Has Anyone Had Plates And Screws Removed From Leg After A Bad Break...

[kylesmum]

and was there an improvement?

My sis had multiple fractures a few years back in her leg (5) including a nasty spiral tibula.
She had 2 plates and 12 screws inserted in a lengthy op.

She now has pain and swelling on the top of her foot and she had a large swelling, at least 4inches by inches on the scar where the the fibula was dealt with and where the plate ends....just the past few days.

Will this be due to the metal plates aggravating her tissue?

She is in constant pain and she is struggling with this. She is reluctant to go to the her GP as she can't face another operation.

Does anyone have any previous experience of plates and screws being removed? I understand her reluctance but i'm sure they're not helping her.

Thank you in advance.

[woofgang]

Kylesmum if the pain is caused by plate or screw movement then taking out the metal almost always relieves the pain like magic. Again if she is now a year post fracture then the bone should be well knitted by now. Screws and plates are more like sellotape than carpentry, designed to hold the pieces together while the bone knits, not to strengthen the bone itself.

[ummmm]

My uncle had a serious accident (fell 30ft from scaffolding) and had plates, screws and whatnots, in his arms and head. One of the screws in his arm made it's way out. It actually protruded through the skin. Doctor said that if it's making it's way out the body doesn't need it anymore.

[Greedyfly]

I sympathise. I have broke my ankle six years ago and had plates and pins, these were removed a few months later due to a pin sticking out and being quite uncomfortable. Unfortunately I have had six surgeries in total so far due to long term pain and my last surgery was ten weeks ago. I am pretty sure I will have another one at least.

In hindsight I wish someone had told me to accept the pain and get on with it as I am in a much worse position now than I was five years ago. I am currently in a position were I am in continual pain still but now my surgeons have to keep going in to fix issues, which I believe are usually result of the last surgery I had.

After having the plates and pins removed I suffered with severe instability and so had to have further surgery to 'strengthen' the ankle. That said I know a few people who have had their plates and pins out and have very good mobility and very little pain.

Personally I if I could do it all again I would have waited a considerable amount of time before having the first surgery and everyone since. But no one ever said to me at the age of 23 years old that my ankle would never be the same again and whilst it seems obvious to me now I genuinely thought that after I had had my surgery and my physio that I would be back to 'normal'. If I had known then what I know now I would have stuck with it. But that is my experience and both my surgeons tell me that I was just very unlucky.

The swelling after the first surgery for me lasted for months, maybe even a year and a friend of mine still gets swelling after years.

Many people suffer with pins/plates being uncomfortable and many people have them removed successfully. It is not an emergency I am sure but

[Greedyfly]

Oooops pressed send by accident - I would advise seeing the consultant to review.