 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all. I had a bad fall in Val d'Isere last season, multiple fractures of L & R Tibia (was in a wheelchair for 5 months) and R radius. Now wrist is fine, but I've been in Val since January-now and after about 4 hrs the legs hurt like hell. Just wondering if anyone knows about plate removal. Mine are about 30cm long with 10 screws in both legs. Would be interested to hear anyones opinions. Does it help? any drawbacks(nerve damage on scar)? Did you go private or NHS? I live in Peterborough after ski season, and would be interested in any opinions/insights re; surgeons/ what to ask?
Cheers,
Phil
ps powder today! Amazing conditions!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Phil
I broke my tib/fib in Dec'02 (also in VDI) & had it pinned & screwed in Moutier. The advice I got from the Orthopods in London when I got home was that NHS standard practice was to leave ironmongery in unless it was causing discomfort. I completed a ski-season in 03/04 but found that the top of the tibia where the pin (37.5cm) was closest to the surface was uncomfortable & increasingly sensitive to the touch. When I got home in May'04 I had the pin & 3 of the screws anchoring the pin removed. There was a little nerve damage around the top of the tibia where the surgeons had gone in, but in my case this was infinitely preferable to leaving the pin in-situ.
I also had to have my thumb plated & screwed in BSM after a fall in Les Arcs (again in '02 - not a good year!) - but this has caused me literally no worries ever since.
The question you have to ask yourself is how much does it hurt - enough to justify more surgery? If the answer is yes, then ask an Orthopod whether they believe this will be alleviated by removing some/all of the scaffolding.
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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 need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Phil1970, I know several competitive motorbike riders socially who are full of bits of metal, never heard of them having any removed. 
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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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Just don't ever go for an MRI scan.
Yes, it's been done before - v.nasty!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Phil1970, My son had a metal plate in a bad forearm break, & was advised to have it removed a year later, as he 's quite sporty, & it was felt it could act as a lever & break his arm if he fell against it. He was more comfortable when it came out.
Funnily enough, I was talking to a man at tennis tonight who has a plate in his leg. He's been told he can make the decision in a year. He said he can feel it in certain positions.
Why not ask the advice of the surgeon who put it in?
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Phil1970, not exactly the same obviously, but I broke my wrist on the plastic in 2001, had to have a metal plate put in to hold all the bits together. I work in a lab and after about a year and a half or so I was having really bad pain in my wrist when using my thumb to do lots of pipetting so went back to see the consultant who said the plate was rubbing on the tendon and promptly took it back out again. Had some slight nerve damage to my middle finger from the second op but only really minor - ie no effect on movement or anything, just sometimes a bit tingly. On the whole I'm glad I had it out cos the tendon's still in one piece and I was able to have an MRI last month on my dodgy shoulder 
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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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Out, out, out. Based on my wife's experience with a broken ankle where removal improved everything and that of a friend who feels the cold through the pins and has limited movement where they stayed in. With grateful thanks to my wife's chiropracter who told her it was worth undergoing the second operation.
Though as mentioned above it may be site-specific and may differ between cases.
Surgeons often resist the idea so you may have to push and it may need to be done early to prevent the screws being ossified in.
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Tue 21-04-09 13:08; edited 1 time in total
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I had my 12" plate and 18screws removed from my femur for the same reason as genepi, ie if I broke it again it would make matters worse. So I'd vote out!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I broke my leg in 5 places (2 of which were compund fractures) in a car accident. Fortunately we had private healthcare through work. A year after the accident my surgeon recommended that I have my plate and screws removed as if I ever had a accident again it would make it worse with the plate in.
I suppose if none of us are doctors then you should seek professional advice as each case must be different.
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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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Hmm. I have a plate on my fib. It's been there about 5 years. I still have problems with the ankle but think they're from the massive soft tissue damage i had. The surgeon said the plate would stay permanently unless I was very sporty(I def wasn't then) as a future injury could be made worse by its presence.... Since then I've started skiing ....... Errr?? Anyone experienced plate removal after 5-6 years? Is it a very painful procedure? What's the recovery period? I'm inclined to leave it be, but this thread raises questions!
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FAQ
He also removed the wiring to allow an MRI later in life 
As he said you cant put 1 leg in only 
