6 weeks post ankle surgery.

Doctor will give you all the details. Each person different.  And what bone was broken.  I broke both sides so 10 weeks non weight bearing at all for me. 

I started PT when I got home. 2x a week,we do leg strengthening and ankle ROM. I'm at 20% WB which ny PT says is a toe touch. So if I'm out and about on my walker,I can rest the toes of my bad leg on the ground. I am in the cam boot always when not in bed,though I did wear it 24 hours the 1st week. It's very protective. Do not walk without the boot. My PT said I may be limping still,but should be walking by July with not much assistance. Be patient,the xray will tell the doc what to allow you to do.

Did you have a "total ankle replacement" ? 

?David

I'm walking wihout boot but with crushes, bearing partially weight on ankle after 8 weeks after trimalleolar surgery with screw and 1 plate.

I am 7 weeks 4 days post ORIF of my right ankle repairingredients a maisonette fx (broke off tip of medial malleolus of the tibia, sustained a high fracture of the fibula and tore ligaments widening the syndesmotic space between the 2 bones at the ankle making it unstable.) I have 2 pins on the inside of my ankle and a plate and three screws on the right side.

I haven't gone to PT, ortho gave me a referral but was OK with my not going. As of my appt 3 says ago, everything on the x-rays looks good with a healthy callous forming on the fibula and the syndesmotic space at a good width for stability.I really despised using the leg scooter (caused back pain) or crutches.so I was pretty motivated to not use them. I hit a real breakthrough about 2 weeks ago where I seemed to get more and more mobility every day. I have a slight limp still particularly at the end of the day. Going up alternating stairs is not hard but not completely natural yet. I can walk down stairs but it is harder and I usually don't alternate stair steps. I did do some push mowing on the lawn yesterday for around 30 minutes.

At the end of the day I still keep my foot elevated ad it is still mildly swollen but I can wear comfortable shoes. I selldom take prescription pain meds anymore though some acetaminophen. I was taking ibuprofen and drugs like it but stopped when I read some medical journal articles suggesting that becsuse they eork by inhibiting prodtaglandins they could interfere with bone growth and repair. This wasn't a clear cut finding but I figured better safe than sorry.

For point of reference I am female, 52, slightly obese w 32 BMI.

This has motivated me to diet and begin planning to exercise morr. I can see if I keep gaining weight and am less active I may not do so well with an injury in the future when I am older with poorer balance and more fragile bones.

My ortho is talking about possibly taking out my hardware in 4-6 months if things are going well. Has anyone else been through or talked about this with their doctor yet.

Hi Kilany,

Take your list of questions with you when you see your doctor so you don't forget them-- you have good ones.

Partial weight bearing is accomplished by using crutches or a walker (frame) to control how much weight you put on injured ankle. Gauging weight is an art not a science-- so estimate as best you can (tip: when you are standing evenly on both feet each one is bearing 50% of your total body weight).

Generally, when you go from weightless to partial weight bearing you should start out gingerly and gradually work up to as much partial weight walking as is tolerable with any pain you may experience.

You should have started physiotherapy as soon as your doctor said you could do toe wiggles and ankle rotations (weightless). As you go to weight bearing you should up your game and increase the intensity and frequency of a repertoire of ankle rehab exercises.

Physiotherapy is the golden key to a recovery you can be proud of. You do these ankle rehab activities mainly to condition, strengthen, and stabilize damaged soft tissue like ligaments, etc. that were probably impacted by your accident. It is important to do this to avoid chronically lax ligaments, tendons, and so forth that can lead to ankle instability and even ankle arthritis later.

If you can't afford time or money for professional physiotherapy appointments you may always do them at home-- avail yourself of lots of instructional videos and other materials online.

I was instructed to wear the CAM boot during partial and full weight bearing period  for a few weeks after leaving weightlessness. This is added insurance in case you do something bad accidentally (like fall or twist ankle) that could undo all that precious time you spent waiting for bones to heal.

Each person heals at their own pace so I couldn't guess when you will no longer limp or have difficulty in painful walking. In my own case, I only limped slightly and for about a week or so once I was in regular shoes.

 

Update now total weight bearing after 12 weeks. Pain lessen only using Renew anti inflammatory natural product. Swelling still there but going down.  Not using cane anymore too.  Big difference in a week of weight bearing.  Total time accident happen super bowl Sunday. Surgery that Tuesday.