Ankle Replacement Surgery

scott50606 Ultraboxer · 2014-10-07T11:11+00:00

I had my TAR 5 months ago at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, UK. All went well with no complications and I was discharged a week later as ‘semi-weight bearing’. I was put into a moon boot two weeks later and was able to walk – tentatively – with sticks. This reduced to one stick a week later and no sticks by week 8 when the moon boot was dispensed with.

I had TAR because of an accident in 1988 which saw the onset of osteoarthritis within a year or so and eventual bone-on-bone pain which, by 2010 had become at times unbearable (at other times you would hardly know I had the condition) and was managed with painkillers. After I turned 50 in 2013, my surgeon acknowledged how debilitating the pain had become and agreed to perform the TAR.

5 months on now I have regular physio and can walk with a slight limp and – most days – moderate pain on the medial side. For around three to four months I suffered numbness and pins-and-needles across the top of the foot and in the big toe. This has almost eradicated now thankfully.

This is all rather relatively good news; however, some days (today hence my web research and finding this forum) I am in severe pain and walk very gingerly with a pronounced limp. The pain is intense down the inside of the ankle (medial). It is not in the same place as before the op (that was at the bottom of the shin in the centre where the foot extends from) and is different. It is more a constant ache with aching ‘spikes’ rather than the breath-taking burning sensation I experienced before. There is some swelling although this does vary depending on how much walking I have done the day before (never much walking in truth).

Balance on the replaced ankle leg is difficult and physio seems to be a really long haul in that each week I seem to experience a slight improvement but then seem to stiffen up again prior to the next week’s session.

Overall I am slightly disappointed that I continue to be in pain after 5 months and that the movement in the ankle is quite restricted still. My surgeon has said that there is a possibility I could look at having my Achilles tendon ‘cut’ but that is something for the future rather than consideration now.

I have to reserve judgement at this stage as it is still relatively early days but I remember that after the original (very nasty injury requiring screws and plates) injury I was in less pain after 5 months. Of course, I was a heck of a lot younger then and a bit lighter too (although the op has spurred me on and I have lost 30lb and am in relatively good shape now).

To sum up then: slight disappointment at this stage perhaps due to enhanced expectations (self enhancement as my surgeon has always indicated a steady path to recovery) but happier with the pain I am enduring now vis-à-vis the pain I had before the op!

LDT Ultraboxer · 2014-11-03T14:23+00:00

Hi

I am a 51 year old male and have had a TAR on 6 Oct 2014. My foot is still swollen a little bit but the rest is 100% normal. I am also a bit at a loss where comes to how much mobility and use I will eventually have of my ankle but going at this rate I am very optimistic. The chronic pain I had is gone and I only endure mild discomfort at this stage. I can move my ankle pretty far up and down and would roughly say I am almost where I was before the operation in terms of movement. I can also walk without any support, although only for a while. What I have discovered is that one tends to walk to the outside with the foot with the damaged ankle before the replacement and this shortens the ligaments a lot. I now have to deal with these muscles and tendons that did not work properly for a number years. It is a painful process to stretch the ligaments and muscles and it is going to be time consuming but if you work hard on doing some exercises and if your operation was done correctly, you should end up with a good result. For me the key is rehabilitation and the more you do that the better the result will be. I am also not sure about a 9 month time period and where one should be by then. I will for interest sake report back from time to time for comparative reasons.

Another factor obviously is the type of procedure that was performed. In my case I had the Zimmer Trabecular metal implant that is done from the outside of the ankle and from the front. It has less impact on the tissue and nerves. It's a pretty new procedure and not many people in my country has had it done. I live in South Africa. The bad part is having to have to deal with a broken Fibula (joined with a metal plate) as that is part of the procedure.

I also have a replaced hip for 7 years now, feels 100% the same as the other one. Maybe age does play a role where it comes to joint replacements and the younger you are the better your chances of full recovery. I was 44 when I lost my hip.

Regards

Ankle Replacement Surgery

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