starting again after broken leg

atmyage!

Story so far...April 6th, completed the Stratford 100k sportive in a not too shabby 4 hours...April 12th fractured tibia whilst paintballing! Cycling now only in my dreams! But after 4 weeks in plaster I'm now only two weeks from having my full leg cast removed, and apart from some one-legged turbo sessions I've obviously not sat on a bike for what seems like forever. Anyone got any ideas what to expect when I finally clip back in? The doctors say my knee will be weaker and I know things take time to heal, but any pearls of wisdom will raise my spirits!

hypster

I've never actually broken a leg but have been smashed up a few times over the years including a broken pelvis and more lately smashed elbow and broken collar bone. I am lucky in as much as my daughter is a senior physiotherapist so she has supervised my rehabilitation in recent years and got me up and running a lot quicker than I would on my own.

Assuming that you are under the NHS I would push for physio as soon as you can through them because they will put you through the tortures of the damned which will though speed your recovery. They will also be able to supervise and respond to any associated problems you may develop and will be best able to advise when it will actually be beneficial to start cycling again even if only on a turbo. I would also add that make sure you do the exercises they suggest because although they will hurt at first, it will be the quickest way to a full recovery.

If for any reason you can't get physio through the hospital then I suggest you camp out at your doctor's surgery until they come through.

Bar Shaker

I am interested in this too. I also have a broken leg (tib, fib and ankle socket bone) but am not in a cast. I am 6 weeks through 12 weeks of non weight bearing.

I have already been bollocked by my consultant for exercising my leg (quad and hamstring raises with 1kg strapped to my Aircast boot) but I am doing ankle movements and have quite a bit of movement in the joint, with no pain. I go up and down stairs on a foot and a knee, a couple of times a day and this is helping preserve some upper leg muscle. My calf muscle has gone.

I'm hoping to start physio in June and start turbo use mid June, as soon as I can weight bear. I will do as much turbo riding as I am allowed to, initially on very light resistance.

My goal is to ride the Pru 100, for which I have a place. I don't expect to be fast but would be pleased to finish.

herzog

I broke my Femur last May, training resumed late September '13 and the first race was March '14. Almost a year on, I'm still a bit down on left leg (the injured one) power but am pretty competitive in races (top 10% field). My physio was excellent and key to my speedy recovery (along with my determination). Good luck!

Alex_Simmons/RST

atmyage! wrote:

Story so far...April 6th, completed the Stratford 100k sportive in a not too shabby 4 hours...April 12th fractured tibia whilst paintballing! Cycling now only in my dreams! But after 4 weeks in plaster I'm now only two weeks from having my full leg cast removed, and apart from some one-legged turbo sessions I've obviously not sat on a bike for what seems like forever. Anyone got any ideas what to expect when I finally clip back in? The doctors say my knee will be weaker and I know things take time to heal, but any pearls of wisdom will raise my spirits!

The more serious the injury the longer the time to recover. Yours is a moderate injury by sounds of it, and your recovery will be reasonably quick, in the order of a few months if you train well.

Have patience, and don't fall for the mistake of trying to do too much too quickly when you return. Start gently and allow yourself time to ensure everything is properly healed. when you start back, the turbo and flatter roads are best, make sure you are all good before attacking any hills, and maybe 12 weeks from injury before doing any sprint/maximal force type effort, but be guided by your specialist on a return to fitness plan and what level of effort you can safely manage by when.

You will have lost fitness for sure, everyone does Use that to give you some attainable goals for your return.
Use time off to set some longer term goals, events you'd like to do etc.

me-109

Did they plate it or just use a cast? I smashed my tib and fib (skateboarding) which required the tib to be pinned, so that has the added damage to the knee tissues from the surgery. The point of the break will have an effect on the recovery time - the nearer the ankle the longer and harder the recovery because it is a constricted area to start with. Once you are weight bearing you are on the way. Do as much physio as possible. Once you have some exercises do as much as possible as often as possible at home. I'd recommend wobble boards or inflatable discs for building strength, particularly if the break was low down. Someone above mentioned flatter routes; to start with I couldn't climb out of the saddle. Little and often; it will get better.

napoleond

Have a look at my first blog post.

atmyage!

Thanks everyone for the advice. I knew it would be a long process but thankfully it's a fracture and not a break (though it is just below my knee hence the full leg cast). My doctor knows how keen I am to get better asap cos as a self employed bricklayer any time off work is not good! He reckoned if I take it easy I should be okay to work once the cast is off if the final x-ray looks good. I think I'll have to set my sights on an event next year and give myself a sensible but achievable goal. It's just crap that every time I look out of the window a sodding bike seems to be going past my house!

atmyage!

Thanks NapoleonD, just had a quick look at the blog, think I'll invest in a proper bike fit when I'm back riding

Bar Shaker

Great blog Nap, I hadn't read it before.

Hope your recovery goes well Atmyage. Mine will be a bit slower than yours but keep us updated. I will be looking for motivation!!

whoof

Best to seek advice from your surgeon.
Broke my tibia and fibula and had them pinned and plated. Rode a turbo trainer the day the cast came off and was out on the road the following day. The surgeon said that exercise would get blood pumping around and make the brake heal quicker. However, I had to stay in the saddle as much as possible and used light gears. The brake happened in May and I was racing again by September. Your brake may be different.

Bar Shaker

Whoof, were you weight bearing before your cast came off?

How long was this after your break?

whoof

Before the cast came off I was on crutches. The cast was on for 6 weeks. As I said I was ridiing immediately after the cast came off but I could not spend very long walking or standing up as this caused my leg to swell. It was therefore another three weeks before I returned to work.

atmyage!

Not long now till my cast comes off, and I can't wait! I've written a little poem to hopefully cheer up everyone else who's out of action at the mo...

SNAP
My cycling, my glory days,
how long ago it seems,
a pesky broken tibia
has snatched away my dreams

But in my hope of hope of hopes
I'll be back just you see.
Then there'll be no stopping
my bike, my legs and me

The doctor says six weeks from now,
when they remove the cast,
I must be patient, steady, calm,
I mustn't be too fast

The things he says, I know he's right,
I mustn't take a chance.
But as soon as I've clipped in again
Just watch me,
Tour de France!

Hope you all like my little ditty, it made me smile, but perhaps that's what boredom and sunstroke do to a man!

atmyage!

A quick update for anyone interested. My full leg cast was removed on wednesday morning, and for anyone awaiting cast removal, be prepared your leg will feel strangely weightless and if it's anything like mine, will look like a thin wobbly waterbomb! There is hope though, as I've found. At first the physio went through some seemingly impossible exercises. I was shocked at how weak my leg was. I persisted in doing all I was told, despite a genuine feeling that I'd never walk again, and the speed of my recovery is amazing! It is now friday, and I am already using an exercise bike (albeit on the lowest setting) and can very carefully walk short distances without my sticks (I have a removable Forrest Gump type thing on now with a knee hinge). I have a physio appointment in two weeks time, but am hopeful that I will already be back at work by then.
So to anyone in the same situation I was in, there is hope! It really is amazing how fast your body can recover if you stay focussed (obviously without overdoing it).

Bar Shaker

I don't have a cast but do have an Aircast that I put on when I go out. I've got another 3 weeks until I can weight bear and it's driving me crazy now.

Not having a cast means I have quite a bit of ankle joint movement but the muscle waste age isn't pretty. That should come back quickly. I will be having Physio the first date I am told I can start, which will hopefully be at my next appt in 10 days time.

When I'm back in the saddle, it will be with a vengeance!!

Glad you are up and about Atmyage.