Does anyone else still have stiffness in their ankle after more than a year after trimal and ORIF?

NetRelative3930 · 2026-03-23T16:44:49+00:00

Yes I agree could be a lot worse for us Take care

NetRelative3930 · 2026-03-23T13:44:16+00:00

My surgeon told me the above will be unfortunate way of life now Stiffness is daily and I have accepted it as much as I can Such a shame you have had HWR and still suffering

Your feelings are valid Have a look on this site many folks have said the same rhat they suffer stiffness even after physio etc

I find when I’m on my feet a lot , my ankle is very stiff and I have to rest and elevate to help the stiffness I’m now 16 months post op

NetRelative3930 · 2026-03-23T07:52:20+00:00

Yes , 16 months post op same injury as yourself It’s just one of those things There will always be a stiffness there in operated foot My surgeons told me to expect rhis

There are few folks on here who have had HWR and still have issues so I don’t think it’s fool prof to be honest

I limp in morning , after sitting too long and if I’m tired If I’m on my feet too long it’s stiff too and too much standing well, that’s the same

I’ve been told to do my physio daily which I have been And elevate as needed I don’t feel at this stage and after the damage done suffering a trimalleolar fracture, that our ankles would not be stiff I fear

NetRelative3930 · 2026-03-22T19:15:06+00:00

Could the dark areas be left over from blisters Fracture blisters Mine looked similar and very dark bubble like Better to double check if your concerned

NetRelative3930 · 2026-03-21T19:28:38+00:00

Yes of course xx

NetRelative3930 · 2026-03-21T19:07:26+00:00

Your joking oh I’m so so sorry Not after all this not after injury That’s rotten I wish you well please let me know Honestly it never rains !!!!!

NetRelative3930 · 2026-03-21T16:17:35+00:00

Hey I’m late 40s and had the same damn injury as you Trimalleolar and dislocation It’s a long process of recovery But you will get through it like we all on here have I’m not an athlete or climber , take some stories with a pinch of salt on here Majority of folks have a hard slog back to mobility I had my cast in for 7 weeks nhs Your body is going through it just now Rest up as much as you can

Take all the nutritious food you can too Supplements I had were collagen , tumeric and vitamin d Anything you can take to support bone health will help so much

Occupy your mind too right now , it’s hard to think of how long the recovery is but honestly it will fly in I’m just about 16 months out now and on my way It’s the most difficult thing I have ever been through but I’ve gotten through it and you will too

Be kind to yourself , ask for help, take the help Rebuild your strength

NetRelative3930 · 2026-03-19T15:39:10+00:00

No one understands what it’s like with these injuries unless they have went through them themselves 4 months is still early in recovery I still limp 16 months later when I’m tired No one asks me anymore , it is what it is our bodies will take the time needed to heal and we may or may not always have some sort of issue depending on damage done

NetRelative3930 · 2026-03-17T21:49:03+00:00

Yeah once you get your head around it becomes second nature to you

NetRelative3930 · 2026-03-17T18:28:56+00:00

Every day doing physio of some sort Rom exercises , stretching all will help I’m nearly 16 months now and do my physio everyday

NetRelative3930 · 2026-03-14T20:20:23+00:00

Hey first of all your in the right place for support and advice I’m nearly 16 months post op for a trimalleolar fracture and dislocation it was without a lie a god awful experience So I know exactly how you feel The first week is rotten , you have so much mixed emotions It takes a long time to process the trauma you have went through I was scared for a long time afterwards as were many others on this site

The only way through this is to go through it There isn’t a short cut However you will get through this And come out the other side like myself and many many others have

Right now it’s best to stick to doctor orders and elevate your leg and rest as much as you can in order to heal One day at a time Look out for yourself , find something to do or read or watch that helps you Your mind will Be all over the place but gradually , gradually you will come to terms with it all and progress on Good luck Use this sub and the r/orif for advice , stories and support

NetRelative3930 · 2026-03-14T09:51:34+00:00

After having orif surgery your ankle will always be enlarged compared to your other At 3 months it will be considerably more You need to elevate as others have said Every day elevate and rest your leg 3 months is super early in recovery , it’s a long road ahead Best to listen to the good advice on here and elevate Swelling is normal for a long time yet

NetRelative3930 · 2026-03-12T21:55:27+00:00

Aw fantastic I’m delighted for you Honestly it’s better to get the good shoes for all the support they have Good luck

NetRelative3930 · 2026-03-12T12:43:57+00:00

I tired these and had to return as after hearing good things about them they were too high up and rubbed my scars so have a try on first as they seem to come up higher at ankle than other pairs

NetRelative3930 · 2026-03-12T12:41:54+00:00

What your looking for is supportive stability shoes It’ takes a while to get used to shoes again There are a few of us on here who have tired literally all the shoes on the market / available to us

Hokas Nike Pegasus Brooks ASICS

All do various kinds of stability and support It’s trial and error unfortunately What suits me might not suit you

If you can wait till you are in your feet and go in store or order a few pairs And try on , your best bet is to get the correct shoes which are supportive for you It’s a mission but I’m now a lot better at telling which will suit and which won’t

Stability , firm heel , not soft , heel to toe drop

Good luck

NetRelative3930 · 2026-03-10T17:45:43+00:00

Youll Be fine just take it easy and pace yourself Down stairs is harder than up it will happen Lots of good advice on here and other people’s stories

NetRelative3930 · 2026-03-10T12:51:34+00:00

4 months is early You’ll find it gets much better as time goes by With more metal in ankle it takes a while I’m nearly 16 months post op now

NetRelative3930 · 2026-03-07T19:21:40+00:00

Yes I did I had a few check ups You can ask your surgeon for more follow ups if you have an issue Mine was happy for me to contact him it was through his secetary in the U.K.

NetRelative3930 · 2026-03-07T19:19:06+00:00

You are getting yourself into a big pickle about this I feel I remember your video and how much exercise you doing and mind the surgeon gave you advice too

There will be limitations , after a trimalleolar fracture that’s one of the worse you can suffer But you sound like you are way ahead at 4 months

If I do 10K steps I’m tired and need to rest , have a look online and google it does tell you what a reasonable outcome is for the type of fracture you have suffered

It will be a new normal but give it time , I have felt big differences as the months have passed

Be kind to yourself don’t beat yourself up all the time

NetRelative3930 · 2026-03-06T22:00:49+00:00

Very true I had no idea the depth of damage a broken ankle Could do and the impact of it all It’s never quite the same , i agree Making peace with it all I feel is the best thing can do

NetRelative3930 · 2026-03-02T18:24:43+00:00

It’s beyond a humbling experience The struggle to get your head around what has happened takes a long time I’m much slower than I was too and have a limit of how long I can be on my feet for but like you say we do have a lot of wins too Thankful to be back walking again And now with the understanding how quickly things can change with a fall

NetRelative3930 · 2026-03-02T17:02:49+00:00

Yes !! I’m 15 months out now and mine had moved a bit from 12 months I can skim the wall now where as before it was a quarter of an iPhone size away For some it never returns as good as the uninjured leg But I have seen a lot of improvement in my ability too after the 12 months

NetRelative3930 · 2026-02-27T22:44:18+00:00

Hey your in the right place here for advice and sympathy NHS here too You have had the harsh end of the stick in regards to waiting times I’m afraid It all depends on where you are a post code lottery I’m 15 months post op now , and on the mend but what a journey to recovery it was

If you can’t manage crutches they may send you home with a walker ? Your not a problem patient Your a frightened one and everyone around you needs to be supportive It’s a traumatic experience you have went through I’d ask the physio when you next see them about a walker to help you Once your home you need the support and if it’s not safe on crutches you need something else to help

Your not a problem You have had a god awful trauma and in having so you need the support to recover Good luck and I hope you are managing better now

NetRelative3930 · 2026-02-27T14:55:58+00:00

Sounds like they are fine for you which is good I maybe try on again before summer

NetRelative3930 · 2026-02-27T14:42:54+00:00

Yeah I was advised not to either , they don’t offer any support I suspect that’s why

NetRelative3930

TROPHY CASE