Ankle sprain after ligament repair

01-05-2006, 04:26 PM

I had the brostrom and evans (tendon transfer) repair of my ankle ligaments done March 2004. Today I was carrying some stuff down the stairs and thought I was one step closer to the bottom than I actually was. I went to step onto what I thought was the floor and actually misstepped onto the bottom step and fell down. Sprained the ankle that I'd had repaired...

I don't think that I tore the repair, but it's hard to tell. I think that the sprain was more of a flexion than an inversion, because the repair prevented the inversion. I've got pain more towards the front of the ankle than the side. It hurt a lot, though, so I went to urgent care, hoping that they would be able to tell me if I'd really messed things up. X-rays didn't show any breaks (although I got to see the hole they drilled in my fibula, which was fun). The doc didn't really check anything else on the ankle. Just felt for pulses and reflexes, but didn't do any range of motion or strength or anything like that. He said it was just a sprain and that there would be no way to tell if I'd damaged the repair without an MRI. Can't see the surgeon since I've moved across the country since then... I guess the plan will just be to baby it for a few weeks and then see an orthopedic guy if it doesn't get better. ARGH!

Anyway, has anybody else sprained their ankle after having a surgical repair? Any opinions?

01-05-2006, 04:45 PM

KEHORNER: That totally sucks! I would have a fit if that happened to me.

I have not had a sprain since my modified brostrom. I did ask my surgeon what to do if I sprained that ankle again. He said that: (1) it is prety much the same as spraining a normal ankle after it heals, (2) that it should be hard to sprain it now that it is so tight, and (3) If it is a bad sprain to come see him.

I know your procedure was different, but I would think that the same advice would apply. Good luck. Tell us how it goes.

01-05-2006, 10:02 PM

Yup... I wasn't very happy. I think I yelled something like "Oooh, ow ow ow... Awe shoot!"

The good news is that I have determined that the tendon part of the repair is still intact. I finally got up the nerve to try out some straight inversion, and I had none (as usual). I was afraid to try it, because I was worried that it would just flop over like it used to and then I'd throw up or something. But it only hurts when I try inversion with flexion.

Consultation with the anatomy texts seems to indicate that I've mainly gone after the ATFL, although this is a bit confusing because that's supposedly the one that goes first in an inversion sprain, so you would think that I'd totalled that long ago. Maybe he stitched it up during the surgery and I only tore out that part. But it's not turning funny colors and it's hardly swollen at all, so I guess maybe it won't be too bad (although I've never been much for outward swelling and bruising with sprains).

The good news is that this finally gives me a use for that brace the doctor gave me after I got out of the boot that I never ever wore... :-)

Ankle sprain after ligament repair

Sign Up Today!

Join Our Newsletter

Whoops,

Thank You