# Ankle Bolt Removal



## jhemp (Jul 26, 2006)

It's been a long 2 months or so, but my doc is planning to remove the bolts from my ankle next week (broke my ankle and fibula on Aug 25.) I want to be excited, but I just learned that he's doing this as an outpatient surgery...in his office...

Is this common? If so, will it hurt? Am I dealing with some sort of sadistic freak?


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## BrokenBones (Feb 4, 2005)

2 months isn't too bad, you must be young! I had mine out (after about 4 months) in the hospital under general anesthesia. It was outpatient, and they sent me home after a couple of hours. 2 screws went in, 1 1/2 came out! The 1 must have busted when the Doc cleared me to start some "gentle" riding a couple of weeks before he took them out. The remaining fragment is buried in the bone, so it doesn't cause any problems. He just made 2 small incisions to get to the screws. I don't even remember if he sutured them or just taped them after. That surgery healed up real fast.
If you would like to see what an in-office extraction looks like do a search on here for a guy named nachomc. He broke his leg the same summer I broke my ankle, and I was hanging out here a lot, so I remember it vividly. He was awake and filmed the Doc removing his screws with a cordless drill! A true mountain biker.
I had pins removed from a broken finger in-office, and didn't feel a thing. Doc just used some needle nose pliers, and pulled them right out.


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## mtnbikej (Sep 6, 2001)

I broke mine on New Years....recieved 2 plates and 14 screws.....Othro Surgeon said they were meant to be permanent....only to be taken out if I was having issues with them.

From research I have done......seems though most doc.'s wait at least 12-18 months before they even consider hardware removal.


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## [email protected] (Feb 3, 2008)

mtnbikej said:


> I broke mine on New Years....recieved 2 plates and 14 screws.....Othro Surgeon said they were meant to be permanent....only to be taken out if I was having issues with them.
> 
> From research I have done......seems though most doc.'s wait at least 12-18 months before they even consider hardware removal.


so, what happens after 10yrs? plate/bolts are still there

btw, Bucky rules; dogs drool


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## jhemp (Jul 26, 2006)

Two months really isn't that bad as my situation could've been much, much worse....I took a nasty spill in the middle of Pisgah National Forest (aka the middle of nowhere) and was alone when I did so. I'm 42 and have bolts and other hardware in my arm from when I was a teenager, so I was a bit surprised when I learned they were going to remove the ones from my ankle...especially so soon. Maybe he's concerned that I'll eventually break them if they remain. Also, he's aware that I'm an avid weightlifter as well as an avid MTBer.

Perhaps he'll let me record the procedure since I'll be awake.


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## mtnbikej (Sep 6, 2001)

[email protected] said:


> so, what happens after 10yrs? p
> 
> late/bolts are still there
> 
> btw, Bucky rules; dogs drool


Basically I was told that my plates and screws would stay inside my leg/ankle forever. He did say that some people have the hardware removed if they start having problems with them......for example, my outer plate rubs in my workboots causing some irritation. If it doesn't get better by next year, I may choose to have them removed.

Yes, Bucky rules!!!!!!!


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## [email protected] (Feb 3, 2008)

wellp, never given me any probs, and I kinda like it there, tho if I should ever go down hard and rebreak it....


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## mtnbikej (Sep 6, 2001)

[email protected] said:


> wellp, never given me any probs, and I kinda like it there, tho if I should ever go down hard and rebreak it....


No doubt.....think 2 2x4's connected with wood screw getting ripped apart......splinters galore.


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## osmarandsara (Jun 26, 2006)

I broke my ankle two years ago and had four screws put in........two of the screws were about two inches long and they penetrated and went through both my tibula and fibula right above the ankle......the surgeon said these were to stabalize the fib/tib and were for alingment purposes (they were not holding together any broken sections of bone and they actually had empty (non-bone) tissue in between ) These two screws came out about 3-4 months.

The other two screws were much shorter (10 mm) and actually held together fractured bone fragments....since these were 100% in the bone, there was no reason for these to come out.....

From what I remember, I was anesthesized briefly for the bolt removal procedure. I think I was out cold for about 5- minutes....when I woke up I had a tiny X stitch on both sides and was good to go!


Make sure you tell the doc to give you back the screws (after he cleans them up of course) so you can show them off to your riding buddies!


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## jhemp (Jul 26, 2006)

[/QUOTE]Make sure you tell the doc to give you back the screws (after he cleans them up of course) so you can show them off to your riding buddies![/QUOTE]

Exactly. I'm planning to use two of my bolts to make some really cool horns for my helmet. Probably not the best or safest idea in the world, but neither is riding a bicycle on steep grades in isolated places.


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## DozerAZ (Jul 29, 2011)

My ankle was broken in half, too dedraded to repair. When I first spoke to the doctor, days later, he said he wished he'd saved the bone, it would have made an awesome bolo tie. (car accident, but trying to ride again) Screws, etc removed a few months later, bone infection. I've thought of putting them in clear plastic for a bolo.


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