[Blog] How a Kitesurfing Accident Changed My Life

[Fabian]

Timeline

• 094 - 100 Days after the accident

Overall situation

• Unfortunately I had immense pain at the ankle which got more worse. The pain was a feeling like some stabbed me with a knife in the ankle. The main pain is located on the front side below the ankle and on the side at the fibula. I treated the pain one week with IBUProfen 400mg and volteren creme and a lot of ice-ing which didn’t had any bigger effect on the pain. Walking went worse and it wasn’t possible to perform physiotherapy exercises anymore.

• After experiencing pain for nearly five days, a CT scan was performed, which revealed that my fibula hasn't healed properly. It's unclear whether the fibula broke again or if it never healed completely. In any case, the conservative treatment wasn't successful, and the bone needs to be stabilized with metal plates and screws.
  
  
  
  
• I was already hospitalized over the weekend and am waiting for further tests, which will determine whether surgery will be performed or if there's still a possibility for another treatment method.

Physiotherapy

• Due to the pain it wasn’t possible to perform any exercises anymore.

Pictures

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[Fabian]

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Message from: Fabian

104 days after the accident, I finally had surgery to stabilize the fibula with a plate and screws. The main issue with the fracture was that the 10 cm fracture line wasn’t fully aligned along its entire length. Some sections had already started healing with new bone growth, while other sections remained disconnected. This uneven healing made it impossible to achieve a strong bond without surgical intervention. The surgery itself wasn't complicated but the bone had begun to regenerate in some areas due to the extended delay following the accident. This newly formed bone tissue had to be removed to create a fresh surface for proper support. I had consented to the possibility of using bone material from my pelvis if necessary, but fortunately, it wasn't needed. In the end, one diagonal screw was used to secure the bone to the plate, along with seven additional screws to fix the plate in place.

Timeline

• 101 - 107 Days after the accident
• 000 - 004 Days after the surgery

Overall situation before the surgery

• Before the surgery was walking still possible without support, but it caused increasing pain. On the other hand, swelling wasn’t really an issue anymore, though that might have been because I walked significantly less than in the previous weeks.

Overall situation after the surgery

• The first attempt to stand up with support and crutches was just 6 hours after the surgery.
• The planned treatment was identical to the conservative approach: a cast brace for 6 weeks, no weight-bearing on the foot, an X-ray examination after 6 weeks, followed by intensive progressive physiotherapy.
• I don't want to scare anyone, but right after I woke up, I experienced really intense pain that had to be treated with very strong painkillers.
• The pain level was definitely 10 out of 10

Physiotherapy

• Because of the surgery there was no physiotherapy during week 14.

Pictures

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Day 1 after the surgery

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Day 2 after the surgery

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[Fabian]

Timeline

• 108 - 114 Days after the accident
• 005 - 011 Days after the surgery

Overall situation

• The first week after the surgery was quite tough for me because I had immense pain in the whole leg. Also being trapped again on the couch knowing everything started from the beginning, was a challenge for me. At least I used some skills I learn during the first 6 weeks in June and July helped me. Showering wasn't an issue like it was in June as example or the experience I gain to elevate my leg proper.
• I experienced the same thing as in Week 4 of the conservative treatment. My foot slowly started turning blue when it wasn't elevated.
• One huge difference to the first 6 weeks in June/July was the sleeping. Due to the fact just the fibula is still broken, sleeping on the leftside was possible.
• The most annoying pain was when I stood up, and all the blood flowed into my leg. It was extremely painful for about 30 seconds to a minute.
• At the beginning of the week, the pain level in total decreased but still reached 7-8 out of 10
• At the end of the week, the pain level decreased further down to 2-5 out of 10

Physiotherapy

• Because of the surgery there was no physiotherapy during week 15.

Pictures

Day 5 after the surgery

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Day 6 after the surgery

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Day 8 after the surgery

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Day 11 after the surgery

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[Fabian]

Timeline

• 115 - 121 Days after the accident
• 012 - 018 Days after the surgery

Overall situation

• On the night of the 11th to the 12th day after the surgery, I spent my first 24 hours without painkillers. In the few days before that, I had only taken 1g of paracetamol to sleep. During the day, I still felt pain, but it wasn't very strong as long as I spent most of my time in the bed.
• Mild swelling happened whenever my foot wasn't elevated. But this swelling wasn't comparable to the swelling of the conservative treatment.
• The cast brace made a huge difference, as it was almost opened and provided enough space for the foot to swell and deswell. This showed me how differently hospitals treat their patients and the contrast between those specialized in repairing ankles and standard hospitals.
• The stitches were removed on the 13th and 16th. It was divided into two appointments because there was still some pressure on the scar.
• Throughout the entire week, I had a constant feeling of tingling and warmth in the area of the implants. It wasn’t painful or unpleasant; it just felt a bit strange.
• The pain level decreased further down to 0-2 out of 10

Physiotherapy

• Because of the surgery there was no physiotherapy during week 16.

Pictures

1. Picture: The cast was given to me by a non-specialized hospital after two weeks. It was a closed cast, which caused continuous issues because my foot swelled every single day.
2. Picture: The cast brace I received after the surgery was much better because the swelling didn't have too much impact on the foot. Both serve the same purpose.

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Day 13 after the surgery

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Day 17 after the surgery

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[Fabian]

Timeline

• 122 - 128 Days after the accident
• 019 - 025 Days after the surgery

Overall situation

• Like the week before, I had a constant feeling of tingling and warmth in the area of the implants. It wasn’t painful or unpleasant; it just felt still a bit strange.
• Since the accident in June, I have never seen my foot so slim and free of swelling. This reinforces once again that the initial treatment approach was the wrong decision.
• Unfortunately, I noticed a slight increase in pain, possibly due to more movement throughout the week. I had several appointments that required me to walk a lot with crutches, more than in the previous weeks.
• The pain level was 0-4 out of 10; I didn't take any painkillers at all this whole week. Like mentioned above, I felt some pain, but it was manageable without them.

Physiotherapy

• Because of the surgery there was no physiotherapy during week 17.

Pictures

Day 20 after the surgery the foot still turned blue when not elevated

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It may look funny, but a knee scooter is a game-changer if you need crutches for weeks

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Day 23 after the surgery

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[Fabian]

Timeline

• 128 - 134 Days after the accident
• 026 - 032 Days after the surgery

Overall situation

• Due to the slight increase in pain, my blood was tested to ensure there is no infection. Fortunately, it seems the pain and tingling were part of the normal healing process after the surgery.
• I still had a strange tingling in my fibula. It wasn’t painful, but it was a bit annoying.
• The pain decreased significantly by the end of the week.
• The pain level was 0-2 out of 10.

Physiotherapy

Just like in the first 6 weeks with a cast in June and July, I experienced cramps and back pain along my entire spine. Based on my experience from the summer, I decided to ask for physiotherapy and started it earlier this time because the issues had become so severe that my leg problems seemed minor in comparison.

• Session 12 - Manual therapy to release the blockages in my spine between the shoulders and in the lower back.

Pictures

Day 28 after the surgery

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[Fabian]

Timeline

• 135 - 141 Days after the accident
• 033 - 039 Days after the surgery

Overall situation

• Overall, the situation continued to improve. The pain had now mostly turned into brief pulling and tingling sensations. A few times, the area around the scar was very sensitive to pressure. Standing and walking with crutches for longer periods became less complicated.
• The pain level was 0-2 out of 10.

Physiotherapy

• Session 13 - We dentified new issues with my spinal muscles and discussed the following treatment options.

Pictures

Day 38 after the surgery

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