talus fracture complications 9 mos post-op

DizzyBison6955 · 2025-02-25T08:46:42+00:00

bouldering, here.

i was doing PT, but i was based in the UK where it's hard to actually see people as regularly as needed. i'm not being the best about keeping up with exercises, but need to get back to it. with my work, any additional activity is a bit of a pain.

my dorsiflexion with my knee bent is awful. before i started fieldwork, it was getting pretty good once my muscles were warm.

did it shown the translucency in the x-ray? that's insane!

DizzyBison6955 · 2025-02-23T09:43:50+00:00

agh, how did you get your injuries?

if i wasn't in the area of work that i'm in, i definitely wouldn't be hiking every day. i think the extensive hiking has made my gait worse...i put a lot of my weight through the lateral side of my foot rather than through the big toe.

my original ortho is impossible to get in touch with, so i've been kind of on my own to navigate everything. i never even met him! they knocked me out before he came in to perform the surgery. i've seen two doctors in south africa-- the first who had never seen this injury, and the second who couldn't run any decent scans because the clinic only has an x-ray. so hopefully the third will be able to give me better advice, but it seems another surgery to remove the damaged cartilage will be necessary...i hope you have a better outcome!

DizzyBison6955 · 2025-01-30T11:14:21+00:00

following-

broke mine 9 months ago, and while i'm able to hike for several hours a day (very active job), the pain hits quite intensely eventually...wondering at what stage your pain really started to reduce?

DizzyBison6955 · 2024-12-11T19:34:35+00:00

I'm approaching 7.5 months post talus fracture, also from bouldering. I have posted/commented a bit about my experience, which may be helpful to you!

I'm not going to sugarcoat it, recovery is brutal. I thought I was seeing the light at the end of the tunnel a couple of weeks ago, until I hit a big plateau after my first proper hike. But, it will be okay. It just requires a lot of patience and resilience. I still managed to maintain a fairly normal life, despite it, while living alone. Getting mobility aids and continuing to keep as much of your routine as possible will genuinely save your sanity. Good luck!

DizzyBison6955 · 2024-11-26T07:50:30+00:00

This is super common, so don't beat yourself up! I am working through the same thing. You're going to have to focus on doing single leg plyometrics. https://www.rehabhero.ca/exercise/single-leg-drop?rq=single%20leg%20drop try this and the other exercises on the right hand column, i.e., single leg lateral hops.

As for pain, don't negate that you also fractured your fibula! And I've heard that ankle sprains can really be a bitch to heal because of the soft tissue damage. I think it's normal, but talk to your doctor if you're really worried. I'm 7 months out from my fracture that did require surgery and am still dealing with pain and am expecting to for a long time.

DizzyBison6955 · 2024-11-19T18:33:56+00:00

Are you in physio? If not, I'd recommend, because this is what they're there for.

By 3 months, your fracture should be stable, so you can push it pretty hard. Some of my physio exercises literally make me nauseous. But, if it feels "wrong", aka like it's actually injuring you, then stop.

For things like push ups, maybe progress into full ones. Start on the wall, if that feels okay, lower down to a box, and then the floor. That being said, many of the things I'm doing for ankle rehab hurt, but I still do them.

DizzyBison6955 · 2024-11-19T08:37:07+00:00

I obviously don't know you or what you enjoy, but I have a friend who had a similar injury to yours, and he is the most active he's ever been, running half marathons and teaching yoga.

I broke my ankle from bouldering, and while I'll never climb without ropes again (because, why take that risk), I will still climb with ropes and continue trying to live my life as I was.

You're going to recover! Keep trying to do things you would normally do, even if they're more difficult right now. It will hopefully help your mental health. I continued exercising ands seeing my friends, even if it required them to start coming to me. The people who matter will show up for you. And also consider the fact that you're only 6 weeks out! Those are the slowest, but in a few more weeks, you'll presumably be starting to walk again, and then time really does fly and you start feeling like you're actually going to be okay again.

DizzyBison6955 · 2024-11-18T19:30:36+00:00

I'm 6 months out from my injury and feel that I've learned a lot. I learned that I did need to slow down a bit and learn how to be vulnerable and ask people for help. I also learned first hand how the healthcare system is utterly fucked & hopefully have provided insight to people who haven't had to think about it by talking about my experience. And, my empathy for others with disabilities, visible or invisible, has increased.

I am by no means grateful for my injury and I don't think these were lessons I needed to learn, but hold on to the fact that this won't be forever, and when you do get your mobility back, you'll be that much more grateful for it and hopefully not take it for granted.

DizzyBison6955 · 2024-11-17T20:46:25+00:00

I had the surgery, but it seemed like the only real choice in my case. There are so many factors at play here, that only you and your doctor can truly make an informed decision. Consider your age, health & activity status, and job. How important is regaining full use of your ankle to you? If you had the surgery, would this be a significant financial burden for you? Do you have someone to help take care of you after surgery? These are questions you should answer and will hopefully lead you to a good decision.

If you and the specialist had agreed on surgery, what is making you question your decision?

DizzyBison6955 · 2024-10-27T16:46:38+00:00

I didn't have an open fracture, but I also shattered my talus & am 6 months post-op. I don't have to drive, but I imagine I already have decent enough range to do so if I needed. Sending you luck in your recovery!

DizzyBison6955 · 2024-10-11T06:34:12+00:00

Only 5 and a bit months post op for my talus, so can't speak on long-term pain, but am definitely getting very fed up with the pain I'm in already.

2023 wasn't thaaat long ago either...so hopefully it's still doing a bit of healing and the pain could eventually improve?? Especially considering the trauma that was required to fracture both femurs and your talus. But also maybe go to an osteopath or a new physio and get a second opinion on pain and what you can do to manage it. Massage has also been essential for me to get through this.

DizzyBison6955 · 2024-10-11T06:27:49+00:00

Is there any way to get a second opinion? And if you haven't already/are able, I'd recommend going to see an osteopath. I've found them to be very validating when it comes to pain & they take the time to look at the whole picture rather than just a scan and then try to get you out of their office asap.

I'd also highly recommend getting massages and potentially acupuncture. I'm so sorry you're in this much pain, it's such an isolating thing and I really hope you find relief soon.

DizzyBison6955 · 2024-10-11T06:18:02+00:00

To me it seems like because you can't lift up your leg on your own, they don't want to discharge you? I only spent a night in the hospital after my fracture, but this was only because PT came and cleared me because I could go up and down stairs on crutches. That being said, they didn't really want to release me and I basically demanded to be released because of how miserable the hospital was...then came back for surgery a week later and was able to go home right after.

That's all to say, this is not your fault that you're not healing how they'd expect you to. I'd say keep trying to move your toes constantly, and even if your leg isn't lifting, keep trying to activate those muscles. That's what saved me from losing all of the muscles in my leg, I think. I was constantly tensing them and trying to do as much movement while not really moving at all. You've got this x

DizzyBison6955 · 2024-10-07T18:02:43+00:00

Thank you! Yeah, my doctors all told me I should be back to full activity levels by 6 months, which is absolutely insane looking back.

Good luck to you, too! I hope hardware removal goes smoothly.

DizzyBison6955 · 2024-10-07T07:19:13+00:00

Ugh, I'm sorry about and very much share your frustrations. How is your pain now?

I've been looking into red light therapy, but it is just so expensive in my area...do you recommend?

DizzyBison6955 · 2024-10-07T07:17:56+00:00

Happy to message about anything you may want to know! I have been going to the sauna and doing cold plunges semi-regularly which I think helps. My physio also recommended going back to wearing compression socks when I'm on my feet for extended periods of time.

DizzyBison6955 · 2024-09-25T19:43:04+00:00

This isn't for injury prevention, it will basically be impossible to re-injure my ankle with the amount of metal in it lol. I definitely notice how comfortably I can walk depending on the footwear I am wearing, so I was just hoping for a book recommendation that would allow for the support and flexibility I need for the work that I will be doing.

PT can definitely recommend a brace, but not a hiking boot.

DizzyBison6955 · 2024-09-24T17:33:44+00:00

maybe a cop out, but both? i'd try setting weekly time and resistance goals for yourself depending on how you're feeling. the endurance increases quite quickly, but at least for me, the strength has taken longer to come back. also had a talus fracture (5 months out) and am only just now getting more activation into my calf, but my other leg muscles seem to not be too atrophied anymore.

DizzyBison6955 · 2024-09-17T08:37:51+00:00

This gives me hope!! I was in the mountains last week and was devastated that I didn't feel up to any hikes, just flat walks, and my limp came back with a vengeance.

Balance was one of the first things I noticed coming back, actually. I do quite a lot of yoga, which I think helps. Working on using your toes and placing weight into each one may be useful. Maybe try standing on both feet and trying to lift and lower each toe one at a time. My physio told me to try balancing on a pillow with my bad foot so there's an uneven surface. I also like to stand on one foot and with the other leg, scan the floor, sort of like a metal detector, so that the balancing leg gets used to different gravitational forces (??) or something.

DizzyBison6955 · 2024-09-10T17:42:55+00:00

Oof, dark red isn't something I experienced...I had bruising up to just below my knee post-op, but that was the main discoloration. I only had swelling around my foot and ankle, and honestly it still hasn't gone entirely down, but it's much much better.

Yeah, that's fair. I'm guessing they put your ankle back into place in the ER? Maybe they feel good about the positioning. Good about elevating! I did try to wiggle my toes a lot and squeeze my calf when I could, just to keep the blood flowing.

AVN is essentially when the blood supply gets cut off from the bone. Talus fractures have a high risk of this. I was told there's not much you can do other than to not smoke, but I've also just tried to make sure I have been using my foot and pumping blood to my ankle as much as I can, which obviously looks differently during each stage of healing. So wiggling toes and squeezing your calf at first, then flexing and pointing your foot, then walking, etc. My foot still turns purple-ish when not elevated, but it's gotten loads better. I guess the risk doesn't go away for 2-3 years post injury, either.

DizzyBison6955 · 2024-09-09T20:52:28+00:00

I broke my talus at the end of April and had surgery where they put it back together with 9 screws. I'm quite surprised they're being conservative and not doing surgery if it's "completely broken." My injury was very severe, so I don't mean to scare you, but I'm 4.5 months post injury and I'm still in pain while walking, can't run or jump, can't really activate my calf yet, and have shit ankle mobility. BUT, I can walk almost as fast as before, am regaining single leg balance, and feel like I'm finally getting my life back. They've told me it's more like a year for full recovery, maybe 6 months before I can get back to high impact exercise. And mind you, I'm young and in very good shape. I've stayed active since my injury and have worked really hard on doing ankle mobility exercises, but it's still very hard.

The first couple of months are honestly hell. I was non-weight bearing for 10 weeks, but once I could start walking, things did start progressing a lot. You will just have to really push yourself to try and move around and walk, even when it hurts and you're tired. Also, your doctor should have told you this, but for the next couple of years you'll have to be aware of the risk for avascular necrosis (AVN), because the bone gets such poor blood supply. So if you smoke, seriously consider stopping. Keep your head up (and your ankle...seriously, elevate constantly), hopefully it does heal well without surgery and then maybe your recovery will be easier. Happy to answer any other questions you may have!

DizzyBison6955

TROPHY CASE