kimann

Bernie,
I'm not sure which bone he broke? Which ligaments are damaged? You said slithered cartilage, was it salvaged, or destroyed? 7 months is a long time, but some bones do need longer.
I broke my fibula above the talus head last May, and did not seek help until Oct, and after 5 months of alternates, ended up having surgery to join it properly. My lateral/collaterals are damaged, swollen, thick, and painful, from all the rubbing, and the medials are not quite as bad, but bad enough for me to be aware of them.
One surgeon felt that all of it needed to be done, but he was not a specialist and wouldn't mess with me. The second, a foot/ankle man, said he didn't want to start cutting ligaments, as they do not regenerate, but said he wanted to repair the bone first and see what happened. It had healed in such a way that the mortise was constantly shifting, which gave the ligaments no chance to heal. Repaired, they might heal enough to not be a bother.
I was told, 1: the artificial joints are nowhere as good as knees and hips, have less than a 50% success rate. 2. They do not last when they do succeed. 3. The repair on my bone is my one and only chance at a functioning joint, because there is no room for him to put new hardware if this "set" breaks. If it fails, or breaks, fusion is it, and if it fails, I lose the foot. No discussion of trying to do replacements as a last resort. (Your son may be different, depending on which bones are involved, and how much bone the surgeon has to work with.)
I would hope he is seeing a very reputable foot/ankle doc, and doing whatever he's told. When the bone is stable, (If they're drilling holes to provoke growth, it likely isn't entirely stable, then his ligaments will have a chance to heal, and if they still bother him sufficiently, he can find a surgeon who is able and willing to do a rebuild.
My own outcome is likely to be very good, as my surgeon is extra cautious. I was told again today, "I probably won't let you walk at 8 weeks, I want to see the bone first, and not take chances." (Norm is 6-8 weeks) When the bone is stable, if the ligaments are a problem I can't live with, I will seek help, but hope I don't have to. If I do, I will probably fuse. I'm not as afraid of that as I once was, people with them do a lot if they're determined, and they DO minimize, even eliminate pain that is caused by unstable joints and rubbing, torn ligaments. But I'm almost 40, and really don't want any more surgery than is needed to make life bearable. I walk, swim, bike, don't ski or skate, etc., so it doesn't matter.
I don't know if this is helpful or not. If not, let us know what you're looking for more specifically. Either way, do post again, please, and let us know how it is going. Kim