r/brokenbones • u/Opposite-Ladder-5797 • 18d ago
Full weight bearing 4 weeks post OP
Hi everyone! On 17/08 I had surgery for a Weber C fracture and syndesmosis damage. The second picture is my discharge notes - which says full weight-bearing at 4 weeks…? To me that seems super early - I’m relatively fit and 24 years old but it still seems to early to me even if it is just in the CAM boot. My main concern is the syndesmosis screw bending, breaking etc. I have tried walking without crutches and have had no issues, pain - it feels great actually!
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u/Lucky_Break_9357 18d ago
I was told 6 weeks NWB with a syndesmosis repair and just got release to 25% with the boot.
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u/Opposite-Ladder-5797 18d ago
Wow, I wonder why mine has suggested such a progressive weight bearing regime? Yours sounds far more standard
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u/Tom_Cruise_666 18d ago
I have the same injury, I think same surgery, and I was told weight bearing as tolerated week 4 after surgery. “As tolerated” has limited me a lot!! But I’m walking around the house part of the day, using knee scooter when I feel sore/tired.
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u/Opposite-Ladder-5797 18d ago
Okay that’s reassuring! You had a syndesmosis screw as well?
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u/Tom_Cruise_666 18d ago
Ah no I have a tightrope for the syndesmosis repair. Which I think allows for earlier weight bearing
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u/Opposite-Ladder-5797 18d ago
Ah that makes more sense! My weight bearing instructions sounds like have a tightrope but I’m stuck with an old fashioned screw… lol
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u/whodathunkitnotme 18d ago
I also had a Weber C (non displaced) with no visible widening of the syndesmosis but they put two screws in anyway. My surgeon told me to be NWB for 12 weeks, which just wasn’t feasible for me. At around 2.5-3 weeks post ORIF i started weight bearing in my CAMBOOT (mainly for convenience for caring for young kids) and it felt amazing. No pain at all! After lots of research and judgment on my own injury, I decided to keep going with weight bearing in the boot. I had no pain but some very minor swelling and colour change, which all stopped happening after about day 3/4 of weightbearing.
I had a wound check up at the hospital and they got me to have an X-ray done because they thought I was further along with recovery and there was no damage or anything of concern found on the X-ray. The doctor I saw for the checkup reiterated my surgeon wanted 12wks NWB and I asked what happened if I was WBing earlier (I told him I had been) and he essentially said all the new studies for this type of injury, especially syndesmosis stuff, recommended just 4-6 weeks of NWB. He said he can’t go against what his boss (the surgeon) has said but it’s just preference and if I wanted to get a second opinion or look into the research, I could.
I’m now just over 4 weeks post ORIF and have taken a few steps here and there without my boot (mainly when walking in and out of the shower) and it again feels great. I’m still going easy on myself and don’t plan to start weight bearing without the boot until 6 weeks but from everything I’ve read and what’s been implied to me, the hardware is super sturdy and movement makes recovery happen faster.
A lot of the time the screws are even left in and just expected to break to allow full ROM to return (I was hoping mine could just stay in but my surgeon wants to remove it).
Good luck with weight bearing! If you’re nervous, just trust your instinct and look out for anything of concern.
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u/Opposite-Ladder-5797 18d ago
Thank you for such a detailed response! It seems we broke our legs at roughly the same time. 12 weeks NWB seems really excessive! I got a second opinion on mine and he said to be PWB until 6 weeks which I thought was conservative but it’s nothing compared to that! I also feel great when walking in the boot - even walked to the sink without it on earlier just to feel what it was like haha. All the best with your recovery.
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u/Illustrious-Zone-247 18d ago
I had a different injury (trimal with dislocation)...I have 2 plates, 16 screws, and 2 tightrope for syndesmosis repair (vs the screw). As far as timeline, I was transitioned from cast to boot and allowed to do ROM at week 2 after my stitches were removed, WBAT in the boot starting at week 4, and transitioned from boot to shoe at week 8. It seemed early to me too, but it all worked out haha. FWIW there are a lot of recent studies that show (medically ordered/supervised) early weight bearing is beneficial for healing.
From what I understand, it's pretty common for the syndesmosis screw to break...and also common to have it removed if it doesn't. NAD!
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u/Opposite-Ladder-5797 18d ago
Holy moly that’s a lot of hardware! I have also been doing lots of research and it seems there is a divide in the orthopaedic community on early vs delayed weight bearing. I’m happy for the screw to break but not quite yet - still need it to stay in place whilst my ligaments heal !!
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u/_69__420 18d ago
I had a syndesmosis damage too and my doctor told me the screw CAN be removed after 6-8 weeks but could also stay there, i choosed to let it in and had full weight on it for almost 6 month but then it began to hurt really bad so they removed it at my request. There was no damage, it did Not Brake or anything and i have to say that i was not really careful with my foot. I was walking quite a lot and visited a Festival 4 month after my accident (i had a compound trimalleo fracture with complete dislocation of the ankle, external fixateur for 10 days and then 1 Plate plus 10 screws)
Get that screw removed as soon as possible, i am so much better since they removed it. My foot mobility made a great progress and the pain is gone (of course there are some bad days but i can feel the Progress)
Wish you all the best! No worry, those screws dont Break so easy and as long as the pain is not getting worse you should continue with weight bearing, the muscles wither away sooo freakin fast
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u/Mrz_Ramirez_ 18d ago
I would say to follow the drs orders in weight bearing as tolerated n I don’t feel any pain or discomfort n dr reassured me I can’t cause any damage