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ORIF Broken Femur/ORIF surgery Dec. 20, 2020.

@DJL1967 ~ Thank you, it's good to finally read of someone that has experienced a broken femur. The recovery is different than from TKR: not as painful for me but taking more time to heal enough to walk without assistance. Wow, your injuries were more serious than mine and you recovered and brave enough to get back to skiing ~ that is impressive and encouraging. Did you have to wear a brace after the surgery and how long? Did you have more pain once you stopped wearing the brace fulltime and was allowed to put weight on the leg? How was your back from sitting around so much at the beginning?

Good luck waiting for surgery in London. Come back here for great advice. My friends just moved to London, Ontario from Brampton back in November and love all the green spaces and trails to walk their dog. Stay safe ~ hopefully London will soon be offering the vaccine.
 
@Jockette ~ that's a good point you make. I had minimal discomfort in the beginning when I was wearing the brace fulltime and not being able to get around on my own, other than hopping on one foot into the bathroom after being wheeled in the wheelchair. I stopped using the wheelchair once I was cleared to put weight on the leg and just used the walker. Since then, I've been cleared to go without the brace around the house and at the same time, I've increased my mobility, doing chores and probably standing for too long. I've also been able to put on both socks and shoes and tying up the laces. I've come to the conclusion that I shouldn't do up the left lace because it triggers the pain, so this morning asked hubby to do it.

Yesterday, I wore the brace almost all day, thinking that it "holds everything in place" and the weight of that, along with all the chores I did (with walker nearby) may very well have added to the pain. I'm going to try to go without the brace for most of today and see how I do.

After my physio appt. on Tuesday, I bought walking poles recommended by p.t. and I'll take them with me tomorrow so she can show me how to use them properly. I'm guessing this acheyness is probably par for the course as I become more mobile.
 
Jockette brought up a really good point about the weight of the brace. When I broke my foot and ankle I was put into a cast from my knee to my toes, which added a lot of weight to my leg. My new knee was very unhappy with this and let me know. I was non-weight bearing which added even more weight to my poor knee. After 6 weeks I was able to toe touch and my knee settled down some. It got much better after I was full weight-bearing. Your brace is bound to cause added pain to your knee.
 
liam2015 said:
@DJL1967 ~ Thank you, it's good to finally read of someone that has experienced a broken femur. The recovery is different than from TKR: not as painful for me but taking more time to heal enough to walk without assistance. Wow, your injuries were more serious than mine and you recovered and brave enough to get back to skiing ~ that is impressive and encouraging. Did you have to wear a brace after the surgery and how long? Did you have more pain once you stopped wearing the brace fulltime and was allowed to put weight on the leg? How was your back from sitting around so much at the beginning?
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@liam2015 I did not require a brace for the leg after surgery. In the accident I also fractured 4 vertebrae and messed up my shoulder so I was pretty much bed ridden for the first 2 months. The back pain was so much worse than the femur fracture but thankfully only required bed rest and no surgical interventions. I was zero weight bearing for the first 6 weeks than every couple weeks afterwards I was allowed 25% weight on the leg. It was a long recovery but I think I am a fast healer and my knowledge with doing my own physio helped speed things up.
I see by your xrays your femur was stabilized with plate and screws vs IM rod. Maybe this is the reason for a brace afterwards.
My surgeon in London will remove the fixation rod at the same time as my bilateral's as he feels down the road I will likely need a new hip and therefore the rod will need to come out. I like his forward thinking.
 
Thank you @sistersinhim ~ I think you and @Jockette might be on to something. I have not put the brace on today and also trying not to walk around too much and so far, so good.

I try to do chores in stages but when you start on something, like emptying the dishwasher, or preparing dinner, you just want to get it done so you can sit down again (speaking for myself).

I remember when you broke your foot ~ that was awful. I hope you're doing better now.:tada:
 
@DJL1967 ~ I can't imagine what you went through with your leg, back and shoulder at the same time. Thank goodness you're okay now. I think you'll be very happy with your bilateral knee replacements after healing. Up until this recent injury, gradually I was back to doing everything I did before and no pain. The worst pain was the first 3 weeks, not just the TKR pain but the constipation from taking the narcotic meds that led to terrible gas pains. I stopped the meds at the 3 week point.

You have a very wise doctor. Hope it's not too long before you get the surgery.
 
I’m sure there are still times you have to wear the brace, and I’m not saying you shouldn’t, when you should, but I do think it can cause some “side effects” that will hopefully be temporary, and your body will get back to normal after you don’t need it anymore.
 
Yes, I will wear it in the car and if we go out somewhere. Funny enough it makes me feel somewhat protected. I haven't worn it in the house today and still no pain, but taking it easier than yesterday.
 
PHYSIO UPDATE: I walked with the recommended walking poles today with the help of the p.t. I found it a little confusing at first trying to get the right rhythm of "right pole, left foot". She had me try with just one pole and I did well I think. When I sat down after, I had severe pains through my thigh. They stopped when I sat more forward to the edge of the chair. She wants me to practise a few times every day.

I'm guessing all this extra activity and moving around more is causing pain if I overdo it. It was good knowing that my leg didn't collapse when I walked without the walker ~ will keep trying.
 
PYSIO UPDATE: The p.t. wants me to try walking around the house more, using the walking pole rather than the walker whenever I can. I do much better using just the one pole for now, as I'm hesitant with the 2 poles, somehow feeling unstable.
I continue to have random pains when standing too long. Why is my lower back so stiff when standing more than around 15 minutes?
I walked down the stairs and back up the other day holding on to the railing and yesterday I was able to cut toenails on both feet. I'm doing a lot more chores to help out hubby, who works fulltime from home and has been doing almost everything. I still need him to put the bath transfer bench in the tub and help me out after since water gets on the ceramic tile floor due to the bench and I don't want to slip.
I got first dose of vaccine last Thursday and hubby gets his tomorrow. Life goes on!
 
Wow. Great progress. My wife had a tibia fracture 2 mo ao.
Quick question

Has your ROM improved as you walked more? From the 90-95 degrees you mentioned.
Did it come more from your walking or physiotherapy.
Thanks
 
@VolFan0927 ~ yes, I think my r.o.m. has improved but I haven't had it measured lately. At my last appointment the p.t. said she would measure me next time, which is tomorrow, April 13 and I'll get back to you. It's hard to say what helped. I do walk around the house more doing more and more chores, using the walker, and now practising using one pole, walking up and down hallway.
The physiotherapist bends my knee past discomfort, which I don't like, but I had the same therapy after knee replacement and last time estimated 100 to 103 degrees, which I realize isn't the same as me being able to do it naturally to that degree.
I'll update tomorrow with r.o.m. How did your wife fracture her tibia? Hope's she's recovering.
 
There is no reason to let PT bend your knee past discomfort @liam2015 and it could even set you back. Tell the PT YOU will bend it to the point of discomfort and no further, he can measure it there. That's where you REALLY are anyway, more will come with time and reduced swelling. Pushing past discomfort just causes pain and swelling. The ROM is in there, your knee just needs to calm down enough to realize it.
This is what one of our members suggested you say to your PT therapist:
  • I expect discomfort. I DO NOT expect actual significant pain.
  • The definition of what is painful is owned by me, not you.
  • When I say stop, we're crossing the line into pain. I expect you to immediately stop.
  • Trying to force me past the pain point or not listening to me will completely break my trust in you.
  • I want us to be partners in this. I'm willing to try almost anything, as long as I can continue to trust you.
  • If I trust you, I will go right up to the line between discomfort and pain. If I do not trust you, I will likely start tensing up as soon as any discomfort starts. At that point I may as well get a new therapist.
 
Thanks liam2015. My wife fell on a tile floor in the bathroom. She fractured her tibia plateau in multiple places, and tore meniscus - about 2.5 months ago. The OS wants increased ROM understandably. She is around 90 degrees now. Biggest challenge is flexion, as she can straighten her leg out in extension. Her new PT is introducing new exercises, about 6-8 in last 2 sessions, but has been focusing on ROM, hip flexors, calves, back, hamstrings, and Quads. She was exhausted yesterday, but mainly in areas related to her leg muscles and lower back (she had previous back fractures - so we are monitoring this closely). She is having residual muscle soreness after her sessions.
I have told her be patient on ROM, and asked the PT yesterday how much improvement of ROM is through the exercises being done now vs. normal at home movement. He mentioned he was focusing both on ROM and muscle strength. She can progress to 50% weight bearing now on her broken tibia, but realistically it will take her another 3-5 weeks I think before she is doing that.
Thanks for sharing and hope your recovery goes well.
 
@VolFan0927 ~ Sounds very painful; hopefully your wife can soon put more than 50% weight on her leg. I had to hop on one foot to the wheelchair until I could put 50% weight on my leg, but I found out from p.t. I was already putting way more than 50%; soon after I was cleared to put full weight on if I felt comfortable. How was your wife getting around before she could put weight on her leg? It is exhausting just getting ready to go out and then the physio. I've also found my back gets stiff standing too long or sitting too long.:groan:Patience.
 
She uses a walker to ambulate. She trys not to hop on one leg, as the good leg had 5 knee surgeries, including a ligament replacement. So I try to assist her when she goes from chair to car or PT table. She uses walker otherwise. She put 20 pounds last week on it, and we have approval to go to 50% next week. She doesn't want to use crutches, although that might change when she use them to assist when walking on both legs. She is going slow, as she has osteogenisis imperfecta (brittle bone disease), so her bone healing may take a little longer. She definitely is exhausted getting out, especially if we go out and then come home. Although at 9 weeks PO, starting to get a little stir crazy staying in.
 
liam2015 said:
The physiotherapist bends my knee past discomfort, which I don't like,
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FCBayern said:
There is no reason to let PT bend your knee past discomfort @liam2015 and it could even set you back.
Click to expand...
I agree, no need for painful PT, or someone to push your bend to any degree. I will never allow someone to bend my knee again.
 
Thanks for the reminder @FCBayern Bayern and @Jockette. Funny enough today, she had me try the bike instead of her bending my knee. I don't force my knee to bend past where it will go naturally now at home when doing the heel slides, only to where it stops.:tada:
 
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PHYSIO UPDATE: It's been 15-1/2 weeks post-op. Today I was able to pedal on the stationary bike for around 5 minutes. The p.t. estimates my r.o.m. at 105 degrees.

I didn't use my walker at all to get into the clinic; I used one pole (activator) to walk from the car and up 2 steps (I used the ramp when I had the walker); same when exiting.

The p.t. did massage and the assistant did the laser treatment, set up the TENS and the hot pack on my knee, thigh and shin; no flexing of the knee past discomfort today ~ instead used the bike. I was given 2 more easy exercises to do at home: lifting my leg to the side and tiptoe up and down. I was already doing these while waiting for magic bag to heat up in microwave. These are in addition to heel slides and leg lifts, which I only do sporadically. The p.t. said she doesn't want me to try walking without assistance because I am limping. I'm using the pole more around the house.

I'm beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel; finally some progress after all this time.:SUNsmile:
 
Is there anything that can help with stiffness when getting up after sitting or laying down? I have been back to doing some of the chores that I used to do prior to this surgery so I'm no longer sitting for hours. I make lunch and dinner for myself and hubby and the dog, while hubby is working downstairs from home.

I sometimes do chores In stages because my back starts to feel weak from standing too long. I also have to do things one at a time, going back and forth, as I'm walking with a pole in my right hand so I can carry things in my left hand. Everything, like making the bed, emptying dishwasher, wiping up in kitchen, fixing the sofa up, moving my laptop, drink, remotes for t.v., phone, etc. when I move to a different location, takes longer and more steps. In other words, I'm not sitting all the time. I do need to take a nap in the afternoon so I can have some energy for the evening.

It takes awhile for me to walk fluidly after getting up from my chair, sofa or bed...I am so stiff. It's been 4-1/2 months, gradually improving with r.o.m. and mobility, except for stiffness and also stiffness in my thigh which I feel when walking. The p.t. thinks it's muscular. I do sometimes ice after being on my feet for too long and I also use heat at other times, as recommended by p.t. Any thoughts as to resolving this or is it just a matter of time and patience?
 
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