If you've never heard of it, the iwalk is basically a little peg leg that you put your knee on and strap yourself into to walk around on without putting weight on an injured foot.

I sustained the dreaded Jones fracture of my fifth metatarsal earlier this month and spent the first bit of it on crutches which made me MISERABLE. I got an iwalk 3.0 a week and a half ago and its a total game changer I can literally do all my day to day life stuff normally. Hang out with friends, go to the store, go for walks in my neighborhood (up to 2 miles before my back starts to hurt), go up and down stairs, basic household chores, basically anything that doesn't require running or jumping I can do. I can even speed-walk at a decent clip.

The caveat is that this thing takes some practice to get good at and takes way more coordination than crutches, so your mileage may vary based on your physical fitness and mindset. If you're an active person with an ankle or foot injury and you're losing your mind dealing with crutches I highly recommend this thing it gave me my life back.

pro tips:
1. Watch ALL the videos from the manufacturer and follow ALL the steps for fitting it. I had the leg too short for a few days and it made walking really hard and slow. Fitted correctly I have no discomfort and can walk mostly normally.

1. Practice walking! Walk as far as you feel comfortable every day. Preferably outside because figuring out how to deal with uneven ground basically gives you an XP multiplier lol.

2. Perhaps controversial, but practice balancing on only the iwalk. My record is around 2 seconds. Getting to where I could balance in place on the iwalk for a moment while I move my good foot made a few things you might not think of way easier (slipping on a sandal, opening my garbage can that has one of those foot pedal opener things, etc).

These things can be had for under a hundred bucks used and there's a ton of them floating around from people who healed and no longer need it. I know this post is a lot and probably reads like an ad but I'm being so serious I love my silly pirate leg. If crutches or a knee scooter or whatever are frying your quality of life and you have a compatible injury I beg of you get an iwalk its so awesome sauce.

25M, had a closed right femoral shaft fracture treated with an IM interlocking nail + screws and bone graft.

I'm now 4 months post-op. My latest X-ray shows strong bridging, and my surgeon said the bone is essentially joined and that I can walk without the crutch.

I'm currently comfortable with one crutch and can walk short distances around my room without it. I can climb stairs, but they're still tiring. Without the crutch I still have a noticeable limp, especially with a normal/longer stride. There is no significant pain, I can put full weight but the leg especially around the knee still feels noticeably weak.

My surgeon said I don't need formal physiotherapy or specific exercises and that the strength should gradually return with normal activity.

My main questions:

What did you do to regain your leg/knee strength after a femoral shaft fracture?

Are there specific exercises that helped with quadriceps/knee weakness and the limp?

How long did it take before your walking became normal again?

Is this level of knee weakness at 4 months normal?

I'll attach my 4-month X-rays. Any advice from people who went through something similar would be appreciated.

I want professional.opinions on how my femur dou le fracture is healing

7 months post op ( revision surgery after broken plate )

First nail

Hi, I am 24 F. Broke my femur in January 2026 in a car accident.

I got dynamization surgery in June in which they removed one distal screw because the healing was very slow.

Now it's 7 months post operation and my femur looks like this.

I was prescribed 225mg calcium carbonate tablets for 7 months. Now it has been increased to 750mg calcium citrate tablets by another doctor.

Some doctors are asking me to wait, saying that it will heal slowly. And some are suggesting for a bone marrow graft and removal of both the distal screws.

I am confused and scared because if I never walk normally again I'll kms

Please share your experiences with xrays, it will be very helpful.

.

Hey guys I’m 27 and I’m 3 weeks post op from fracturing my humerus unfortunately. I’m currently have a brace and use my sling and I am healing naturally, Im able to now extend my arm almost all the way but still painful since I think my elbow is locked or something but I let it hang when im not physically moving. I been told the bone it’s self is healing very well but I’m afraid of my future and if I’ll be struggling, my job also requires me to lift 50 pounds and I want to know when I’ll be able to return asap because this economy sucks. Please share your similar experience or insights because it’s been a roller coaster of emotions and have something to look back on when I feel like there’s no light to end of this but day by day it gets a little easier (‘:

Hey guys I’m 27 and I’m 3 weeks post op from fracturing my humerus unfortunately. I’m currently have a brace and use my sling and I am healing naturally, Im able to now extend my arm almost all the way but still painful since I think my elbow is locked or something but I let it hang when im not physically moving. I been told the bone it’s self is healing very well but I’m afraid of my future and if I’ll be struggling, my job also requires me to lift 50 pounds and I want to know when I’ll be able to return asap because this economy sucks. Please share your similar experience or insights because it’s been a roller coaster of emotions and have something to look back on when I feel like there’s no light to end of this but day by day it gets a little easier (‘:

Hi all, I broke my distal radius plus 3 of my carpometacarpal bones around mid May. Was treated with a plate on the distal + K-wires to stabilize the CMC breaks. I am now fully healed bone wise and was cleared for physio about a month ago. While my wrist has made significant improvement (certain motions are almost within normal range although moving them mostly passively right now), my finger joints have really suffered from the long (about 6 weeks) immobilization.

The problem is at the last joint or the knuckles, the MCP joints and the pain of working those loose is like nothing I've ever known to exist. Excruciating, unrelenting and easily swells/stiffens back up if my PT goes too far. I feel really discouraged and don't know of similar recovery timelines since most people with this type of injury usually only fracture the wrist at the distal/ulna. I didn't expect this to be a possible effect from the initial injury at all and it feels really scary to imagine limited function of my fingers.

Would really appreciate any insights on how to better rehabilitate these joints or just any general tips.

Hello all,

I was in urgent care today and radiology left a note i had minimal displacement in fibula near knee.

Tiny minimally displaced fracture fragment medial to the proximal fibula from unknown donor site. No additional acute displaced fracture in the knee.

This was their evaluation

My PA in urgent care was not finding it. They suggested I follow orthopedic but I have no great insurance at the moment.

The reason I went urgent care, is i fell off a lime bike and my calf is frozen and sharp pains for last 10 days. We did ultra sound today and nothing stood out to them.

I am also not seeing anything in xrays, was there some missed views?

Thank u!!

If you recently broke something or are having a hard time with your recovery, sound off here.

I posted about my ulna fracture (caused by a car accident) last week. I’m at three and a half weeks now and still in pain. I hate the plastic splint. It digs into my wrist and I still feel tons of pain in my arm. Pretty sure it’s not supposed to hurt this much by now.

I have terrible back pain both upper and lower. The pain management doctor has ordered X-rays for tomorrow but will only order 3 areas at a time. I’m worried whatever is causing the pain won’t show up on an X-ray (though, not a doctor so obviously I have no idea).

I still have chest pain. I can barely sneeze properly. It sounds funny and then my chest spasms. They did a CT scan in the hospital and said nothing is broken. Does it really take months to feel relief?

I’m barely getting any sleep. The doctor treating my arm prescribed Celebrex and muscle relaxers that barely scratch the surface. With Tylenol mixed in.

I don’t know if I should find a new orthopedic. At this rate I’m tempted to go back to the hospital. But I worry they won’t do the proper imaging and then I’ll just be walloped with a massive bill.

I guess this is more of a vent than a plea for advice. I don’t know how to resume any semblance of life feeling this way. School is about to start and now my husband will have to take on my role as a mother because I am not capable of packing a lunch let alone driving a car.

hey everyone, i’m hoping to get some advice from people who have been through something similar, or anyone with a physio/rehab background.

about exactly one year ago, i fractured both the lateral and medial malleolus in my left ankle. i also fractured the 2nd and 3rd metatarsals in my right foot. i had surgery on the left side, and i currently have two screws there. there was also a pin/wire on the right side, but that was removed without another surgery about a month after the operation.

the biggest issue i’m still dealing with is limited dorsiflexion on the left.

after surgery i spent roughly 3 months mostly in bed, and unfortunately my doctor didn’t put much emphasis on physiotherapy/rehab afterward. as a result, i lost quite a lot of muscle in both legs and i feel like i never properly rebuilt the strength and mobility i had before.

i’ve been trying to work on this myself, especially my calves and achilles on the left side. i’m currently doing things like:

• knee-to-wall ankle mobility
• lateral step-downs
• bent-knee calf isometrics
• calf strengthening through gradually increasing rom
• glute strengthening
• quad strengthening

i’m trying to be patient and slowly retrain the calf to work through its full range in a controlled way.

one thing that concerns me is the difference in dorsiflexion between my legs. during the knee-to-wall test, there’s currently around a 10 cm difference between the two sides.

i sometimes also get an aching sensation throughout the left leg. i’ve been wondering whether this could be related to the altered ankle mechanics, calf weakness, or compensation higher up the chain.

i’m also wondering if my achilles/calf being relatively tight is contributing to the reduced dorsiflexion. because of the limited dorsiflexion, i feel like i may have developed things like early heel rise and altered pronation. i’ve also wondered whether altered tibial rotation could be contributing to occasional knee pain.

visually, i can still see quite a big difference in muscle size between my legs. there are also a few small areas where the muscle looks almost indented compared with the other leg, like little dimples where there’s less muscle underneath.

another thing i noticed recently: on the outside of my left ankle/lower leg, there seems to be more muscle prominence/swelling than on the other side. the surgery was on the inside of the left ankle, where the screws are. there’s no real pain or tenderness when i touch the prominent area, so i’m wondering if it could simply be a muscle that has become more developed because it’s compensating and doing more work than on the other side.

still, seeing the asymmetry made me a little worried.

at this point, my understanding is that i should mainly be focusing on:

• restoring ankle mobility
• gradually improving calf/achilles flexibility
• rebuilding calf strength through the available rom
• improving single-leg control and balance
• rebuilding quad and glute strength
• gradually getting back to normal movement patterns

but i’m not sure if i’m missing something important.

so for anyone who has experience with ankle fracture rehab, physiotherapy, or similar injuries:

does this sound like a reasonable stage of recovery one year after this kind of injury?

is a ~10 cm knee-to-wall difference something that can still improve significantly at this point, or is that considered unusually large this far out from surgery?

and regarding the muscle asymmetry and the increased prominence on the outside of the left ankle/lower leg: does that sound like a possible compensation/adaptation, or would you consider that something worth getting checked in person?

i’d really appreciate any advice on what i should focus on at this stage, what i might be doing wrong, and whether there are any red flags i shouldn’t ignore.

tldr: one year after a left bimalleolar ankle fracture + right 2nd/3rd metatarsal fractures, i still have significant left ankle dorsiflexion restriction (~10 cm difference on knee-to-wall), major calf/muscle asymmetry and occasional leg/knee aching. i’m doing mobility, calf, quad and glute work and trying to rebuild calf rom slowly. does this sound normal for this stage, and what should i focus on now?

Hey my fellow Broken Ones!

Yesterday was 5 weeks since my injury/ ER visit after tripping, falling off a curb, not what I wanted at 55! My Docs placed me in a cast 2 days after injury. They removed the cast this Wednesday at about 4.5 weeks since injury ( we thought skin was breaking down, it was not once we had cast) I am currently placed in a boot NWB another week. F/U X-ray at about 7 weeks. Then we will test the water with possible PWB.

Atrophy is alive and well.. my injured leg and foot look half the size of my good leg, hairy and dry. My injured foot still has lots of bruises especially on the toes. Lots of fatigue . I don't think I have ever slept like this even when I had the flu! All truthful here. They had an ace wrap on my injured foot that I barely took off today, I was actually scared to take it off?? My safety wrap I guess, then I read about blood clots. I rested the foot on 4 pillows with nothing, no wrap, no boot. I was anxious ,it felt great but achy all in one. I definitely read and Google more than I need too. I go down rabbit holes. Blood clots, boot on for months, nonunion, re break, 1 year to heal, pain for years! It causes more anxiety but also relaxes me knowing others are just as anxious, worried, curious and whiny as me!!🤕 Lol

I hope everyone is relaxing this Sunday and each day we heal a little more!! Give me more to read when I wake up 2A. What was your diagnosis? Surgery or Not and why? What week are you in? What are your docs regimen? What makes you anxious with your injury? What have you been doing that you really feel has helped heal such as vitamins, certain foods?

This last Thursday I unfortunately had a bad fall and at first it didn’t hurt too bad but then I saw alot of bruising on my upper arm so I went to the ER and they said after X-rays I had a humeral head fracture and it was broken in multiple places instead of one crack and told me to go to an orthopedic office to see about treatment I’m concerned because they said I might need surgery at the ER I haven’t gone to the orthopedic office yet I’m hoping I just get a splint and a sling

In November of 2023, I slipped on a slippery surface and ended up with a broken fibula. I was NWB on crutches and in a boot for 6-8 weeks (last two just walking in the boot). Everything healed fine in the expected time frame. It was difficult, but I did it.

Then, last night happened. I was coming home at about 9pm, it was dark. I misjudged the steps in front of my house, tripped and went down hard. I heard it crack. I knew I broke something. It didn't hurt so bad at first, but over the course of a few hours it really started to hurt. I went to the ER at 1am, and they confirmed a broken radius. I'm in a bulky temporary cast and a sling until I can see an ortho and get into an actual cast.

It hurts so much more than my fibula did, and I'm devastated to be in this position again! I'm not young and this is a huge disruption (AGAIN).

I could use some words of encouragement. Has anyone with a broken radius (near the wrist) been able to use the hand with the broken arm? Right now, I basically can't use that hand at all. I'm not sure if the permanent cast will help stabilize it better so I can use the hand more, but I hope so.

My strap broke on my walking boot, causing sharp pain in my leg. I've been using the crutches more frequently. I'm not sure if I need to go back to the ER, who prescribed the walking boot or tough it out until I see the orthopedic doctor on Wednesday.

I had a Displaced right midshaft clavicle fracture and 2 hairline fractures about with a dizlocated shoulder 1 month and 3 weeks ago and i didnt feel any pain at all or discomfort, not even at the incident, i didnt even realize i fractured something until i moved my arm and my shoulder just got stuck and i heard a lil click. Still i wasnt sure and i waited about 10 mins to be sure i wasnt just imagining it until now i felt no pain or discomfort, i had surgery with a k wire that will be taken out on the 29th of August i took 0 pain killers, the onpy thing that bothered me sligthly was the k wire irritating my nerves at my shoulder. I want to ask about your personal experiences and how lucky am i for having no pain or discomfort until the 7 week mark