Femoral shaft and radius - major wreck

[rossi]

So last Saturday I rounded a corner on a wide dirt track between trails to come face to face with a pickup going way too fast and completely on my side. We ended up going head on with the impact at a slight angle to the right which corresponds to the injuries.

I won't bore you with the full details but fortunately the ambulance was there very quickly and I received excellent care.

The end result is a severely fractured left femoral shaft and fractured right radius. This was repaired with 6 hours of surgery by plating the radius and inserting a rod down inside the middle of the femur with screw attachment at either end. On top of this is severe bruising on the right leg which prevents me using it for anything useful even after a week - it was actually more swollen then the left leg earlier in the week. The left wrist may yet have to be x-rayed as I have restricted movement and as much pain as the right.

The recovery timeline from date of accident:
1 week - I am now at home which is great but wheel chair bound. In a few days I will go in to have staples and stitches removed, arm cast changed to a plastic splint and x-rays to assess progress.
3 weeks - The right arm will be strong enough to weight bare and I can get on to crutches
6 weeks - crutches can go as the rod will have sufficiently fused to the bone at either end to support my weight
6 months but confirmed by x-ray - the femur should have regrown into the gaps and be sufficiently strong for me to begin athletic activity.

So a long road.

Things I can be fortunate about:

I am still alive and will make a full recovery

My body armour did exactly what it needed to and because of its design the medics did not need to cut it off me as the parts are all attached with velcro. Forcefield adventure harness if you want a recommendation.

I was wearing ortho knee braces which means I still have knees. Mine were Alpinestars B2 pro-carbon. The right brace appears undamaged but the majority of the bruising on the leg coincides with the position of the brace. Given extent of the bruising I am confident that it saved my knee. The left brace broke through the frame but again the knee is fine.

The future:
The bike damage has been reported as front wheel, plastics and a rad. I have spare wheels but I would want to check the forks and frame very carefully before deciding whether the bike is repairable and also replace the head bearings.
From a personal point of view I have not decided whether I will ride again or hang up my helmet. I have to consider the impact of this on my family and, if I find another activity to replace riding why give them the stress. Another option would be to swap to a trials bike which would only be used away from 4 wheel vehicles.

So has anyone gone through a similar smash? How was recovery?

If not I will update from time to time with progress reports.

[john r b]

I do not... Holy smokes that looks painful. I hope you have a speedy recovery.

[rossi]

Originally Posted by john r b

I do not... Holy smokes that looks painful. I hope you have a speedy recovery.

Thanks John

Fortunately the ambulance was at the scene quickly and the drugs were very good

The first couple of days in hospital i don't think the hospital staff appreciated that the muscles in the right leg were almost as shot as the ones in the left - in fact they were actually more swollen.

A week in and the right leg is not back to normal but i can happily stand on it alone. The left is not so good obviously but, sitting in my wheel chair I can bend it to 90 to rest the foot on the rest and extend it close to 45 in front without assistance. To get it further I can hook my right foot behind it to provide the additional power.

Pain meds are limited to paracetamol and naproxen for inflammation. What pain i have is, i'm sure, mainly down to the muscle rather than the bone itself. Just got to keep it moving and work it as much as I can so i don't lose too much strength and mobility

[Moto7man]

Take it easy and get well soon!

[RBrider]

Really happy to hear it wasn't worse. Hoping you heal as quickly as possible.

Staying on top of the PT, including moving it as much as you can, is probably a good idea.

Also, good to hear you're not using excessive pain killers. Some times we begin to like them too much.

Keep us posted on your progress if you will.

RB

[Jeff B]

The rod does not have to be removed unless it is causing problems....pain. I have a rod in my leg since 2011. Still ride, hike and go through airports without problems. Expect to limp for about a year, not because of pain, but because your normal walking gait will alter from not walking normally. Good luck in your recovery and don't rush it.

[RBrider]

Originally Posted by Jeff B

The rod does not have to be removed unless it is causing problems....pain. I have a rod in my leg since 2011. Still ride, hike and go through airports without problems. Expect to limp for about a year, not because of pain, but because your normal walking gait will alter from not walking normally. Good luck in your recovery and don't rush it.

Regards the limp. My friend just had a hip replacement about 2 or three weeks ago. His PT told him to use a a cane even if he doesn't feel that he needs it as the cane will help him walk with his body extended to full height and hopefully avoid walking bent over or with an altered gait as he recovers.

RB

[rossi]

Originally Posted by Jeff B

The rod does not have to be removed unless it is causing problems....pain. I have a rod in my leg since 2011. Still ride, hike and go through airports without problems. Expect to limp for about a year, not because of pain, but because your normal walking gait will alter from not walking normally. Good luck in your recovery and don't rush it.

I had a conversation with one of the medical team yesterday which gave me something to think about. His advice was to think carefully before returning to biking or any other activity with the potential to damage the femur because, in the event of a further break, there is a very real risk of the rod becoming a spear which passes up through the pelvis and many of the internal organs. His recommendation was that it is better to have the rod removed after 12 months if I am going to return to bikes in the future.

Has anybody else been given such a warning?

[hadfield4wd]

My buddy did 20 years ago. Last year he had to have the rid removed due to needing a hip replacement lingering from the original accident. Took him a while but is a great rider.

He still rides aggressively. Oh and he’s 38

[rossi]

Originally Posted by hadfield4wd

My buddy did 20 years ago. Last year he had to have the rid removed due to needing a hip replacement lingering from the original accident. Took him a while but is a great rider.

He still rides aggressively. Oh and he?s 38

That's good to hear, except having to go under again to have the rod removed. I expect it is a less traumatic process than inserting it in the first place as it doesn't involve the initial break and associated collateral damage.

Do you know how serious his was? Obviously it takes a lot of force to break a femur, but I have read that the greater number of breaks / parts the more serious the injury. At the bottom of the scale is a single break into 2 pieces, I appear to have the 2 ends plus at least 8 fragments which all have to hopefully grow together, providing they still have sufficient blood supply.