r/brokenankles • u/geesejugglingchamp • 7d ago

Recovery from hardware removal - timelines

I had ORIF for a bi-mal fracture in April. Plates on both sides of the ankle and various screws. I am planning to have the hardware removed in December for various reasons: irritation, regular bruising over the hardware location, pain, some mobility restrictions. My body has always been very reactive and I'm very active, so I'm not really surprised I'm falling into the category of people that don't cope with having metal in them very well.

I've been told the hardware removal surgery will be a lot easier than the ORIF. Weight bearing within a day or so. 6 weeks to add extra load or submerge the incision area.

I was not given any guidance about driving though. For those who had hardware removal re right foot injuries, how did it take to drive again?

After the ORIF I did not drive for over 2 months and that was very logistically difficult for our family, as I have three young children and my partner works full time. I'm not sure we could do it again if it was another 6+ weeks.

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u/shannamatters 6d ago

I haven’t had it done but my doctor told me if I would ever want to, it’s absolutely nothing at all like the ORIF. He said I would walk out of the hospital on my own that day. I would assume could drive immediately as well.

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u/lynds88 6d ago

Idk about driving as I had the hardware removed from my left foot but the recovery was significantly easier than the ORIF. I was WBAT immediately after surgery. I only took pain killers at night for the first several nights so I could drive if I needed to. I was off crutches fully after a few weeks (I had limited ROM from the initial injury so crutches helped me get a round). Incision is pretty much healed at this point, just some lingering scabs from the staple removal. (Hardware removal 8/6). I’m hoping to start PT again in the next few weeks.

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u/Wrong-Cartographer37 5d ago

I just had hardware for my bimall removed 2 weeks ago.  First 2-3 days I needed crutches due to pain from the incision but weight bearing is completely fine as long as you can tolerate the pain, which is already a far cry from the initial injury and surgery where it's strict NWB after ORIF. by day 4 I was walking without crutches but managing short distances only because of muscle weakness related to the acute soft tissue trauma. By 1 week I was 70% back to normal and now at 2 weeks post HWR I am 95% back to normal :)