Depending on the severity of your pilon fracture, your recovery time may vary. symptom. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. INTRODUCTION. The ankle has to . Distal tibial fractures are rare and difficult to treat because the bones are subcutaneous. Keywords: pilon fracture, plafond fracture, intra-articular ankle fractures, distal tibia fracture, AO/OTA 43A-C Introduction First described by French radiologist Destot in 1911, pilon fractures are defined as injuries that involve the articular weight-bearing surface of the distal tibia. J Orthop Trauma. This study shows that open reduction and internal fixation for pilon fractures 3 to 5 days after injury can lead to a high rate of soft tissue complication.13, 30. Aim; to evaluate the effect of rehabilitation exercises program on Pilon fracture outcome. Tension failure typically produces a simple transverse fracture plain. The overall local complication rate was 54%. assessed nine patients with sequential ankle scores and found that they all improved between two and six years after injury. The Pilon fracture recovery may possibly be affected by how the damage is sustained. 2013 Jul. Because these fractures are very small, they heal well with this management. Pilon fractures are complex and difficult-to-treat fractures of the lower extremity that account for about 1% of all lower extremity fractures and up to 10% of tibial fractures [1, 2].The term Pilon, meaning hammer, was originally described by the French surgeon Destot in 1911 [] and refers to the mechanism of the injury: resembling the impact of talus on tibia to … Edited by David Oji, MD. This group is dedicated to bringing people with a tibial Pilon fracture together to share their stories and find others who are suffering, and help each other find hope, share tips and tricks and new information, and seek new ways to be happy. In one study Marsh et al. Aim; to evaluate the effect of rehabilitation exercises program on Pilon fracture outcome. You will not be able to put weight on your foot. Objective: To discuss the methods, timing and clinical outcomes of surgical treatment for open pilon fractures. If you have a pilon fracture, you might have bruising, deformity, swelling, or pain. University of California at Davis Medical Center . Pilon Fracture ORIF. In the later stages of recovery stiffness of the ankle and foot may be a troublesome . With bending fractures, comminution occurs on the side that fails in compression. A pilon fracture is a type of break of the shinbone that happens near the ankle. Your recovery time can be affected by other health conditions, the severity of your injury, the extent of your surgery, and whether you smoke. Patients who have suffered a displaced Pilon (Tibial Plafond) fracture (Figure 1)often benefit from surgery to reposition the bones that make up the top part of the ankle joint (Figure 2). 20-25% are open . Most of the time, high-impact injury breaks both bones of the lower leg. Sharing our pilon fracture experience; It has been 5 and a half months after my pilon fracture surgery. With this type of injury, the other bone in the lower leg, the fibula, is frequently Background Distal tibia fracture with intra-articular extension . The aim of the present study was to find out the factors that affect fracture union in tibial pilon fractures. After 8 months of recovery from pilon fracture type 3, I was able to run again. Pilon fractures often involving a lengthy, sometimes painful recovery time. Indications. Complications after treatment of tibial pilon fractures: prevention and management strategies. Since I've got access, I've really dove deep into the literature about pilon fractures. The fracture healing time was 15.07±0.93 weeks, and the weight-bearing time after the operation was 6.91±0.58 weeks. 1-10% of LE fx’s . He is now 3 weeks from injury and skin swelling has subsided significantly. Research hypothesis; the outcome of study group patients will be better than the outcome of control group. A tibial pilon fracture is a break at the bottom or distal portion of the tibia, more commonly known as the shinbone. In this prospective study, we examined use of a surgical strategy for managing pilon fractures based on ankle position at the time of the injury/initial direction of fracture displacement. 1/3 of patients have associated injuries . Key points about a pilon fracture of the ankle. Recovery time in bimalleolar ankle fracture varies from person to person and depends on the type and severity of the injury and the overall health of the person. A pilon fracture is an intraarticular fracture of the distal tibia. Swollen tissue and collections of blood heal to form scar tissue. 10 In 1950, Bonin chose the term tibial plafond fracture to denote a fracture of the vault or ceiling of the ankle joint. Research hypothesis; the outcome of study group patients will be better than the outcome of control group. 7 Months Post Op and 3 Months of “Walking”, An Update; Ankle dorsiflexion limited after 6 months post injury at 2 degrees. Pilon Fractures Philip Wolinsky . You may be able to bear weight between two to three months. Most of the time, high-impact injury breaks both bones of the lower leg. While googling and researching this thread popped up. pronouncekiwi - … You most likely will begin moving your ankle anywhere from two to six weeks. External fixation is commonly used, but the method often results in delayed union. All had type C fractures according to the Arbeitsgemeinschaft für osteosynthesefragen-Association for the Study of Internal Fixation (AO/ASIF) classification. I had a pilon fracture (type 2) December 27th and am still in the early recovery - non weight bearing for another 3 weeks. I'm two weeks post surgery for my left leg Pilon Fracture. 4,18 The term pilon fracture was first used in 1911 by Destot, who likened the distal tibia to a pestle. Relatively little information has been available on the time course to recovery after tibial plafond fractures. He loves discussing and writing about sports & exercise injuries, and has been featured in major media publications over 1,200 times throughout his career. Patients and Methods: A quasi – experimental research design was utilized. Singapore Sports and Orthopaedic Clinic specializes in treatment of Ankle & Foot Fractures, Dislocations & Pains. With any injured ankle, however, you should not bear weight until a cast is placed or you are pain free. After four months, you may be walking after a pilon fracture with no assisted aid. The goal of surgery is to put the bones back into the position that they were in prior to the injury. 27(7):e152-6. Patient follow-up time ranged from 1 week (the occurrence of a major local complication) to 200 weeks (no complication), with a mean of 67 weeks. Spectrum of injuries: 1) Low energy rotational fx’s Ankle type fractures / Skiing, simple falls . These fractures make up 5% to 7% of all tibial fractures. Some shaft fractures of the tibia take as little as four months to heal, with more … Cole PA, Mehrle RK, Bhandari M, Zlowodzki M. The pilon map: fracture lines and comminution zones in OTA/AO type 43C3 pilon fractures. Sign in to disable ALL ads. Pilon Fracture Surgery High energy ankle fractures, Pilon Fractures, often cause severe damage to the joint (articular) surface. . The long-term outcome of pilon fractures was affected by fracture patterns, fibular length restoration, quality of reduction, and severity of soft tissue injury. Bike, push-bike or car mishaps are common causes of pilon bone fracture and they are furthermost common in younger individuals. The first 5-7 days I was in a fog of pain pills and general tiredness. On average the recovery time is approximately 6 weeks, while a lot depends on the rehabilitation. Key points about a pilon fracture of the ankle. Thank you for helping build the largest language community on the internet. Type 1 and 2 pilon fractures seem to heal well, once you get to type 3 and worse the outcomes are pretty depressing. Typically, the fibula (the smaller ankle bone in the lower leg, parallel to the tibia) will also break when a tibial pilon fracture occurs. Consultation & Treatment for Ankle & Foot Fractures. Tibia fracture: Questions about the injury, treatment and recovery Dr. David Geier is an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist in Charleston, South Carolina. For this purpo … A total of 21 (40%) pilon fractures (six type I, six type II, and nine type III) had major local complicating events requiring 77 additional operations. A pilon fracture is a type of break that occurs at the bottom of the tibia (shinbone) and involves the weight­ bearing surface of the ankle joint. Mean pain scores were significantly lower after hardware removal overall and for ankle and tibial fractures, both after fixation with plates or screws, and among patients with preremoval pain scores of 3 or less (Table 2 ). For pilon fractures with a varus deformity, medial metaphyseal comminution is commonly observed and medial buttress plating with a stronger medial implant is necessary. Thordarson DB. Pilon Fractures Suck! Patients and Methods: A quasi – experimental research design was utilized. Methods: From April 2003 to July 2008, 28 patients with open pilon fractures were treated. Two studies using a staged protocol22, 26 for the management of soft tissue injury in high-energy pilon fractures have been reported. Recovery time depends on the extent and type of fracture. be kept immobile for a period of time while the fracture is healing. A tibial pilon fracture can be a result of impact from a fall, a twist, or a car accident. Listen to the audio pronunciation of Pilon fracture on pronouncekiwi. Various methods for the pilon fracture … A pilon fracture is a type of break of the shinbone that happens near the ankle. Posttraumatic arthrosis affecting the ankle after a severe pilon fracture (Ruedi type II or III) was a progressive disease, and required long-term follow-up. Then . Objectives: To assess the recovery of ankle function and general health status at multiple time points during the first 24 months after an isolated tibial plafond fracture treated with joint-spanning external fixation and to determine factors that affect a rapid versus a slow recovery and factors that influence patient outcome at a minimum of 2 years after injury. Although arthritis is common after these injuries, surgery is performed to decrease the severity of the arthritis and to improve the results of potential future procedures such as fusion or replacement. has 1,088 members. 3 Patients perceived that they improved for on average 2.4 years. If you have a pilon fracture, you might have bruising, deformity, swelling, or pain. (OBQ05.93) A 32-year-old man sustains a pilon fracture which is treated initially with a spanning external fixator, as shown in figure A. About this Pilon Fracture Recovery Site; About Tibial Pilon Fractures; Pilon Blog. 2000 Jul-Aug. 8 (4):253-65. Pilon fractures often involving a lengthy, sometimes painful recovery time. Now that I'm more "there" I have begun to realize the extent of this injury and how serious it is. Managing the pain is the first step. In cases that need surgery, recovery time is longer, around 3 to 4 months. Consequently, the mean time from index fracture surgery to hardware removal was 23.6 (range 7 to 240) months.