Peroneal Tendon Tear

SoccerScott

I experienced almost the exact same thing, took a step while playing soccer and heard a POP, then pain on the outside of my foot. Like an Idiot I ignored the pain and played almost the whole match (90 Min). MRI showed that I had torn my peroneal longus and brevis tendons (2.5cm) lognitudinal tears. I had surgery on Sept 22, my Doctor repaired the damage. After my stiches came out (two weeks after surgery) she put me in a (non-weight bearing) cast and I go in this Wednesday for check up. She is gonna remove this cast and put on another one after the exam for another four weeks without weight. Then I think I'm suppose to start my PT. I don't know your age or how active you are but my research showed that the best outcomes from these injuries required surgery.
My doc also said that many of these injuries are repetitive in nature, maybe through alot of running or past history of sprains my tendons were frayed and eventually just tore. I hope this is helpful. Please let me know of your progress.
Scott

kslittledevil

I'm going in for a fourth surgery soon. I have torn 3 of the 4 ligaments in my left ankle and the peroneal tendon. I had this repaired in 2001. I was in a cast for 6 weeks and then a cam walker for another six weeks. That was my second ( the first was arthroscopic ), since then I have had another arthroscopic with a synovectomy ( after PT for the second surgery I started a walking routine that included stairs and developed synovitis ), and now need a subtalar fusion. I go in on Wednesday to see what is going on. I know I tore all the ligaments connecting the calcaneous to the talus and it is believed that I retore a ligament or 2 that was fixed in 2001. I wish you both the best of luck.

eko

I had mine repaired in August 2003. I spent three weeks in a non-weight bearing cast, five weeks in a Cam Walker and am now in a soft ankle brace. I was off of work for six weeks. So far all has been well and I may not require any PT. Each doctor has his own philosophy on what works best for each patient.

I wish you well.

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eko

__________________
"Every good has a better and every bad a worse."

ghallmylife

Thanks for the help. Last year the doctor said that I had probably recurrently sprained the right ankle about 5 times before I went to see him. This is my right ankle. I am 23 and I hear that surgery is the best route for younger patients. The walking cast helps a lot. A walked around for a week and a half with it before I went to the doctor. The cast helps from letting it move. I don't have a problem bearing weight on it, just moving it. You said 2 weeks after surgery the doctor removed the stitches and then put you in a non-weight bearing cast? What did you have on it for the first two weeks? Were you out of work? How long will it be before I can drive again. I work an hour away from where I live. Were you on crutches the entire time? Is this a really bad surgery? I am freaking out a little bit now. I know that that is what he is going to tell me happened when he gets the MRI results.

SoccerScott

Don't freak out! The surgery was quick(about 1 hour)and went well. The post op pain was not bad either, percosets for a couple of days then ibuprofen for a week or so. It was my left foot so my driving ability was not restricted. I have heard that people with right footed injuries requiring casts are not allowed to drive. And that there are serious consequences if caught or involved in an accident. Do you have access to public transportation or car pool? I have a home office thankfully. I was in a removable aircast with velcro straps, for the first two weeks after my injury before surgery. You could be on crutches for a couple of months if your injury is similar. Good luck.

ghallmylife

I go for the MRI tomorrow. The form for the MRI says "Peroneal Tendonitis versus Tear in Right Ankle". So that means he knows that it is one or the other. He thinks it is the tear. At least that's the impression I got from him. I feel okay in this walking cast. It doesn't let it move much so I mostly just have pain at the end of the day. How long after surgery will I have to wait to go back to work? It sounds like I have a long road ahead of me even after the surgery. Is the first cast to the knee? I am little and am not looking forward to sporting a cast and trying to hold myself up on crutches. I had orthoscopic knee surgery and was only on the crutches for about 4 or so days. I can handle that. But I don't know how much more. I am not really nervous about surgery as much as I am about recovery and work. I just started here at the beginning of August and I already took a little over a week off for my wedding and honeymoon. I have a total of 10 sick days, but by the end of Friday I will have used 2 of them already. I am afraid of getting fired if I miss too much work.

SoccerScott

My cast goes to 4 inches below my knee cap. The crutches are difficult in many ways, but they make your arms stronger! Good luck tomarrow
Scott

ghallmylife

Thanks. I will let everyone know Friday how it turns out. I took the boot off awhile age and the inside of my foot is completely swollen too. I hope that that doesn't mean something else if wrong. I look like I don't have ankles anymore!

ghallmylife

Had my MRI this morning. I slept through most of it. Anyways, they gave me the film to deliver to the doc on Friday. I looked at it but I can't make any sense of it. My foot is swelling more. Is this normal? I am taking anti-inflamatory and in this cast. Should I ice it this late in the game or should I stay off it? Any suggesstions????

SoccerScott

I am still iceing my leg, I put the ice pack above the cast behind my knee. It seems to help with the iching associated with the warmth caused by the cast. Also, my doc said the swelling (or lack of) looks good. She put a new cast on yesterday and is allowing me to put weight on it with a castshoe. I'm taking it really slow and walking with a little weight on the crutches, but more and more on the injured foot. It felt very weird when I first put weight on it, a little pain, tightness, pins and needles. But those feeling are beginning to fade. My knee is really sore and weak today probably from the new weight I guess. But I feel like I'm making progress and that has lifted my spirits.

I hope your MRI is negative for a tear!
Good luck,
Scott


[This message has been edited by SoccerScott (edited 10-23-2003).]

ghallmylife

I guess I've got good news. I went to the Doc on Friday and after looking at my MRI for all of about 10 seconds, he said I had Peroneal Tendonitis. He said I had a lot of inflammation. He examined my foot again, and I did not have nearly as much pain as before, so he said "I may be missing something, but I don't think anything is torn." Should that make me feel better? This is the same Doc that missed my cartilage tear in my knee for 5 weeks. I am glad though. He said to stay in the walking cast for another week, taking it off periodically, and take my anti-inflammatory medicine for at least another week. Then I go back in four weeks for a re-check. The only thing that confuses me is, if it's Peroneal Tendonitis why has it never hurt before? And why did it pop?

SoccerScott

Good news! This should save you a lot of grief. You'll be back in action before you know it. If it's worse than your doc thinks, I'm sure your foot will tell you. You can always get a second opinion if it does not heal.
Good luck,
Scott

SoccerScott

I got my second cast off Friday, the incision looks great, no swelling and no pain. My doc wants me to wear the air cast for another two weeks, but it sure was great to take it off and sleep like a normal person for a change. About a month ago I added whey protein supplement to my diet to help build muscle for my weight training. And I think it has really helped the healing process. Did you ever get a second opinion? How does your foot feel now?

Best regards,
Scott

SoccerScott

Ghallmylife,

I saw on another thread that you were gonna get a second opinion on your ankle. What did the second doc say? I get to stop using this air cast this Friday, I can't wait to be walking in a normal shoe.

Regards,
Scott