Ankle condition after 3 months cast

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Hi I have written about my talus fracture of my right ankle three months ago. No need surgery only wear a cast because aligned body fracture. I wore a cast for 12 weeks and two days ago I remove my cast and did CT. It showed that the fracture is healing but not fully healed yet. It healed 50% but I may use it and try  to walk because he said it takes to heal 100% for a year. But the problem is I have diffuse osteoporosis in the ankle joint. My doctor gave me recipe and ordered to take vitamin D and biophosenat drug for 3 three months. And he said try to mobilise and use my ankle and gradually put my weight day by day on it. Is it normal diffuse osteoporosis for long time immobilised ankle or not? Will osteoporosis heal because I am afraid to loose my ankle ability. Now I am trying to walk on it step by step but feeling pain when I put and put off my leg from ground. This pain is in front of my ankle. Is it just tight ligaments or another thing? Doctor said it's normal. This doctor is the 7th one before I went to many doctors and couldn't get good diagnosis. Two month ago one of them said try to walk and I could walk on it with little pain but after seeing this last doctor he said not to walk and put a cast another 6 weeks. so now I am in this condition. Pleaseve suggestions.

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9 Replies

  • Posted

    Well no bone that is healing in a normal time frame takes one year to heal. 12 weeks at 50% healing  would be considered delayed healing. Your foot probably hurts on top because your range of motion has not returned yet. You are going to hurt all over your ankle in different places, this is normal. Did he refer you to physical therapy and most often a boot is given to walk in first, not just straight walking, to support some weight and make it a bit easier to tolerate the pain. Do you have a boot?
    • Posted

      Thank you. Unfortunately there is no boot in our country even doctors do not order it to patient. We use only crutches I am on a crutch now. What about diffuse osteoporosis do you have any info about this one Kim?
    • Posted

      You can buy this boot yourself on line. It's really important to your healing and walking, especially since your doctor said you are at 50% bone healing only. Osteoporosis is simply fragile bones, most often in fragile older people, but I think, just think, your doctor is referring to your bones being weak because you have not utilized your ankle while trying to heal. Calcium and Vitamin D are very important in this process. Are you drinking lots of milk or taking a Calcium supplement daily? Can you go on line and purchase the boot yourself, many people do this?  

    • Posted

      And I'm not sure if you have heard of Tums, it's a product for an upset stomach, not expensive at all. Sometimes doctors here tell their patients to take Tums because it also has calcium in it. It's an easy, and cheaper way to get enough calcium that your body needs, especially when you break a bone.

    • Posted

      Thank you for advice Kim. Yes I have begun to take vitamin D and biophosenat from today. My ankle really sore when I put it on the ground and bear some weight. I think that's why it is not used for 3 three months. Kim, will diffuse osteoporosis heal itself during I take calcium and use my ankle. My doctor didn't say about it but while seeing my CT I noticed that he worried something

    • Posted

      Here, I copied what I read. It's called disuse, meaning it was caused because you did not use it, as it was immobile and caused your bones to weaken. It says treatment includes calcium supplements. It does appear if you follow the guidelines, supplement your body with enough calcium and other nutrients you need, you can recover and build bone strength again. I hope you can find a boot to order, it will help you to walk with less pain, then you will walk more, building the strength you need. When I try to walk without my boot and crutches I'm in lots of pain, but it helps so much when I put my boot on so I can practice walking more. Try to order a boot to help you move more. 

      This is from the internet about your condition:

      Disuse osteoporosis (oss-tee-oh-puh-RO-sis) is bone loss that results from not enough stress or pressure on the bones, whether it's in one specific area or throughout the entire body. As a result, bones become brittle and weak, causing them to fracture easily.

      More to Know

      Bones are made up of spongy living tissue that is constantly breaking down and rebuilding. When bone growth can't keep up with bone loss, osteoporosis occurs.

      Calcium and vitamin D in the diet, putting stress on the bones through exercise, and weight-bearing pressure help build bone. Disuse osteoporosis occurs when a person is not able to put weight on the bones, which causes them to lose density and become weak. Disuse osteoporosis happens mostly to people who are on extended bed rest, paralyzed from an injury, or wearing a cast.

      Treatment for disuse osteoporosis usually includes medications and calcium supplements to improve bone density. Electrical stimulation also can be used to build and strengthen the muscles surrounding the damaged area, which helps rebuild the bone.

      Keep in Mind

      Exercising regularly and eating a calcium-rich diet (like milk, cheese, yogurt, green leafy vegetables, and citrus fruit) is the best way to build healthy, strong bones to lower the risk of osteoporosis.

  • Posted

    My doctor said the same thing to me that it will take a full year to heal completely. I had a x-ray 6 months after cast removal and it still wasn’t healed fully. The talus is a hard bone to heal because it gets poor circulation and blood flow. I am close to the year mark and I have to say it’s FINALLY starting to feel normal again. I take caltrate a vitamin d supplement and that helps me too and avoiding caffeine 
    • Posted

      Thank you Stephanie. I am glad that you are near to 100 % at all. How long did you wear a cast? And did you have a osteoporosis like mine at this time? Can you walk normal now  for long distances? My ankle bones talus, medial and lateral malleolus and metatarsals looks brown colored and not good on 3D imaging of CT.
    • Posted

      One more thing why did you do x-rays because usually it doesn't show little fractures. What about CT it's less harmful but shows everything better than x-ray. But 10 times expensive

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