2.5 weeks after ORIF and foot still goes purple when i put it down.

Thank you to everybody who has shared their story within this forum. I've been curious of what to expect in the months to come, and it is both gratifying and reassuring to hear the stories of so many who can relate to the experience. I had ORIF surgery with 8 lateral and 2 medial after a severe ankle fracture while hiking in Kauai on vacation about 3 weeks ago. Got a very scenic helicopter ride out of it at least. I had my cast removed last week, which was a huge relief. While in the cast I felt constrained, and although the boot is also restricting it provides something to look forward to several times throughout the day as I need to perform ROM exercises. I begin PT in 2.5 weeks and am looking forward to making progress, even though I expect it will be in small increments. I am a lo g distance runner as well as a restaurant manager spending 10+ hours on my feet daily, and am very anxious to return to my normal routine. I've gathered that a sincere commitment to PT and prescribed exercises is paramount to a speedy rehabilitation, and I am very enthusiastic to get it rolling. My best thoughts and wishes to everybody who is laid up in a similar situation. Life throws curveballs, but goes on nonetheless.

This is VERY normal and may go on for months! I have a suggestion....there's a great facebook page called broken ankle on a quest for normal. It's a closed group you can join....you can ask any question. I bet it will be helpful! I joined when I first broke my ankle in 2018. I'm much better now. I was soooo worried about my foot going purple and being so painful...but I found out this is very common. Hope this helps! Follow your doctor's instructions though! It's a long recovery but things do get better! I know the closed group will help! It's a wonderful group of people from around the world who have gone through this ORIF operation!

ice and elevation is the best for me. A pain to drop what you're doing and flop down, but it helps somewhat with the color and the ice brings down the swelling and discomfort

hi im new to this site i had foot surgery 3 weeks ago i have pins as well my foot is still turns purple and red and burns when not prop up is this normal

All your responses have helped me gain more insight! thank you all. I had an ORIF to the lateral malleolus 9 days ago. I broke it while hiking and i am going nuts. I start with a walking boot next week. I wonder if i will be able to walk pretty soon. anyone have insight on this??? thank you

Hi Johanna. I cannot tell you how refreshing it's been to find all these genuine first hand accounts of the highs and lows after ORIF surgery. I have been so worried about the swelling and my foot turning blue when it's not elevated, but you have all put my mind at rest.

I had my accident just over 4 months ago. It was VE day, the middle of the Corona Virus pandemic and Lockdown in the UK when I missed the last step on the stairs. It all happened so fast and in the blink of an eye my life has completely changed. I heard a crack as I went down, but according to 4 lots of X-rays there were no fractures. It was the MRI that revealed a broken metartarsel and a Lisfranc fracture which was later found to have ruptured. I had been in a boot and on crutches for 10 weeks by then. I tried to walk (albeit unsuccessfully) as the X-rays didn't show anything out of the ordinary. I didn't know I could have been doing more harm than good at that time, but if it had been just a sprain, you are encouraged to walk through the pain. Two days after the MRI scan, the specialist rang me with the results, he operated the day after, which was eight weeks ago. I have been non weight-bearing ever since , but I see my specialist again this Wednesday, where I will go back into the moon boot for another 4-6 weeks and hopefully start some physio. It's been four and a half months since I last walked so I guess its going to be a shock to the system. I was a very active 64 year old grandmother at the time of the accident and I plan to be again. I know its going to be hard work, but if I can walk by Christmas I will be very happy. I wish I could have had surgery earlier, but due to the pandemic there were no non-life threatening operations taking place. By the time I did have surgery the Corona virus had eased off a bit. I am so looking forward to the next stage of my recovery without having to give myself those horrible belly injections, to be able to carry a cup of tea without spilling it, to be able to have a proper bath or shower, to get around without hopping, to be able to put my foot on the floor, to be able to drive my car, and eventually to be able to take my 10 month old Golden Retriever for a walk, who was a puppy when this happened and now he's almost fully grown. How I appreciate the little things in life. All your stories have given me so much comfort and reassurance that everything I am going through is quite normal. I can almost see a light at the end of the very long tunnel, so a massive thank you and I hope you have all recovered well! xx

Hi, tomorrow will be 2 months since i broke my ankle and Monday will be a month since i operated. I had a problem with my back slab cast, so today i went to the doctor and she removed the backslab , was supposed to remove it next week but it was causing me more pain and now i am in a boot. Should i sleep with my boot on?

I had a dislocated/fracture of my left ankle 9 weeks ago and have been post op for 6 weeks. I had a trimalloreal fracture which included a spiral fracture of my fibula. The orthopedic surgeon put in a plate and 12 pins. My surgery went well but I too am having the purplish red swelling when my foot is down. Icing and elevating seems to help it. i had the pins and needles and shooting pain up to about 5 weeks which have thankfully subsided. my concern is with the Tightrope he installed to address the torn ligaments between the tibia and fibula. To put in this wire he drilled through the fibula and adjacent tibia and a flat button anchor secured on the inside ankle bone of the tibia and secured the other end on the outer plate of the fibula with another button and tied off the wire. I started weight bearing physical therapy and the button on the inside ankle creates a burning pain and extreme tightness. I am curious if anyone else received this ligament repair technique and was this normal. Thank you all for sharing your experiences. This has been helpful to find out the purple swollen foot is normal and will improve with time. I wish you all a speedy recovery. My boyfriend of 7 years broke up with me after the surgery when he realized the amount of recovery so I lost a key person. My best friend moved me into her home and she and her Mother and kids helped me during the early stages. They are angels, You definitely find out who is in your corner when a bad accident like this happens. I am looking forward to returning to an active or even a somewhat mobile life. Good luck everyone!

i feel you, litreally as writing this i have just had to re elevate my legs.

i broke 3 bones in my left ankle 14th Dec 2022 and severely fractured my heel on the other foot.

ive litreally not walked for nearly 7 week. not even stood up, not even put weight on any of my legs. let's says it's been an horrible experience so far, 3 operations, 3 week in hospital, 2 cast changes on both legs, 3 incisions on the left ankle which resulted in nerve damage which is a whole different story! but I feel you I litreally put my feet down for a few minutes and my toes go dark and my legs feel 5x heavier. they feel like they are going to explode. I have started sitting like that thought for a good 1 to 2 hours a day to try and get my blood flowing again properly.

as it stands I have still got 2 week on Monday before I'm back at hospital for more xrays and hopefully have a walker boot on the broken heel foot so I can have some mobility.

my body litreally aches with been sat/laid all the time it's absolutely horrible. I'm used to been on my feet all day this has been a very emotional rolercoaster so far and I'm not gonna lie, as it stands, after 4 week of my 3rd orif op on my ankle, I just can't imagine ever it feeling normal again. I'm in such a negative mood at minute.

i had a traumatic fall on december 14th 2022.

which resulted in me completely severing my my left ankle from my actual leg (just the bones). I've had extensive since ORIF to repair my bones but suffered extensive damage to my joint so I'll have to have joint fusion/replacement in the future.

I also broke my heel same as you in half which had to be screwed back.

After 3 ops since Dec 14th 22, I've gone thought every feelings I could possibly go through including nerve damage (I had 3 big incisions on left foot/leg for orif) the nerve regeneration was the most horrible thing I've ever experienced in my life.

it's calmed down loads now but I think my nerves are still repairing or maybe damaged. I'll have to see what happens and maybe fetch it up with my surgeon/physio.

I've been walking with a frame for nearly 3 week now and I am making brilliant progress considering I didn't stand or walk for 3 month or so. I'm boot free on my right foot and it's starting to feel normal again, and partially wear boot on left.

even now I still have to keep it elevated otherwise the swelling is crazy, litreally my foot will got 3 maybe 4 times bigger. when I put my foot down for a while I goes purple and tingles like absolute crazy.

all in all I've read all these replies and I can feel for everyone of you, but just remember this. if you're in early stages, take it from me it DOES get better. honestly some days you might feel like it's getting worse/going backwards but that's normal. 3 months in and still now able to walk normal I still have bad days I feel my progression has gone backwards but then day after I feel totally opposite lol.

I was so down and worried I even posted on here not long after my op and now when I look back things have tremendously improved. Still not 100% but getting there.

10 weeks post op toe fusion as of today...still gotta keep the foot elevated cause if it's down for more than 8 minutes it turns blue. Then I have to elevate it for at least 20 mins consistently. ... I start physical therapy in 10 days. I hope it's a good thing. Typical nerve pain and fuzzy feelings that most mention. 2-3/10 pain scale. Tylenol is all I need. Did not realize that it would be a 120 + day + recovery period. Thank goodness I can telework and stay strong with a positive outlook. Rotate asking friends for help. They bring me food and water twice a week... . I can scoot down the stairs on my butt now and hop on the knee scooter. At the end of the day I hobble up the stairs with crutches or on my butt. Depends on how tired I am. Shower and resume the elevated foot position. I am so looking forward to venturing out on 2 feet again. Who knew!!