crushed ankle - Foot Problems Message Board

monacelli · 01-04-2001, 02:05 AM

hello everybody,

in 1998, when i was 16, i was involved in a serious car accident which left me with a lot of leg and foot injuries.

the worst of my injuries were my crushed ankle and broken ankle.

after i get home from work i can hardly walk. i was wondering if anybody has any advise for me.. i mean it's been over 2 years now and the pain is going nowhere. i'm only 19, i really don't know what to do.

Foot Pro · 01-13-2001, 09:22 PM

That is a very difficult injury to get over. Do you have problems walking such as a limp? Did you have surgery to correct the broken/crushed ankle? If so, what did they do?
I hate to break the news to you but most people who have severe crush / fracture injuries to their heel bone or ankle develop pretty severe arthritis in the ankle joint. There are a couple of conservative treatments that may prove to be beneficial for you. The 1st thing I would recommend is to get a shoe or workboot that is of pretty good quality. After you get this shoe, take it to an orthotist or prosthetician and ask that he or she make a rocker bottom sole to the affected shoe. What a rocker bottom looks like is a smooth curve. It will allow your foot to roll front to back throughout the gait cycle thereby decreasing the amount of ankle joint motion you have. If you decrease the exacerbating factor, you should decrease your pain. Most people will not even notice that you have a rocker bottom type of shoe. It is very subtle. They work very well. I would probably give a prostetician in your town a call to discuss this. They can probably get you a pair of these types of shoes which needs no modification. However, the cost of buying this type of shoe may be somewhat expensive unless the prostetician can put the rocker sole on an existing pair of shoes. Believe me, this works pretty good. You will not eliminate all of your pain but if yuo can decrease it by 30 to 40% than that's great. Good luck.

mrpilon · 04-21-2008, 04:20 AM

Hello,
Around 8 months ago I was involved in an accident which caused a severe pilon fracture with crush damage to my left ankle. After two surgeries and months of physical therapy I still walk with a limp and an akward gait. I still have moderate pain in my ankle while walking. During the surgery the doctor had to remove all articular cartilage in my ankle. The damage also included both bones in leg were broken just above the ankle. They repaired the joint using an external fixator then orif using seven screws and a plate. The doctor said that my ankle went together nice and everything looks good on the xrays.
When I go to the doctor every 3 months he doesnt explain alot. My question is how long until I see maximum level of improvement. And will I end up having to have an ankle fusion. At this point I would not care if I could regain a normal walking pattern. When I ask about an ankle fusion they say, I dont need one at this time. Will I ever be able to return to work or resume normal daily activities like going to the grocery store.

janewhite1 · 04-21-2008, 07:54 AM

I'm sorry to hear you are struggling with such a difficult injury.

Yes, it can be a long road. Even after a whole year, you could probably still consider yourself recovering. What is your range of motion like?

Here's another thought: You may want to talk to a surgeon who does ankle replacements. Yes, you can replace the ankle joint. Some surgeons don't recommend doing it in people under 60 or so, but a lady on this board called Happyfoot had one done, and she is in her 20's.

You may not need something so extreme, but if he really removed all the cartilage, that's not something that will get better.

mrpilon · 04-21-2008, 08:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by janewhite1

I'm sorry to hear you are struggling with such a difficult injury.

Yes, it can be a long road. Even after a whole year, you could probably still consider yourself recovering. What is your range of motion like?

Here's another thought: You may want to talk to a surgeon who does ankle replacements. Yes, you can replace the ankle joint. Some surgeons don't recommend doing it in people under 60 or so, but a lady on this board called Happyfoot had one done, and she is in her 20's.

You may not need something so extreme, but if he really removed all the cartilage, that's not something that will get better.