My wife broke her ankle in Jan 2017 slipping on ice. Ended up with a plate and 8 screws and was laid up for 6 weeks before going back to work. Physical therapy was really good for her but she still had limited range of motion until she got a prescription for medical massage. That really helped break up scar tissue and get better range of motion. She decided to have the plate and screws removed last November (10 months) post fracture and is really happy.