I am so frustrated I can just scream. Just returned from my ortho appt and he gave me all of 2 minutes of his time, told me I would get better and come back in 3 months. This is the 3rd OS I've been to...the first I went to for one year after my injury (fall down the stairs) and he only looked at my ankle for first 6 months...then started looking at my foot. Originally was told bad ankle sprain with a fracture in the foot that just happened to show up on the ankle x-ray. No x-ray of foot was taken at the time. Anyway 1 year later he told me I had lisfranc fracture but should be fine. Second OS said there was something really wrong in my foot after doing MRI but they didn't know what to do so they sent me to 3rd OS...this one specializing in foot and ankle. He's done more x-rays and CT Scan and told me the problem is in the subtalor joint...subluxation in two different joints with a bunch of arthritis and bone spurs. Originally told me they could do Triple Arthrodesis but that I was way too young for that (41). I've had cortisone shot, an orthotic for my shoe and just finished 4 months of PT. Therapists told me I'm basically messed up and should seek another opinion. I still have pain when walking and at night so bad I can't sleep. Still have swelling and very limited movement in that foot and my hips and back kill me from walking wrong. Therapists told me I'm in danger of spraining my ankle again because I have no foot flexibility. I just want to scream. I'm so sick of going to Doctors and not getting answers. I want someone to tell me this is what's wrong, this is what you do to fix it and then be done! Sorry this is so long...I've posted here before but not gotten any suggestions. Should I see a Podiatrist even though it involved the ankle too???? Help!!!

Hi - I have been there - I had bilateral triples done and I'm 32. NO ONE is too young for a triple. Having mine done saved my life, saved my ankles, hips and knees - maybe even my back. IF a triple is required you need to find a Dr that does them often, not once or twice a year. It may be hard to find someone since it's not very common. What part of the country do you live in ? I may know someone. It's also possible there are other options as well but certain problems won't get better on their own - it sounds like you need to find an EXPERT. The guy who said to wait 3 months is WRONG. I had at least 6 opinions before finding my Dr. He specializes in foot and ankle reconstruction. He is a DPM and has world class training and experience. Feel free to ask me ANYTHING else. I also have other posts with more info.

I am sorry to hear about your bad experience. Please, please get another opinion. I tripped over a baby gate in 96 and was misdiagnosed with "torn tendons" in my big toe. No MRI was ever done therefore that was more of a guess, not a diagnosis. Anyway, the joint deteriorated and I just had surgery number 4 yesterday.

If you haven't had luck with these doc. keep looking. My first two surgeries were with a DPM who was fabulous. I did switch to an OS for the last two for various reasons, none of which are because I felt that the podiatrist did not do a good job, but she specializes in feet and ankles. If you go the OS route, make sure the specialize.

Good luck!
jdm1

If you are not getting satisfaction from an OS, go ahead a try a DPM that does podiatric surgery. I had a DPM who repaired the blown tendon in my ankle - he is interested in foot revision surgery. So, yes there are DPM's who cover ankles too. You can find most of them in the College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. Good Luck! -eko

I have also been there. I hurt my foot in August of 03. Was misdiagnosed for over three months. WHen I was finally diagnosed with lis franc it was too late for standard surgery so I had a triple arthodesis. I was lucky and found an OS whom specialized in this surgery in Seattle. Am doing better but your foot will never be 100%. I am still limited in certain activities like playing softball and bowling.

Make sure you find an experienced surgeon for this type of injury. I was only 36 at the time of my surgery so you are never to young and surgery is the only option for long term success.

Good Luck!

“I am so frustrated I can just scream.”

May I join you, please? I am in the same situation here. Just diagnosed with cold RSD, lateral Lisfranc sprain w/ganglion cyst right over the sprain, fracture of base of 5th metatarsal, peroneal tendinosis, deep and superficial peroneal neuritis, sural neuritis/neuroma...“only” 13 months after falling. Initially they said it was an ankle sprain, then 4 months later an ankle sprain that hadn’t received PT. So went to PT and they ‘taught’ me to walk properly again, bearing weight on my right foot - theory being that I had been walking ‘wrong’ since the fall and that was causing all my pains (think maybe that could have done more damage?!). Gee, I guess they were wrong (sigh). Finally saw a foot/ankle surgeon early this summer and fired my physiatrist. Foot guy said it was nerve, ligament and tendon damage, and all he offered was cortisone/LA shots which I refused due to an bad cortisone reaction in the past. So he sent me to a pain mgmt. dr. who also wanted to only do cortisone shots. So back to the foot dr., who said he was sending me to a new physiatrist. Asked for a written list of exactly what was wrong - that is when I got the list of above problems...except he called the Lisfranc sprain a ‘metatarsal-cuneiform-cuboid sprain’ and didn’t think I had RSD. Put me in a fracture boot for the Lisfranc sprain and sent me to the new physiatrist. Got there and she found the fracture at the base of the 5th metatarsal on the MRI done last August. She says that is why I am wearing the fracture boot. And she is sure I have cold RSD.

I am not sure of anything anymore...except that the medical profession is sadly lacking in competence.

On my way to the new physiatrist this morn for my second appt. - this should be fun (NOT).

wanda

Just keep going to Doctors until you find one that can figure out what is going on and in whom you have trust.

The first OS I went to would spend about 3 minutes with a visit. The second one I went to was great and explained everything well and most importantly fixed my ankle.

I had bone spurs in my ankle, floating stuff in the joint and my ankle was so loose that I (like you) was having subluxation in the joint. That does cause quite a bit of pain. I could not sleep through the night, limped when I walked for months and months and couldn't do my day-to-day activities. I was worn out at the end of the day and couldn't sleep. My first OS kept sending me back to PT to strengthen things even though my PT said I had a ton of strength in my ankle and my problem was the looseness. I saw my second OS and he looked at the x-rays and MRI and examined my ankle and said "wow, that must hurt, let's fix that." He saw stuff on the x-ray that my first OS didn't and also diagnosed a torn tendon that the other OS missed.

I've had two surgeries - one arthroscopic to remove the bone spurs and debris. Another to repair the ligaments and to cut off some bone. Seven months after the second surgery and I'm doing great. It will never be the same as the other ankle, but doing well all things considered (I did a triathlon 10 days).

Just keep going to doctors. You will find one that will spend the time and has the expertise to figure out what to do.