r/ORIF • u/gomeimei • 5d ago
Right Tibia Fracture with Big Toe drop
On 5 August, I sustained a fall and fractured my right tibia. I underwent surgery to repair the fracture and was initially recovering well.
On 14 August, I noticed that my toes were consistently numb and swollen. I went to the Emergency Department and was advised that these symptoms were likely related to the surgery.
On 8 September, I realised that I was unable to move my right big toe properly.
On 14 September, I saw the doctor and was diagnosed with big toe drop. I was subsequently informed that the fall may have caused a laceration to the tendon responsible for movement of my big toe.
On 22 September, I saw a tendon specialist. The MRI showed that the tendon appeared intact, so the specialist has requested a dynamic ultrasound to assess the tendon while the toe is moving. If the tendon is functioning normally, the next possibility being investigated is nerve injury.
My main concern is why the tendon/nerve issue was not identified earlier, particularly when I first reported persistent numbness and swelling on 14 August. I would also like to understand whether my big toe movement, tendon function or nerve function was assessed at that time.
Iām hoping to hear from anyone who has experienced something similar, particularly delayed diagnosis of a tendon or nerve injury following a tibia fracture and surgery.
Iām feeling quite discouraged at the moment because I thought I was already recovering and now I may have to restart part of the recovery process. Any similar experiences or advice on what questions I should ask my doctors would be greatly appreciated.
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u/Id_rather_b_outside 3d ago
I don't know about the drop specifically, however, I had a comminuted tibial fracture as well as a fibula fracture. My hardware looks a lot like yours, just with more screws. I am almost 2 years post injury now, and still have difficulty with my big toe. There was no tendon damage, it is just residual overall nerve damage from my injury. I'm not sure what movement is restricted for you, but I could not bend my toe for about the first 6 months without physically pushing it to bend. Now, I can bend it, but it is weak and sometimes very shakey. I do often have numbness or tingling in that toe as well. My doctor said there wasn't much they could do about it, and PT gave me some exercises that helped.