Removal of my Femur Implant

[baki]

Im a 30 year old guy who had a motorcycle crash 6 years ago when I had a compound fracture on my right thigh. They had to put a rod thru the bone (from the hip joint) and screwed it in at both ends. It took about 2 months for recovery, and I got back to almost normal soon enough. Limitations were (and still are) that I could never put too much weight on the right leg, as it would start paining and pinching where the screws were, and also near the hip joint, where the rod was kept a bit out of the bone (My surgeon said its easier to remove later)
I started regularly cycling some two years back and for the last three months was putting in about 200Kms a week and trying to maintain averages around 30Kph, means I was pushing as hard as I could. Some days back I noticed that my left quads are way bigger than the ones on my broken right leg, which freaked me out. So I went to a surgeon who took X-rays and everything seems good (no broken or bent rod, no broken screws, bone seems to have healed good) and we have planned out a surgery this month end. He says that recovery should not take time, maybe two weeks or so.
Are there others who have had an implant removal here? Id like to know how the recovery was, was any physiotherapy required, and is everything back to normal, rather better than when the implant was in? Ive heard that the length of the leg sometimes shortens out a bit too, which is so not cool!
Would be great to hear some thoughts on this
Thanks
Baki

[wanderingwheels]

Sorry, I don't have any info for you but hey, good luck with the surgery. That's good miles and speed. Keep it up!

[bikeyvenky]

Good luck with the surgery and the recovery, Baki.. !

[loved666]

Baki, i met wtih a bad motorcycle accident way back in 2000 and broke my left femur bone (same as yours) and had a cadmimum rod inside the thigh bone for 2 years and removed. Now all seems good. Slight pain in the joints during winter / rain etc (managable).....

[abhi]

All the best with your surgery. Where are you getting it done.
To answer your other question, I think some therapy time will be involved.

[kk27]

I had a Surgery, albeit on my Left Palm. I had a set of wires inserted to support the Metacarpal bone & it was removed later, though within 1-2months itself. The doc in my case had said this will be a very long process & I might not be able to lift weight with my left had again, but I went thru a very painful physio & continued the exercises daily but those early days of enduring pain helped get back on to normal & my bike just as planned & today all that remains is a scar.

So don't worry, just keep cool & be strong, endure the pain during physio & the first few months and the result will be really fruitful down the line.

[baki]

Hey, thats good to hear loved666. By normal you mean both legs have equal strength right? And the doc has said that physio will not be required now, was it the same for you? and how long was the recovery after the implant was removed?
Thanks for the wishes guys, my surgery will take place next weekend at Nova specialty surgery sadashiv nagar.

[loved666]

Baki, i dont feel any difference now, can run & cycle as normal. didnt do any physio et all. Was able to walk in 2 days post removal of the rod....but some difficulty in bending the knee completely. After a month or so, was able to do normal activities. Dont worry, it will all be fine.

[baki]

That sounds good! Thanks man

[SexJihaad9/11]

In the year 2000 I had a terrible accident that left me with a fracture in my Fibula and 11 cm of bone totally gone from the Tibia.


After the accident I was lying on the road with my right foot connected to my lower leg by just a patch of skin. I was told that the leg would need to be amputated beneath the knee. Luckily my family found some good doctors who grafted in a slice of bone from the Tibia in my left leg into the right leg. The Fibula had a rod inserted into it. I had metal pins and scaffolding that made my right leg look like a construction site for about six months or more.

Once the Tibia had healed to the point of supporting its own weight (but not mine) they took out the scaffolding and the rod in my Fibula. I was bed ridden for a few months and then I walked with a walker for another few months. With a lot of physiotherapy, I regained full operation of my right leg ( I was told that the severed nerves may not grow back in which case I would walk with a limp forever.) Luckily they did.

About a year later, to the day almost, I fractured the leg at the same point while walking, perhaps it wasn't strong enough.

It healed back soon enough though and I haven't had any more trouble ever since, I have trekked up hillsides, swam for many hundreds of hours and most recently cycled about 15K in the last year or so.

I consider myself extremely lucky.

Hope it works out as well for you as it did for me.

[baki]

Wow that must have been intense! Good to know everything is back to good, you are extremely lucky. and 15K is damn impressive man.
With the rod in place I seemed to be doing good too, except I guess I was putting in a lot more effort with my good leg, and with the very apparent visual asymmetry setting in NOW seems a good time to get the implant out.

[photon]

Hi sexjihaad and baki, your guys are great encouragement for anyone who is going through the process of healing from any injury/ailment. I cannot imagine a fractured femur and 11 cms of tibia gone!!! OMG that is some recovery.

Regards

[linuxtechie]

@Baki,

All the best with your surgery, don't worry, the way you have mentioned, you will come back stronger.

+LT