Impact fractures - tibia and femur, please help.

[mergie]

I am 40 yrs old and was kicked by a horse and had impact fractures of my tibia and femur along with some tears in my patella tendon.  Nothing was done for this.  The ER sent me home w/o crutches, a brace, a referral or pain meds and was told I had a mild sprain.  I did get some crutches as I couldn't bear any weight on my leg...

Anyway.  I made in to an orthopedic dr in 5 days and the x-rays still didn't show the fractures, I couldn't bend or straighten my leg all the way.  It took three weeks after finally having an MRI to get a diagnosis.  Meanwhile I was trying to walk on it as I was told I just had a mild sprain and to basically get over it.

It has now been 4 months and there is still swelling in the joint and pain in my knee, ankle and foot.  When I get up in the morning I am crippled.  I still can't straighten my leg or bend it quite all the way.  I'd say range of motion is now about 95%.  
I never had a cast or brace.  I did stay on crutches for 6 weeks after I was finally diagnosed.  I did not go to PT.  

Is there anything I can do to help my knee or is this it?   I am taking calcium and glucosomine.  Will the weight bearin I did in the beginning affect the joints long term health?  Any recommendations?  I ride one horse a day and walk about a mile doin my horse stuff.  I am thin and very healthy.  

Thank you fo reading all of that,
-Mergie

[Buffy888]

See a Sports Medicine Dr. - particularly one who deals with professional baseball and soccer players, as both of these have frequent knee injuries - including impacted fratures of the knee/tibia/fibias.

Bring your MRI & tell of your continued pain/walking/range of motion problems and ask what they recommend?  Try to avoid surgery if you can - anyone I know who's had it on the knees, they weren't the same after.  The tibia/fibia may benefit slightly with surgery, they could even possibly put in pins - but then you'd probably have pain there, especially when it rains -likely the rest of your life.  You & the dr would need to wiegh the benefits vs the risk of the outcomes.  I would avoid surgery at All costs if possibly.  

I have an impacted knne fracture - have done some cold laser therapy, but that's only good for soft tissue, not bone. I see a Sports Med guy soon who I googled that treats professional athletes.  You need someone who sees your kind of injury often & who's giving good outcomes.
  
Ask the dr their results with similar injuires & be sure to look up qualifications-how long in practice, where did they graduate from, & most important - check with the licensing board or whatever agency in your state that disciplines & imposes sanctions/revocations to see the dr. history.  And be sure to see 2 Sports Medicine drs - you want that 2nd opinion of another dr who sees athletic injuries similar to yours.  Maybe even someone who treats polo players or racehorse trainers, if either of those sports are in your area.  But baseball & soccer probably have more frequency of injury & likehood of dr.'s getting experience with them.

I'm also an educated nursing school graduate. Good Luck

[mergie]

Thanks, I went down and read your post.  
I think (?) the healed fractures are causing more pain then the tears.  I did not have a complete tear, just more than one in the tendon.  
The fractures are on on top of the other in the knee joint - if that makes sense the ends of my tibia and fibula were rammed together and fracture at that point.  
But the longer my knee is still for, the more it hurts when I start doing things.  
I do have a copy of the MRI and am thinking of finding a sports ortho dr.  I went for a second opinion in August and was kept on crutches a month longer than the original dr said.  I wasn't told anything about what to expect or do for for my knee......
Thanks again,
M

[emilycaitlin]

Hi, did you read my thread a couple below this about patellofemoral ligament tears? Star queen explained it in really good detail and it helped me understand it alot better. I'm not sure exactly what an impact fracture is but as far as the tear, believe me, I can understand how that would still be hurting. I tore mine Sept 28 and just this morning I was woken up with it throbbing, and I've had all kinds of things for mine. They prescribed crutches for a few days which I never wore, a brace which I have been wearing, PT every day, and I did get pain meds the first couple weeks. Does yours hurt when you leave it in one position too long like sleeping or sitting one place for more than a few mins? That's how mine is and it is still painful to walk. Do you think you could request a copy of your mri and perhaps visit another orthopedic dr for a second opinion? Hope you start to feel better soon, best wishes,  em