On 2nd January 2010 I broke my tibia and fibula jumping onto the tracks at Clapham Junction Station (London) whilst trying to save a pregnant woman, a blind man and an endangered panda. Okay, I was drunk and rather pathetically fell over and the result was I needed to have an operation to insert an Intramedullary Nail (IM Nail or Rod).
I searched the internet and could not find that much about people’s recovery experiences, what to expect? How quickly would I recover? Would I need the IM Nail taken out? Were there long term problems people experienced with IM Nails?
So I decided to record my experiences just in case it was of any help or use to others going through the same thing:
2mths after the operation >>>
3mths after the operation >>>
4mths after the operation >>>
5mths after the operation >>>
6mths after the operation >>>
1 Year after the operation >>>
2 Years after the operation >>>
3 Years after the operation >>>
IM Nail Removal – Your Experiences >>
IM Nail Removal – Carl’s Experience >>
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Update: Just a quick but massive thank you to everyone who has commented and been willing to share their experiences with others, it really is very helpful to those going through the same thing.
June 6th, 2011 at 9:58 am
Just found this blog and It made me laugh…I too broke my tib/fib 2 weeks ago, drunk in Claham junction. I stayed at St Georges down the road and like you said was not given any information regarding my IM rod and physio etc.
I’ve been looking for more information about recovery and what to expect, your blog was very helpful. Hopefully I will be able to jog round the common in a few months… Or at least hobble without crutches
June 6th, 2011 at 12:47 pm
Thanks!
I wonder how many of us have broken tib/fibs whilst drunk at Clapham Junction? Maybe we should start a special club?
Best of luck with the recovery!
June 6th, 2011 at 11:56 pm
Yes definitely a “special” club
I did mine leapfrogging the bollards outside Mcdonalds on the Northcote Road…in heels. As i came down i just heard the snap and then realised my foot was detached and all floppy! After reading through your blog, i just have one question…what equipment did you find most helpful for rehabilitation…..i have those rubber bands. Was the wobble cushion thingy worth buying?
June 7th, 2011 at 8:14 am
Leapfrogging bollards is definitely more impressive than my silly fall! … I found the wobble cushion quite useful for a couple of months and was worth buying. Then I sold it on ebay so did not cost me much overall at all.
May 8th, 2012 at 6:50 am
Hi, I just came across your blog- hope you still check it. I broke my tib/fib in my left leg a month ago, had surgery and now have a rod and 4 screws in my tib. I wanted to know how you dealt with the atrophy (muscle loss to your bad leg). My bad leg has gotten so skinny and weak compared to my good leg. Did you regain muscle mass easily once you were able to move around more?
Thank you
May 8th, 2012 at 11:36 am
Hi Vivian, thanks for sharing your experience, sorry to hear your bad leg has got so skinny and weak. Once you are able to move around and doing physio, etc. you should be able to put on muscle mass again but it will be gradual until you are able to get to the gym. When one leg is weaker than the other, however, the good leg will over-compensate which is fine when just walking about but when you start to do more strenuous exercise (e.g. jogging/running) it is important to get the muscles in the bad leg up to a similar level otherwise you could create problems in your good leg. The key is just to be patient and make sure you do all your physio exercises.
Please do let us know how the rest of your recovery goes (best of luck!).
July 31st, 2012 at 4:58 pm
I have a tibia IM nail (29th June 2012). I have my 6 week following appt on 9th Aug 2012. I’ll see if i can find out what mine is made of. I’m going abroad in April 2013.
August 15th, 2012 at 1:07 pm
Hope your appointment went well?!
August 15th, 2012 at 5:43 pm
Oh jeez, I’m crapping myself now as my operation is 8th Sept to have screws out. They say they are leaving the nail in as its the screws causing the problem. Just read recent post about his screws being difficult to remove!!
August 15th, 2012 at 5:53 pm
Hi Linda, no need to worry unnecessarily … Carl, who had the complicated screws removed two days ago, seems to be doing very well.
August 17th, 2012 at 7:38 am
Hi everyone ….. I got the email about the survey and it reminded me of how helpful this site was so I thought would share an update.
Ok so to get you up to date I was hit by a car in Feb broke tib/fib and had IM nail inserted in an Australian public hospital. My last post was about two weeks after so I guess everything else is new.
After my first appointment I was quite lost as to what to do to help my own recovery after being provided such limited information, I kinda just laid there hoping the pain would dissipate and my leg would magically return to normal. I was wrong. I went to my 6 week appointment and once again was given no information other then to keep bearing weight and was seen for approx 2 mins and was made an appointment for another 5 weeks. At this stage the pain was more pressure then pain and I was really thinking I wanted this recovery thing to speed up so I took matters into my own hands and found a physiotherapist and it was the best thing I did. Just being given guidance and being given exercises makes such a difference and really does assist to speed up your recovery, if you don’t have one I strongly suggest getting one even at the early stages to limit atrophy.
(sorry have to head out … I’ll update the second half soon)
August 17th, 2012 at 9:14 am
Many thanks Brett! Physio really does make a difference … even before you start weight bearing it is good to keep your foot and ankle active to help recovery.
August 17th, 2012 at 7:50 am
I am going through this at the moment and blogging my own experience. I expect to hear shortly whether I will require an IM nail or whether I will be getting an external frame. The thought of surgery terrifies me but your blog has really helped me to see that it is for the best. Thank you
August 17th, 2012 at 9:14 am
Fingers crossed for you! Hope all goes well!
October 21st, 2012 at 1:27 pm
On the 8th I broke the same places and got the sme thing done. On crutches and plaster atm. Just a question. How long did u stay on cructhes? How many weeks did it take to walk without the cructhes? Thank you. This was a great blog to read.
October 25th, 2012 at 10:24 am
Hi, thanks for posting, but sorry to hear you are going through the same thing as the rest of us IM Nailers!
I didn’t have a plaster, but was on crutches for about a month then was able to hobble which gradually, through the help of physio, became more of a normal walk with a limp and then eventually no limp.
October 25th, 2012 at 11:26 pm
Well that was quick to walk then. I’m hoping its that quick with me too. Had a 2 week follow up appointment yesterday. Got rid of the cast, staple sticthes and I have a cam boot on now. Will need to go back in 4 weeks. Then they said I start physio.
January 3rd, 2013 at 10:34 pm
I too had fractured my tibia and fibula ice skating in Jan 2010. Just this November am I back to full out running on the treadmill in training for fitness and weight loss as I managed to gain alot of weight post fracture. I occasionally have twinges of pain but nothing that is keeping me from activity. I wonder if it is wise to try and become a runner again with the nail in place? There doesn’t seam to be much info re: recovery and long term effects with a IM nail. I wonder if I should have the nail removed but the surgeon said I could keep it for life if not having problems! I just don’t want to create problems by repetitive impacts from running. Do you know of anyone running (ie marathons) with a IM nail?
January 3rd, 2013 at 11:22 pm
Hi Corey, thanks for posting. I have a friend who ran a marathon within 18mths of having an IM Nail put in. From my own experience, I have found that I have had to build up my runs (i.e. length of run) a lot slower than I did prior to my injury otherwise I encounter issues.
February 14th, 2013 at 11:22 pm
I broke my tibia and fibula skiing in 1989. I had an IM rod inserted and after developing a DVT in my good leg, i recovered within a year and after 2-3 years my leg felt normal. Early this year i developed pain in the leg with the IM rod that was as bad as i experienced with the original fracture. Xrays and bone scans failed to show a new fracture but did show some acute activity near the original fracture site. OS beleived it was likely a viral infection beteen the rod and the bone, and recommended rod removal even though by this time my leg was improving The rod was removed on Jan 25, and three weeks later i am completely mobile and can do most things with just a little stiffness / discomfort in the knee. I am posting my experience because I after my OS recommended rod removal i was frustrated to not be able to find much about what to expect anywhere.
March 14th, 2013 at 6:49 am
Thanks for putting this up. I just broke my tib/ fib in a motorcycle accident and had the nail put in last week. I also sprained my ankle pretty badly as the foot was turned around nearly 180 degrees in the wreck. My dr has me on zero weight bearing for six weeks which seems a lot by the other responses I have seen here.
I have loss of feeling in some parts of the foot which I haven’t heard much mention of. The possible long term nerve damage is a bit worrisome but it has been a comfort to read others stories of success.