What is a Pilon variant fracture?
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. With this type of injury, the other bone in the lower leg, the fibula, is frequently broken as well.
Can you walk with a pilon fracture?
Walking aids: Your healthcare team may have you use a walking aid such as crutches to avoid bearing weight on your affected leg. You may have to use the walking aid for up to three months or until your pilon fracture is fully healed.
How serious is a pilon fracture?
Patients ultimately can remove the boot and gradually resume activities in normal shoes. The time to achieve full bone healing of a pilon fracture typically occurs 3-6 months after surgery, but it often takes patients 12 months or more to fully recover from the injury. These are serious ankle injuries.
What is the Pilon bone?
A pilon fracture is a type of break of the shinbone (tibia) that happens near the ankle. Most of the time, it includes breaks in both the tibia and fibula of the lower leg. The lower ends of these bones make up part of the ankle. The term “pilon” comes from the French word for pestle. This is a tool used for crushing.
When can you drive after a pilon fracture?
Responses for operative right ankle fractures ranged from 2 to 12 weeks post op. Patients with right non-operatively treated ankle fractures were allowed to drive at an average of 7.8 weeks (range 4-12 weeks). Various criteria for assessing a patient’s ability to return to driving were reported.
How does a pilon fracture happen?
What causes a pilon fracture of the ankle? High-energy impacts most often cause pilon fractures. Falls from heights, motor vehicle accidents, and skiing accidents are common causes. Usually, the force from the impact drives a bone from the foot (the talus) into the tibia.
How long does it take to recover from a pilon fracture?
Normal healing of a fracture to the tibia can take at least 6 months. It does depend on a number of factors for example if you break your tibia or shin bone in the middle of the bone it can take longer than if you break the tibia closer to the ankle. Return to normal full activities can take 9-12 months.
How long does it take to walk after tibial plateau fracture surgery?
If you had surgery for your tibial plateau fracture, you can put a little bit of weight on the leg after 6 weeks with the goal of walking normally by the 10th week. If you did not have surgery for your tibial plateau fracture, you can start walking safely with a knee brace in 4-6 weeks.
Are bone screws permanent?
Your surgeon may use metal screws, pins, rods, or plates to secure the bone in place. These can be either temporary or permanent.
How soon can you walk after ORIF surgery?
No walking on the foot is permitted until 6 weeks after surgery. You will then be allowed to walk in a walking boot.