 Poster: A snowHead
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Fractured my fibula on 22nd December. It's a clean break and not required surgery/plates/screws. In non weight bearing plaster at the moment. Hopefully out of plaster early Feb. I had two trips booked but the second was mid Feb so have cancelled both.
HOw long would it be until I can ski gently? I was hoping to take my daughter (blue slopes only) for a long weekend mid march snow permitting
Thoughts?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Just glue the binding bit of an old set of ski boots to your plastercast. jobs a good un
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You will need to talk to your doctor/fracture clinic. As without their say so you wouldn't be insured for any further problems.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I broke my fibula 24th December 2010. I could have done physio better than I did, and I went back to work last week of March (doctors told me to do 10 weeks off - I do a physical job so couldn't be desk-bound)
All I can say is, I should have waited longer and done physio properly. It did long term damage rushing back to work, which I'm still trying to fix, 6 years later.
I don't want to be a killjoy but my honest thoughts would be to knock skiing on the head for this year. It sucks, but it'll be much better to go back next year fully recovered, then rush back this year, do yourself an injury which to a normal person would hurt but not be serious - and do serious harm that takes twice as long to put right.
Skiing gently is all very well, but low-speed injuries, especially where your binding doesn't function because of the low energy, can be some of the worst injuries.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@OMF Mark,
6 weeks for the fracture to heal. If the boot is removable start physio as soon as you can, even first few weeks. ( you may want to double check that with fracture clinic)
The fracture will be tender for months so may be difficult to wear boots. Also if stiff the boot will be sore or difficult to get into.
The ankle will tend to swell for many months after sports. You may feel the ankle is weak and likley to turn over of you don't do any rehab so ironically the boot will support it.
I've known some ski at six weeks - but pretty sore. By three months hopefully should be fine if you've worked hard at rehab.
Jonathan Bell
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Excellent advice as usual from Johnathan.
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I bust mine 4 years ago when I hit a car on the bike. Surgical debridement but it went back together well so just in a boot. I was back on the bike after 6 weeks. No real ill effects other than a bit sore on uneven ground for a bit. I don't know if I'd fancy skiing after 6 weeks but cycling was fine.
No problems with it now.
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Around new year, having just booked the SOPiB on 21 Feb, I managed to give myself a stress fracture of the fibula. I was determined I'd get better quickly and didn't rest, sensibly convincing myself that using it would be the best approach.
Of course I went skiing. The line of the fracture was about the level of the top of my ski boot. First day was ok. Second and subsequent days it got progressively more uncomfortable, not helped by icy crud and bumps off piste.
I carried on skiing but with less and less commitment to the turns... A few days later I fell in deep snow and tweaked it. Managed to get back down under my own steam somehow - too proud to call the blood wagon - but boy was it sore. Drove back to the airport and went to A&E when I was back home, where they confirmed it was now a proper break. I then recalled the popping sensation in my calf as I fell...
I know, I was very stupid.
Anyway, they didn't give me a cast. I can't remember how long it took me to get better, but walking was initially excruciating and I was conscious of a dull ache for months. My muscles were surprisingly wasted too. I do recall being very nervous of it for the rest of the year, and being apprehensive when I went skiing the following season. It ended up being fine though.
If I was to do it again, I wouldn't even consider skiing unless my leg no longer felt remotely sensitive and I'd given it a fairly good testing-out before I went away. dp's point about low-energy falls is a good one - my binding didn't release when I fell.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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But @Highland Lad, you were very useful for doing runs to see the other broken people in hospital!
I (accidentally) skied on a low spiral fracture at 2 days and again at 4 weeks. Ironically felt great in the ski boot, but walking on a slightly unlevel surface, and doing stairs, was agony! Had no treatment, and at 8 months it's still painful if I run and twist the foot slightly…
My insurance company were happy to cover the leg for a trip in europe at 3 months, but would not cover me to ski in argentina 5 months later because they felt the risk of re injury, combined with the difficulty in getting easy access to medical care, was too great. I did also have a tibial plateau as well.
ps random question@OMF Mark, Do you work in OMFS?
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I have a similar experience to others here- got a boot top fracture of the fibula in late Dec a few years ago. Like you was clean just a single line.
It was actually missed at first as had an MCL sprain at the same time which I got physio for. Thought it was just some muscle soreness..
Tried to ski in late Jan, as soon as I put my boot on was in agony. I'd be having some aches at the end of the day but hadn't had any hard pressure at the spot of the fracture so just hadnt realised
Got an aircast after, and was told I'd be good for March. Mid March I could pootle about but as soon as I did any skiing at speed or bumps quickly stayed hurting too much to ski. That said maybe my recovery was delayed by the fact that I'd been potteriing about as normal for the first month and worse had been getting some physio massage around that point as we thought it was a sore muscle..
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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If clean, complete fracture and recovery uncomplicated - I usually advise return to weight bearing gentle exercise at 3 months - strenuous activity with risk of fall ( similar to skiing ) at 6 months. I'm a consultant in occupational medicine.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| Jonathan Bell wrote: |
@OMF Mark,
6 weeks for the fracture to heal. If the boot is removable start physio as soon as you can, even first few weeks. ( you may want to double check that with fracture clinic)
The fracture will be tender for months so may be difficult to wear boots. Also if stiff the boot will be sore or difficult to get into.
The ankle will tend to swell for many months after sports. You may feel the ankle is weak and likley to turn over of you don't do any rehab so ironically the boot will support it.
I've known some ski at six weeks - but pretty sore. By three months hopefully should be fine if you've worked hard at rehab.
Jonathan Bell |
You should post or tagline your credentials Jonathan.
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I often give different opinions to orthopaedic surgeons
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You know it makes sense.
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| bowman wrote: |
It was actually missed at first as had an MCL sprain at the same time which I got physio for. Thought it was just some muscle soreness..
Tried to ski in late Jan, as soon as I put my boot on was in agony. I'd be having some aches at the end of the day but hadn't had any hard pressure at the spot of the fracture so just hadnt realised |
Oh my goodness. My physio identified the initial stress fracture with her special superpower thumb. She had to peel me off the ceiling afterwards!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| k wrote: |
| But @Highland Lad, you were very useful for doing runs to see the other broken people in hospital! |
Nice to be useful! At least I didn't need surgery.
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Poster: A snowHead
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12th November: I fell into an open sewer in Ghana (walking in pitch darkness, sober). Twisted my ankle. Passed out with pain and shock. Nothing seemed broken though. 5 sessions of traditional voodoo healing in Togo, and I continued my solo motorbike tour.
8th-20th December: skiing in Mayrhofen and Kitzbühel. Uncomfortable to turn and stop. Couldn’t keep up with the 50ish “youngsters”.
10th January: began 8 week stay in Kitzbühel. Skiing hard with younger friends, but the pain kept increasing.
24th January: Doctor friend examined it in the pub and sent me for an Xray. Fibula cracked and splintered at the bottom with multiple stress fractures - the original fracture had not healed. But all well-aligned. Plaster cast until 14th Feb. Off games for 6 weeks.
6th February: still in Kitz going mad with boredom. Only so much beer I can drink. 2 daughters and 4 grandchildren coming out next week for half-term, hoping to ski with me.
There is no point asking what the orthopaedics guy advises, the answer is pretty predictable. But I need to
find a balance between my physical and mental health. Planning to start skiing gently again when the cast comes off (3 months after original injury, 3 weeks in plaster). Will report back.
BTW: a local friend once had the same issue. He took the inner out of his ski boot and carried on skiing in his plaster cast. That injury healed well. He’s 73 now, lots of titanium elsewhere, but still active.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I hope you got a refund on the voodoo.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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She wouldn’t accept my GHIC card. Worth every penny though (£30 for 5 hours total) in entertainment value alone.
“If I could live the rest of my days playing in/on water (including snow) I would be a very happy boy.”
I admire your philosophy and that’s pretty much what I have been doing since I retired 12 years ago.
Plus a bit of horse riding and motorcycling.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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If you continue to “aggravate “ even a stable fracture it will fail to unite(heal). That is poss my what happened here. Had the voodoo doctor have known that fact they would have presumably advised you of this.
Your friend seems to have confined that the fracture has failed to unite.
United fractures may go in to heal if immobilised but it often requires a longer period than it would have taken for the fresh injury to heal.
Just waiting a week till it feels better isn’t a sign it’s United. Can I suggest that you see an orthopaedic surgeon as a patient and not a friend and then ask what has to be done to get it to heal. It may now require surgery to get it to heal.
Jonathan Bell
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Quote: |
would not cover me to ski in argentina 5 months later because they felt the risk of re injury, combined with the difficulty in getting easy access to medical care, was too great.
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This is a material consideration for individuals, not just for insurance companies. You can't necessarily expect a helicopter to be with you in an hour or two and whisk you off to a well-equipped hospital where staff will see you as some kind of priority.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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You need to see an orthopaedic surgeon. Probably shouldn’t ski till next season.
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