Broken Leg

W

Windtunnel36

PR Addict
In Oct. I broke my lower leg, Tib, fib and ankle trail riding. I had surgery and he installed a rod in the tib and plated the fib, pinned the ankle. I just saw the doctor again this morning and he said it has healed a lot since I saw him 6 weeks ago but I still have a ways to go. It was very depressing. I was hoping it had grown together and I would be good to go. I take vitamins, eat right and rest. I wonder if there is anything else I can do to speed up healing? Any suggestions? I'll be 52 next week so some say that might have something to do with it.
 
wish i had an answer for you. bummer on all that though. im anxiously awaiting my dr visit on the 10th for my collarbone. i know its not even close yet, but im curious as to what kind of progress its making. ive been just trying to eat healthy-ish, drinking more milk than usual, and taking vitamins as well.
 
TwentyThreeMX said:
wish i had an answer for you. bummer on all that though. im anxiously awaiting my dr visit on the 10th for my collarbone. i know its not even close yet, but im curious as to what kind of progress its making. ive been just trying to eat healthy-ish, drinking more milk than usual, and taking vitamins as well.
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man another collar bone? with mine included i know of 4 broken collarbones in the past 6 months. crazy. i have 5 screws and a plate in mine now :(

and i have nothing to add to the broken leg dilemma. ask your doc about an ultrasound bone healer. i used one on my collarbone when i was trying to speed up recovery. i have no way of telling if it helped or not but it sure was a fancy little gadget.
 
i need me a fancy little gadget lol. this is the 4th time breaking a collarbone for me. 3rd time on this side, the other side has a plate and 6 screws.
 
im in the middle of broken leg right now too. been on crutches for 5 months now and have this crazy lookin halo on my leg with 9 pins sticking out. the doc suggested that i start taking in more protein to help with bone growth. he said drink a muscle milk everyday and its seeming to help some. and also, put your leg up as much as you can so the swelling stays down. when theres more swelling, theres less healing.
 
TwentyThreeMX said:
i need me a fancy little gadget lol. this is the 4th time breaking a collarbone for me. 3rd time on this side, the other side has a plate and 6 screws.
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Do you think you're breaking it because of a leatt, or do you not wear a leatt? Just curious.
 
Keep active ! The more you keep active the more blood your heart pumps the faster you will heal ! Blood flow brings the nutrients needed to the bones to heal.
Now I'm NOT saying run around and be stupid. You CAN crutch around as much as possible. Don't sit around thinking the rest is helping you. Elevate your leg if it feels swollen. Do aerobic exercise with your upper body. Find a stationary bike that has the moving handle bars, this way you can use it with your arms and one leg. Be certain NOT to use your bad leg at all.
I have had multiple broken bones and I always heal much faster than the doctors think I should have. I dont know for sure if this is why but this is what I have always done.
 
guess i could have included that yeah I have also been riding a stationary bike almost every day, along with muscle milk. The muscle milk is pretty pricey but I picked up the big containers of the powder on amazon for like 28 bucks. It was like 1.65 pounds and it will last you about 30-40 days depending on how much you mix. I haven't been taking as much of it as when I do a full work out, kind of cut it in half to make it last longer and because I'm not burning up as much energy and only really working cardio/legs. I've also been doing some stretching and such.

and david, not sure. im a little sketchy about the leatt now, first bad wreck and broke my collarbone. but i hit pretty hard right on my shoulder/head, so it may have been one of those things that was going to happen either way. ive broke 4 collarbones now, 3 times without a leatt, so its not like its a surprise to me that i would break one lol.
 
I wear a Leatt and a few years ago I broke my collarbone in 2 places and had it plated.

BUT, I was NOT wearing my Leatt when that happened. If I had been wearing the Leatt when it broke, I'm sure I would have been thinking the Leatt caused the break.
 
Thanks for the replies and the input. I will try the Muscle Milk and I want to get an Air Dyne that works arms and legs. I need activity from sitting around for several months. I saw my family doctors this morning and they want me to go to Cleveland Clinic for a second opinion. The guy that has been on crutches for 5 months, good luck, hopefully you are on the mend. I miss riding so much and not sure when I will feel comfortable getting back out there. For sure I will be there watching. Thanks.
 
Hi I broke my leg right below the knee. I'm 48 and it took about 6 months. You can not rush this. Just keep moving around a little and watch out for blood clots. Being are age they come easy.
 
Windtunnel36 said:
In Oct. I broke my lower leg, Tib, fib and ankle trail riding. I had surgery and he installed a rod in the tib and plated the fib, pinned the ankle. I just saw the doctor again this morning and he said it has healed a lot since I saw him 6 weeks ago but I still have a ways to go. It was very depressing. I was hoping it had grown together and I would be good to go. I take vitamins, eat right and rest. I wonder if there is anything else I can do to speed up healing? Any suggestions? I'll be 52 next week so some say that might have something to do with it.
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You have a lot going on there. Take the time on your next doctor visit to 20 question him about anything. I see so many patients who stare at the doctor and go...eh? What did he say? You're paying him to tell you progress, so ask him anything and everything. Write down your thoughts periodically so you don't forget.

With you being 52 bone density and the healing process just isn't the same as when you were 25. This is just nursing judgment, as i'm not a doctor but I would say to move that extremity as tolerated and as much as you can tolerate, elevate when swollen and apply heat to the area to promote adequate blood flow. Blood carries your nutrients that aid in healing. Cold extremities heal slower, it's a fact; (e.g. less blood flow=less nutrients=delayed healing.) At 52 your skin is a little thinner and tends to lose heat quicker than your younger counterparts. Joints are very difficult to judge healing time and it pretty much comes back to your biology on how slow or fast you will heal. You just have to be patient. Eat your Green leafy vegetables and fruits.

Are you weight bearing at all on the effected extremity? And is your leg casted or do you have an adjustable brace?
 
I had a cast after surgery but got a rash from my toes to my groin. It was driving me crazy so they cut the cast off and put a boot on, that was not my surgeon that did that. The next time I saw my doctor he couldn't believe they took the cast off without consulting him, same group of doctors. He put me back in a cast for maybe two months. Then back in the Velcro boot and now nothing. I have been using a cane for about 10 days and he seemed fine with that, just to not over due it. My family doctor did say, sometimes soft tissue begins to grow in between the break that doesn't show up on X-ray. On X-ray it still shows a gap. I do have a lot of swelling when I am on it but try and elevate it, I have never tried heat, was afraid it would swell more. Early on I used a lot of ice. Thanks guys.
 
Well Ice is good early on. Elevation is the best for relieving swelling at your point. Heat won't necessarily make it swell, swelling is usually from your body holding water. The heat promotes blood flow. A few months after surgery your body should be over the inflammatory stage...Ask your doctor about trying a NSAID regimen if the swelling just wont go away with elevation.

Since you are moving, I would recommend going to a pool, walking in the pool if you can. Unless your pins are external through the skin I guess. But otherwise when you elevate your foot you should do some range of motion excercises as much as possible. Keep it moving man! Hope you start healing up faster at the later stages!
 
I'll be 52 in a couple weeks too . Severely broke the talus bone in my left ankle at age 44 ( and diabetic ) . Wasn't allowed to even wiggle my toes for 6 months and non-weight bearing for 9 . If I could do it over again ( the healing process not the break :) ) I would wiggle and flex and massage the area MUCH sooner and more as some tendons that seized up have never broken free to this day . Still have swelling , pain , limited motion , etc. . Pool therapy helped more than anything . Some other good tips in this thread that I wish I'd had . Good luck !
 
Windtunnel36 said:
In Oct. I broke my lower leg, Tib, fib and ankle trail riding. I had surgery and he installed a rod in the tib and plated the fib, pinned the ankle. I just saw the doctor again this morning and he said it has healed a lot since I saw him 6 weeks ago but I still have a ways to go. It was very depressing. I was hoping it had grown together and I would be good to go. I take vitamins, eat right and rest. I wonder if there is anything else I can do to speed up healing? Any suggestions? I'll be 52 next week so some say that might have something to do with it.
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G.H. illegal here and kinda expensive from canada but stallone has been taking it forever and alot swear by it for injury
 
its crazy how many extra things can happen with a broken leg. about 6 weeks ago i had to get 2 surgeries because of infection, they had to take out the plates and screws and now put this crazy halo on it called a taylor spatial frame (google it, its pretty nuts). i have to give myself IV antibiotics every 8 hours, and they think the infection actually came back now. so they put me on more powerful antibiotics yesterday, took it for the first time and had a crazy reaction that put me in the hospital again for the night and just got out earlier today. then i go back to the dr. on monday and i might have to get more surgery because of the infection and a nice 2 week stay in the hospital, but im really hoping that wont happen. Ive had pretty much all of my freedom taken away from me for the past 6 months and its definitely getting old. but what im trying to say is, do not push it any more then what the doctor tells you to do, because its extremely easy for it to escalate out of control. im only 17, and the past 6 months have changed my outlook on everything in life more then what i thought an injury ever could have. so take it easy, and heal that leg up! good luck.
 
Bornhorst, Man I feel for you. 09 broke my wrist, surgery, infection. I had a pic line in my arm mainlining antibiotics. What you have is serious, do what the doctors say. If your not comfortable with your progress, by all means get a second opinion. I did not until it was very infected. I had to have a second surgery to clean it out. I looked at my arm at one point and took a picture of it, it looked bad but I did what they said and was riding again in about 6 months. The infection didn't let the bone heal right but it is ok, my leg is my problem now. I learned one thing from the infection. I didn't do anything with this injury for fear of an infection. My doctor said stay home, do nothing for the first month to let it heal. I did what he said. You are a young man, do what the doctors say and get healed up. Plenty of profesional athletes have had surgical infections so it is not just you. Take care of the injury, eat right, rest and stay home if possible until you are better. Hang in there. I agree injuries change how you feel about life. You sound very mature for your age. Be confident that you will get better.
 
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