Will doctors remove the steel rod in my leg after almost 5 years?

[Sammycopley]

Hello Doctors.

Around 5 years ago my right tibia had received a clean break in the center of the bone as a result of a car incident. The doctors at the local hospital placed a steel rod Inside the broken tibia and held it in place with 3 pins (after little research I think it is called an Intramedullary rod). For the first 3-4 years I didn't notice the the metal in my leg and lived a normal life each day, i.e. running, mild gymnastics training, caring for my elderly father(heavy lifting), and the life of a 16-20 year old. I am now almost 21.

For the past year my knee has gradually been getting more painful, first preventing me from kneeling and then  running and other excercises. Now the pain in my knee is is a constant 5/10 pain, more when I'm mobile and debilitating when I last ran (maybe 5 months ago. I can feel my whole leg becoming weaker which I believe has started causing my ankle troubles. I have also grown since the accident which I am unsure whether growing has caused any problems.

I haven't done anything about this problem because lately  have been putting other things before myself which seems silly to me when I think about it. This year I am wanting to do something about my leg and my whole health in general and I thought I would start by asking people that may know.

Will doctors remove the steel rod in my leg after all this time? Is the steel rod even the problem and if not then what can I do?

I am looking for advice on what I can do . Any advice really. Thankyou

[Sammycopley]

Thankyou for your concern Ampgirl60. I think I will make an appointment after this current holiday period to see a doc. Until then I am hoping people like you can help out with advice. If your arm has been problem-free for 13 years, there could be a possibility that the steel rod in my leg isn't causing the trouble,hmm. I guess only x-rays and stuff like that could help show what's wrong.
I will keep this post updated as to how I go. Thank you again

[AMPGIRL60]

Hi. I am not a doctor, however I had a broken arm back in 2001, for which the drs. put pins and a plate in the arm, in order to heal. I still have these in my arm, but it hasn't/doesn't bother me at all.  It might be a good idea for you to make an appointment with the Orthopedic clinic to find out what should be done, in your situation. I'm guessing they would want to do some xrays, for starters, and possibly some additional tests.  I hope this helps!  I will be curious as to your outcome with this. Best Wishes!