use it and listen to your body. It will tell you what you need to do.
Last year I had very few problems with my ankles and only got of trail for home issues, This yeear, I feel it more, but the problem lies in my post-surgical knee.
You will feel the hardware.....is the hardware in the tendons too? If so, you will have to slow it down or end your day if the tendons swell. YOu don't want to tear.
I guess all and all, just see what you can do......your body may amaze you!
Drop me a PM or find me at TDs if you want to talk about it
I concur 100%. Wonder pretty much said it all. the most important thing you can do is good physical therapy (also diet may help you re-build any lost cartilidge)
Use it or lose it.
best of luck
peace
mf
After any orthopedic surgery..you will never be 100%.
I'm not sure I agree entirely. Broken/fractured bones can heal completely, as long as the break doesn't affect the joints at either end. Now, if the injury involves soft tissues (cartilage, tendons) or joints, I'd agree.
I broke a femur. Smashed it. Completely. But I'd have to say the recovery was 100%. My left leg is now a few millimeters shorter than my right, but it's hardly noticeable, and hasn't impacted my ability to walk, run, hike, or ski.
The Solemates
05-17-2007, 09:09
I'm not sure I agree entirely.
depends on the person's demeanor, age, weight, sex, habits, and severity of the fracture. there is no blanket statement as to whether it will be as good as it ever was. I've broken plenty of bones growing up and I'm 100%. But I am a very active young male who is at optimal weight, don't smoke and have a decent diet, and all of my fractures have been clean with little displacement and no comminution.
Gray Blazer
05-17-2007, 09:26
Hi One Pint, as we both know, being that our sports teams are #1 and #2 in the country, that athletes have these kinds of injuries a lot and yet, in some cases, they will be back on the field/court in months! I am one and a half years out of knee surgery and I have titanium and cadaver parts in me (I should have specified a hiker's tendon and not the 90 yr old man's part I think I got). It still feels weird, but I know it's getting better. Last summer I hiked about 20 miles and could do no more because of intensifying pain. This last April, I was able to hike about 40 miles in a few days and I felt like I could do a lot more. My point is it will take time and it may feel weird for a long time (Remember, you've had nerves severed that will reconnect or recircuit eventually). Take your time. Do the rehab (Those guys are nuts so be careful! Tell me they were not trying to reinjure me. They had me balancing on my bad knee on a mini-tramp and bouncing and catching a 10 lb. ball off another tramp at the same time!). If you don't rush it, you'll be back out there in no time. See Ya!
Appalachian Tater
05-17-2007, 10:30
With an ankle fracture repaired by a plate and nine screws, you will likely never have the complete range of motion (ROM) you had before, but there is no reason you should not be able to hike. You need physical therapy (as ordered by your orthopod) to regain as much movement as possible. It is crucial to start as soon as your surgical recovery will allow.
What kind of fracture do you have?
Swimming is a good, low-stress exercise that would also be great for ankle ROM.
Be sure to discuss your goals (hiking) with your orthopod and physical therapist so they understand what you want to do and can offer suggestions on how to get there.
Your orthopod is necessarily conservative or realistic in his prognosis, especially since he was not the surgeon.
Good luck!
Kerosene
05-17-2007, 12:06
Let me add one more suggestion to the good list above. Once you're off of crutches and at least partway through PT, ask your therapist to recommend a massage therapist who works on accident victims and those with chronic musculo-skeletal problems. Schedule a series of 90-minute sessions separated by 1-2 weeks. The massage therapist will likely use a number of deep tissue (read painful) techniques to try to loosen and stretch all of those muscles that have tried to accommodate your walking on crutches, hobbling on a cast, and learning how to walk again.
As a soccer player I tend to get a lot of leg injuries. I've learned that some intensive massage can help loosen and re-balance the various back and leg muscles, which will dramatically reduce follow-on nagging injuries. After recuperating from an MCL tear for 4 months (the ortho said it would've only been 1 month if I was 18 years old!), I went through a series of muscle pulls (calf, hamstring, quadriceps, back, calf...) over two months, alternating from the right side of my body to the left. After three 90-minute sessions I went for 6 months without similar injury, despite playing 3-4 times a week.
Shutterbug
05-17-2007, 20:29
...
I'd love to hear from people who've had knee, foot, ankle, whatever surgery and are still able to get out there and enjoy hiking without pain. ...
Thanks!
Laura/1Pint:sun
Mine was a heart bypass. Physical recovery is important, but it is equally important that you regain your mental confidence.
I agree that you should listen to your body when it tells you that you need to stop, but you need to keep pushing your limits. Don't allow your limitations to be come permanent. Start by walking as much as you can, then extend the distance each day.
I started using a pedometer. I keep it in my pocket all of the time. I now walk a minimum of 10,000 steps a day.
One more piece of advice -- watch your weight carefully. If you keep eating the same while reducing your activity level, you will gain weight. A lot of people put on weight after surgery.
I broke my femur one September and had a large titanium rod and three big screws put in. It's still there almost ten years later. I was running, although much slower than usual, by March. I fought fire all that summer. By the next fall I was backpacking hard and carrying heavy packs at times.
I never made it back to 100%, but close enough and I can't complain. I really didn't notice my old injury on my thru-hike which stared about 2 1/2 years after I broke my leg.
Take rehab seriously and do just what they tell you and give them feedback. Don't overdo it or underdo it. I did the exercises daily.
You'll can make it back!
First, sorry for the delay between posting my question and this first response. I'm staying with someone who doesn't have internet at home and I can't get to it unless I get someone to pick me up at the house and take me to the library. (and I hate bothering people with requests) Good news is that starting tomorrow, I'll be staying at another friend's place for 2 weeks and I'll be able to use the computer there.
Second, THANK YOU for all of your great responses. I appreciated the details about how long it took you to get back into your activities and the ideas for massage therapy, an extra sock in winter, and such. It's really helpful to hear from you that you were able to get back into hiking and running. I think I was starting to get scared that I'd never be able to run another marathon or do a thru hike. I'm super glad to hear that's not the case.
One of the hardest parts about this was going from hiking every day to a completely sedentary life. Ugh! First week was fun, but after that I could tell how much my body missed the movement. But, I only have a few more weeks of the sedentary life (sounds like an eternity) and then I can get in the pool and start swimming and doing the rehab exercises.
Third, a couple of you asked for specifics. I fractured both of the long bones in my shin/ankle and I chipped one bone. The hardware (all stainless steel) is a plate with 7 screws running down on the outside of my ankle to keep the ankle in allignment and then 2 screws on the inside of the ankle to hold the chipped piece in place.
Again, THANKS for your feedback and for sharing your recovery experiences.
Hope to see you on the trail next year,
Laura/1Pint
Class of 2008 :D
Severed my quadricep tendon, completely off the kneecap, in April, '04, at age 50. Surgery and four months in a heel-to-crotch Bledsoe brace. Then, six months of P/T. From there, on my own, I ran steps and hills and lifted weights. I was able to hike, very carefully, on easy terrain about six months after the injury, but it took me a year and a half to get back to equal strength with my good quad. I'll never have the last 2 or 3 degrees of flexion and extension in the knee, but that presents no functional problems. After a year and a half, I considered myself fully recovered, and I've been hiking pain free since then.
What I took away from the whole miserable experience was (1) don't rush things, (2) follow your P.T.'s program religiously (p/t many days hurt worse than the original injury, and you'll be tempted to blow off a few sessions), and (3) continue to rehab on your own when p/t is done. And they aren't kidding when they say a positive mental attitude makes a huge difference.
And, you're young. See you out there soon.
I'm currently recovering from two diskectomies and subsequent nerve damage, with pain management starting in a week...just want to thank all of you for posting your advice.1pint, you'll be kicking ass in little to no time, my kid brother had surgery very similar to yours,and less than a year later he is relatively normal.(and he walks fine too!) I'm limited in my pt options, have a shoulder injury that rules out much hydro, so i've gone awol and am working to my own routine of long dog walks and standing/walking as much as often.anyway, i want to say i enjoy hearing about others recoveries,kinda makes you appreciate your "vehicle" yeah?