open ankle dislocation - Foot Problems Message Board

climbingvic · 08-20-2007, 08:36 AM

11 weeks ago I was unlucky enough to have a climbing accident where I suffered an open dislocation of my ankle with some degloving of fib/tib. I sustained no breaks or fractures. My ankle was reduced in theatre and I was sewn back together then placed in a back slab. I am now out of the slab and am nearly at a point where my wound has heald. So far I haven't put any weight through my foot, my ankle is still swollen, and I have lost sensation to the top part of my foot and cannot bend my big toe. I was wandering if anyone has suffered anything similar and whether they'd able to tell me what I might expect in terms of physio I'm likely to receive next and stability of the joint in years to come? I'm 35 Male and normally fit, healthy and active.
Thanks for any help/advice. Cheers Vic

p.s. I have also been getting strange sensations in my head which I believe is my body dealing with pain/infection. The only way to describe this pain is by saying it is like the immediate shock you receive before pain kicks in after being hit/injured etc. Or the feeling you get when someone scrapes their nails down a blackboard. Has anyone else ever suffered from this?

happyfoot7 · 08-20-2007, 09:50 AM

What is degloving?? I broke my tib & fib but not open. Ankles are tricky to predict the recovery. My advice is just take it easy and see how it goes, and do lots of physio!! sometimes it works out like nothing ever happened.

For the sensation on the top of your foot and toe, does it feel kind of pins and needles when you touch it with your hand? If it does the sensation should improve over the next 9 months, may be normal again.

My advice on the pain, is don't be tough, take the meds when you are supposed to. much harder to get it under control if you let it get too much. Maybe tell your doc and try a different kind of pain killer.

climbingvic · 08-20-2007, 10:26 AM

Thankyou.
Degloving is where the flesh is stipped from your bone. In my case my fib/tib.

I suppose at first on the top of my it did feel very tingly but now that have subsided I don't really feel anything. At least it's only the upper part of my foot.
You maybe right about taking medication I do seem to have slacked off on pain killers but I don't feel in much pain, just a shocked feeling. Well I was thinking of heading off to the hospital this evening because I feel shocking but I'll give the painkillers chance now. The only trouble is am I masking something that shoud be dealt with?

heidi35 · 08-20-2007, 04:47 PM

I always say your feelings tell you the most about your body, if you feel like something isn't right then call the Dr.
Let us know how you are doing!
Heidi

climbingvic · 08-21-2007, 11:11 AM

Thanks for your interest Heidi. Well went to the doctor and he couldn't see anything by inspection. I've been given some Amitriptyline tablets to take for the strange sensations but he was however at a loss to describe what's going off. Unfortunately that doesn't help. Being in this situation is so frustrating.