Anterior Tibial Stress Fracture - Please Help!!!

[sophie411]

Hi Sarah81,
I was just wondering what's happened with your anterior tibial stress frature? How are you doing now and if you are better what ended up working for you? I have the same diagnosis and both opinions I've sought so far believe surgery with rod is the best way to go.

[sarah81]

Hi Sophie411,

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis. I wish I could put a positive spin on it for you...I had surgery in October last year, where I had a mass removed from my leg (they were initially worried about it...but biopsy came back all clear). They believe that this mass may have contributed to the lack of healing. They also stripped the tibia down and completed a tibial release procedure they then cut a wedge out of my tibia to try and stimulate bone growth. The rehab from the surgery has been a long and frustrating one, I was still on crutches until March, then downgraded to a moonboot - which I got off 2 weeks ago. I am now able to walk unaided. We will not know if the surgery has been a success yet - they were trialling this procedure and hoping it would heal so that I could avoid the IM rod. Still same rehab but a little less intrusive. If successful sport is still another 2 yrs off if at all. They did say that it was biomechanics so could come back.

Good luck - hopefully your recovery is a little speedier than mine.

[sophie411]

Dear Sarah81,
Wow! You have really had a hard time! I'm so sorry. I'm glad to hear you're finally out of a cast and a boot. I am still trying to figure out what to do but my options don't look too plentiful. Thank you for replying. Please feel free to share any advice or experience. Thank you.

[physiobob]

Hi Sarah and thanks for your update. Your issue is a great one for us here on the forum and it is interesting that after all of these discussions the results thus far have followed some of the initial ideas presented here. I also feel that our discussions have assisted you to be better informed and have provided some alternative ideas and therefore questions for your treating clinicians. It seems that has proved fruitful as the current approach and surgery seems entirely appropriate. We'd love any images of the post surgery x-rays you might be able to post. Perhaps that is the role of a forum such as this. To have the time to provide more input into possibilities that the injured then take to their treating clinician. In a way we are also providing a broader team input into these case studies in the real world as they happen. Pretty exciting really

Do continue to let us know how you get on.