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Post recovery .... People with plates and screws.

Posted , 77 users are following.

natava
natava

Does anyone with plates and screws ever feel like they are pinching or biting your ankle?   I get these sharp bites feeling a couple times a day.   Pushing on it helps.   I am almost 2 years post injury.  

Also so still swells really badly when on feet a lot.  Still????  This pic is of my swelling recently.   

1 like, 124 replies

124 Replies

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  • angela82073
    angela82073 natava

    Posted

    I had a tibia /fibular fracture that is 6 years old.  I still have pain everyday., swelling, tingling on top of foot which always feels asleep and numb, burning sensation , and my muscle died on the outside of my leg and caved in. I still have one plate left.  Should I ask my ortho doc to remove it .  It has recently felt like something slipping out of place several times and day making it impossible to walk.  I’m so frustrated .  Help anyone?
  • margaret55054
    margaret55054 natava

    Posted

    Hi

    I am 4 years, I still have metal plates and screws In. I also completely shredded my tendons when I broke both sides of the ankle, and still get a lot of pain, this week has been worse, as I lost my balance and came down heavy on the bad foot, my doctor has said I will have arthritist in my ankle, and it gets swollen, I was wondering if you can do any damage to the metal plates.

    • angela82073
      angela82073 margaret55054

      Posted

      I’m not sure about damage to the plates .  I do know that I have arthritis that is worsening ( along with the nerve damage ). I go next week to see what I can do about it bc this week has been extremely painful.  I shattered my ankle so badly bones were missing.  Everything is destroyed and they say I am lucky to just still have a foot.  The nerve pain is getting worse though.    Hope u don’t get arthritis too badly. It’s awful as well
    • margaret55054
      margaret55054 angela82073

      Posted

      Hi angela82073

      I am getting medication for arthritist, usually the medication can lessen the pain to being managable, but this week it has been a lot worse, since I came down on that leg hard, when I lost my balance.

      I think it might be time to see if my work can send me to the OT, and see what they say, last time I had broken 2 pins and had to have them removed, I am wondering if it might be better to have the 2 plates and all the bolts removed, to see if that will lessen the pain, and hopefully get it back to being managable.

       I hope you get some good news and they can help to reduce the pain you are in .

    • vanessa1979
      vanessa1979 margaret55054

      Posted

      Hi, did you feel the arthritis pain during your recovery or after you became more active after recovery 
  • patoulli
    patoulli natava

    Posted

    Hi there, i am 2 years post ankle surgery with metal plate & 6 screws left side & 2 screws on right side.

    Suffer from constant swelling & metal parts ache alternately especially when tired.

    Also feel the biting effect of the metal parts on & off with pain level @ around 9 out of 10! It took me nearly 6 months to heal after surgery & walk almost normal. Had to wear orthopedic shoes for another 6 months.

    I had intense physio for 9 months after surgery & then off & on due to swelling issues.

    Physiotherapist recommends removal of metal parts but Surgeon says it's not necessary but the decision is mine.

    Not sure how long i can continue with the swelling, pain & aching. Take Brufen for pain relief.

    • Rusky123
      Rusky123 patoulli

      Posted

      Patoulli I am empathising with you, only 18 months for me but 'biting' is the right word. Here in the UK they do not remove the metal work unless it is absolutely neccessary. My foot and leg are still very swollen and I have been diagnosed with CRPS type 2 as well. I cannot take Ibrobufen in any form, even have reactions to the rub in gel, so just have to put up with the pain. Good luck xx

       

    • patoulli
      patoulli Rusky123

      Posted

      Hi Rusky123

      Sorry for delay in responding but appreciate your empathy. Something i forgot to mention was the change in shape & size of foot after surgery! Having been a size 37 for 35 years I now have huge problems when buying new shoes or boots :-(

      Apart from the fact that injured foot is easily 1/2 size bigger than normal foot I cant wear any straps around the ankle or any stiletto type shoe. When buying boots or trainers i have to be extra careful of any "rubbing" against the sides of my injured foot!! Honestly never thought i would have so many issues post-surgery.

  • angbart80
    angbart80 natava

    Posted

    Mine's not in my ankle, but in my foot.  It hurts all the time, and not always in the same spot, so I sound like some crazy person.  It's always where the hardware is located at though, so I know that HAS to be why it's hurting all the time.  I was thinking about getting the hardware removed, but I lost my insurance and now I don't know what to do...  I just wish I could go back in time and say NO to the surgery...  I don't think people are meant to have a bunch of metal in their bodies...

    • vanessa1979
      vanessa1979 angbart80

      Posted

      I lost my job when I broke my fibula as they wouldn’t give me the time off for non weight bearing not to mention I was in excruciating pain to go anywhere for a week or two so I lost my insurance which made any recovery nearly impossible. I finally got surgery 8 mos after my fibula break and I had to pay for the podiatrist performing surgery, the anesthesiologist, the X-rays during surgery, the cost of the facility aka the hospital, full price for pain meds. It was extremely expensive. Just a heads up if you have to go back for surgery uninsured.  I had to break down and get a go fund me and ask family for help as I didn’t want to burden anyone else but I needed it as I lost muscle mass and my bone was getting worse not being walked on for so long. Best of luck to you!
    • COlet
      COlet angbart80

      Posted

      OMG i can relate. 2yrs ago had hammer toe, bunion and toe straightened on my left foot. There was a plate put in. 1 yr after the big toe went back under the second toe and this bump on top of my foot. The bump would get bigger and when irratated would turn purple and HURT. Finally getting the plate taken out in a few days but in the meantime, the stabbing pain in the foot is an 8 or 9 /10 and lasts for hours its excruacating. I also should have lived with the pain of the bunion i guess.

      Anyone know if there is anything to releive the PAIN

  • DMJ
    DMJ natava

    Posted

    I had the exact same issues with my ankle hardware as well.

    Timeline: 12/9/17 - broke left ankle (Tib and Fib + dislocated as well)

    12/15/17 - had ORIF surgery (12 screws and 2 plates inserted)

    04/17/18 - had one long screw removed for fear it may break (easiest surgery - back at work in 2 days)

    01/22/19 - had remaining hardware removed (11 screws and 2 plates - back at work in 5 days, weekend included)

    Its' 10 days later and I feel sooooo much better. I walked out with my cane after the surgery just for that day. Now, I feel so much better having the hardware removed. I was tired of it pinching me, burning sometimes, and just annoying me. So if you or anyone is thinking about having the hardware removed, just do it!!!! I know it's another surgery, I get it. But you will feel so much better if you get that foreign matter out of your body that doesn't belong there in the first place, let alone a lifetime (unless you have no choice.) . I waited 13 months to have all that hardware removed because I wanted to make sure I was fully healed . Best decision I made throughout this entire broken ankle saga. Talk to your doctor and take it from their, good luck!

    • Charbrnt42
      Charbrnt42 DMJ

      Posted

      as of now im awaiting other things getting straight so i can have another surgery my screws have been slightly pulled out due to all the non treatment before hand im hoping afterward that i may be able to think about removal however i have soo much going on that may not be possible im very glad ur better ill keep u updated as i get this done

  • Willieray04
    Willieray04 natava

    Posted

    i was in a car accident back in 2011. i have pins and screws in my right foot and ankle. i have a job where i have to be on my feet 8 or more hours a day. MY FOOt and ankle swells up so badly and hurts everyday. some days it feels like the pins are piercing my skin from the inside out.

  • DMJ
    DMJ natava

    Posted

    That is exactly what I was going through, which is why I decided to have all the hardware removed in January 2019. It has been 6 weeks now and I feel so much better. I did not want all that foreign hardware in my ankle for a lifetime. I know its another surgery but your clearly suffering now. And the recovery time is no where like the initial surgery was. I walker out of the surgery, in pain yes, but very manageable, and I was back at work in few days. Think it over, it will only get worse.

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