Orlando 76 man down

75 Tique wrote: Great news Todd. Glad to hear you can get back out there and fulfill your duties as president of the "pull my arms in excessively at 5 ball for no apparent reason" club. Orlando76 wrote: I see Larry’s a member of the “I pull my arms in excessively at 5 ball for no apparent reason club”. I am your club president. That actually carries some bitter sweet memories for you, well maybe just bitter, as I went back and reread this thread to be reminded that it was ball 5 that ate your lunch. Let's be careful out there. As some of you may recall, I got a new to me ski for this year. It has a leather lace up boot, which I have never had before. Thinking of Todd and Val Karras, I was a little nervous about it not coming off and doing something similar to my ankle. I was pleased to learn after a couple OTFs that this ski will pop off as needed, so I am feeling a little better about it. Go get it Todd.

All great presidents make sacrifices.

Wow glad you are recovering. I’ve never seen a waterskiing injury like that. How fast were you traveling

Great news Todd. Glad to hear you can get back out there and fulfill your duties as president of the "pull my arms in excessively at 5 ball for no apparent reason" club.

Orlando76 wrote: I see Larry’s a member of the “I pull my arms in excessively at 5 ball for no apparent reason club”. I am your club president.

That actually carries some bitter sweet memories for you, well maybe just bitter, as I went back and reread this thread to be reminded that it was ball 5 that ate your lunch.

Let's be careful out there.

As some of you may recall, I got a new to me ski for this year. It has a leather lace up boot, which I have never had before. Thinking of Todd and Val Karras, I was a little nervous about it not coming off and doing something similar to my ankle. I was pleased to learn after a couple OTFs that this ski will pop off as needed, so I am feeling a little better about it.

Go get it Todd.

BOOYAH!!!! This guy just got the all clear from the doctor to go back to skiing! Longest 8.5 months of my life.

Dang, dude. You have my sympathies. Those staples and incisions will leave some killer railroad track scars. Best wishes.

Some people want to "be like Mike". Others want to be like Alex (Smith).



JQ

You'll have to put that up on some V blocks and check the run out but it looks pretty straight from here.   Keep the good spirits man you're doing great.

how about an update Todd?



john

Something I found comical:
My son has been at a different hospital this whole time. When I got to see him on my second day out from hospital. It was me in my wheel chair withthe walker in tow, wifey poo, and my young but 70/71 year old father in law who’s in great shape and looks good. To get into the hospital you have to go through security, cancer causing metal detectors, TSA has to search whatever cavities youmay have etc. We get through all that and the security guard opens up the walker and hands it to my father in law, attempts to help him and says “here’s your walker sir” I couldn’t stop laughing.

Orlando76 wrote: 1. The area where there’s no screws because the tibia is in too many pieces. I asked why not put hose clamps around that area. Well, they do in extreme cases but there are blood vessels that run along the bone/in the bone and clamping it kills blood flow. 2. Due to the contours of the plates I assumed it was a bendable hurricane strap essentially. He said no, the plate is unbendable. 90% of the people have the exact same contour of that part of the leg so the plates are generically made. 3. I’m still unclear on whether the screws get loose in the bone or if the bone calcifies around the screws but the screws are essentially indexed to the plate so once they bottom out when being tightened they click and lock into place and will never back out of the plate.

That's the beauty of the plate - it gives stability without the need to deal with the fragments. The hoses clamp concept is used more in situations like barrel straps (they are called "cerclage wire" BTW). Plates are much better for initial weight-bearing..... and you DON'T want that plate to be bendable!

Our screws don't lock into the plate...... backing out isn't the issue, it is bone dying or becoming infected around the screw holes. Fast drills with worn bits burn bone. Metal under the skin LOVES to get infected especially around open wounds. They will keep looking for issues..... the vast majority of the time, all goes well and plates and screws stay put without issues.

Hate to hear about injuries like this.   Hope you heal up soon. I have several screws in my ankle. Once it healed I haven't had any problems. A buddy of mine snapped his femur in half behind my boat and he was snow skiing six months later.

As far as binding systems go I have the Goode "velcro" system with Wileys boots. I don't course ski anymore so I hardly ever fall and have never had the bindings release but potentially they should release during a bad fall. Maybe others have had some experience and can comment.

Goode binding plate

Todd -

Sorry to see this. Heal quick and listen to the PT instructions. It makes or breaks the repair outcome.

The repair looks really good! The doc even used a long cancellous bone screw where he should (angled long one with different thread pitch). It is a very interesting and versatile plate that was used on the tibia. (Ours are a little smaller). I'm sure you'll be tap-dancing on it in a few months.......

Here's to a speedy recovery!

Idk how people with a hip or knee replacement walk on it within 24 hours. That’s insane. Wouldn’t be much of a fair fight, by the time CQ goes under the knife I’ll have plenty of walker practice. I just need more stamina now, the story of my life. Good luck CQ.

Dang Todd, so sorry to hear about this :( One of my scariest falls was my front released and the back didn't, doh. Hurt for a while but no break, I was lucky. Ditched the back boot for a toe plate and never looked back.
I am going on the carving table myself next month, right hip replacement Dec 20, Left on Feb 28, I should come down to FLA and we can have walker races.
Cheers to a speedy recovery!!

Wow Todd. What a mess. Sorry that this happened, but glad you seem to be on the mend. I guess we all know there are risks, but we certainly dont think something like this will happen. I cant help but think of Steve Kutsch and what happened to him every time I suit up. Interesting cause, that that rear foot came out, allowing ski to "Helicopter" the front foot.
I have an old binding so I slip out of it pretty easily. This kind of out the front at the ball is



pretty harmless compared to a fall at the acceleration point across the wake. Here is a spill by one of the New England guys, but I dont know if it was Brad, Ken, Tim or Keith. It was one of them as we were out as a group at Brad's one night.



This is from Keith's "northeast amateurs" video on youtube he did back in 07 or 08.   I'm glad I popped out. One of the skis I test drove lately had the hard shell boot with the release. I took a spill on that and the boot popped off, which is a good idea. I think about this stuff as I ponder new bindings and ski.

Sorry. Didnt mean to threadjack too badly. Get better, Todd.

Smithfamily wrote: tryathlete wrote: 8122pbrainard wrote: Tod, Then in the hardware dept. plenty of Tapcons. Ya—hopefully the doc used titanium and didn’t shop at Pete’s to make a few extra bucks! This created a visual in my sick mind......6-8 Doctors dressed in green scrubs, in the HD, "Pete's Aisle", all patiently waiting to speak to Pete to purchase screws and straps.....

The Tapcon picture I used was chosen because it's the stainless version!