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Do you think my ankle is nonaligned?

Posted , 7 users are following.

vph78
vph78

I fractured my ankle about 6 weeks ago. No surgery was done. My doc and ortho said that the ankle is stable and aligned.

But here's an x-ray taken of the ankle taken three days ago. For me it somehow does not look "right". What do you think?

0 likes, 31 replies

31 Replies

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  • Gillyjoo
    Gillyjoo vph78

    Posted

    Hi,

    Luckily it seems you only fractured your low fibula. The talus is intact which is fundamental important. However the joint underneath the bottom of the fibula (where there is cartilage and where an obvious fracture is) will cause you trouble in later years unless the break is fixed.

    Good luck.

  • Jude1959
    Jude1959 vph78

    Posted

    Your fibula looks slight maligned but will probably healed fused.
  • Jude1959
    Jude1959 vph78

    Posted

    You may want to get another opinion on your fibula. In that position you may get problems even if it heals like that. Agree with the post by Gillypoo
  • vph78
    vph78

    Posted

    Thanks for the responses.

    It is odd that three doctors have seen the x-rays and none of them thinks surgery is required.

    A regular doctor examined the x-ray a day after the fracture, and a radiologist and orthopedist from a different hospital examined x-rays taken 9 and 35 days after the fracture.

    Here are the two earlier x-rays, the first one taken 1 day and the other one taken 9 days after the fracture.

     

  • vph78
    vph78

    Posted

    Gillyjoo, are you a doctor?
    • Gillyjoo
      Gillyjoo vph78

      Posted

      Hi,

      No I am not, but I have had a lot of experience with orthopaedics and XRays over 20 years since my own severe leg trauma and in answer to your question, I would say that it looks like the break in the fibula is making contact with the side of the talus. This could over time damage the cartilage there creating stiffness and pain on that side. It could take a decade but it will cause pain at some point. Leaving it to heal (and it will if it hasn't done so already) in that position isn't ideal. However your doctors are weighing up the various risks of surgery to fix it now with the chance it might not cause you any trouble in the future. It's true that it might not cause you any trouble but ankles are notorious and the joint that carries the most weight. If you're doctors suggest leaving it then they're almost certainly right. However that doesn't mean its aligned perfectly (your original question) and that it won't cause arthritic pain earlier than it would have had it not been broken in the first place.

    • vph78
      vph78 Gillyjoo

      Posted

      Yes, the fact that there seems to be a contact between fibula and talus was one thing that caught my attention when I saw the x-rays and I was surprised that one of the doctors said anything about it. Can it be that we are misinterpreting the x-rays?

      It has been almost 6 weeks since the fracture so maybe it is too late to operate it anymore?

  • jc05751
    jc05751 vph78

    Posted

    Hey. That really bites. That is awesome you don't have to do no surgery I know how a swollen ankle feels like!! But I ain't no doctor when I saw your X-ray that little bone right by your foot it looks like it's out online!! I don't know if that's what you looking at also!! Don't think I could tell you is Google the image of your foot on the bones see what that little bone looks like on a diagram of your foot if it and lines with your other Bone!!! yeah I think that's it get a second opinion see what they says about that!! Good luck!!

    • vph78
      vph78 jc05751

      Posted

      Yes, I will have another opinion next Monday. I already booked a meeting with another orthopedist. He is from the same hospital though that the one who originally made the diagnosis. Hopefully that is not a problem?

      Yeah, the fact that talus and fibula seem to be online concerns me the most.

    • jc05751
      jc05751 vph78

      Posted

      I will try to go to another hospital!! I was you so it'll be a totally different doctor!! Yeah I broke my ankle in two different places in June I have two plates with 18 screws I messed up my ankle pretty bad if I was playing professional football this would be my ending career!!! That's how bad it is but I start my physical therapy hopefully next week so I can start putting weight on my foot!!

    • vph78
      vph78 jc05751

      Posted

      Unfortunately my insurance only covers visits to this one particular hospital. I will go first there to see another ortho and if I'm still unsatisfied with his explanation then I probably have to pay a visit to another hospital with my own expense.

    • jc05751
      jc05751 vph78

      Posted

      Well that sucks about your insurance call your provider and ask him you want to go through a second opinion!! See what they say it won't hurt to ask but they won't do it yeah I'll go to another doctor from that same Hospital good luck on that!!

  • vph78
    vph78

    Posted

    I forgot to mention that I have been full weight bearing with an ankle brace for three days now. So I have ditched the boot and crutches.

    I have walked several miles full weight bearing for 2-3 miles each day. I have not felt pain at the actual fractured bone area until yesterday evening, when I felt slight pain while sitting still, maybe for an hour or so.

    • vph78
      vph78

      Posted

      Not 2-3 miles but 1-2 miles daily rather.
    • Gillyjoo
      Gillyjoo vph78

      Posted

      The party that is fractured only takes about 10% of your body weight. Humans don't need fibulas really (just horses, hares and greyhounds need em) so I wouldn't expect you to have much pain - mainly just inflammation. Ibuprofen would sort that out (unless you have stomach ulcers or are prone to bleeding). The fact you walked 2 miles means you're good to go. 6 months after an ankle fusion and I'm still in pain after 1/4 mile walk. It might not seem it now but you really got off lightly. Ankles are notoriously fickle things though so go to a surgeon that specialises in ankles and feet if possible and get that second or third opinion.

    • vph78
      vph78 Gillyjoo

      Posted

      Thanks again for your informative response.

      I have had very little inflammation since the fracture happened. The ankle was swollen for 3-5 days after the fracture, but after that there has been practically no inflammation. I just compared my two ankles and could not see much difference between them. Yesterday my ankle might have been a little swollen after walking for at least 2 miles that day.

      My joints and muscles are a lot more sore though. I think the soreness has eased today, but that might be because I had not walked much today. But yesterday by far the biggest challenge in walking was the stiffness and soreness of my joints, ligaments and muscles around the ankle. I have been stretching them quite often trying to make them more flexible.

      My PT will start next Wednesday, hopefully that will help.

      But my x-rays continue to worry me, and all these comments are not making me worry any less smile. I just don't want to have any nagging long time pain or injury. I'm a regular runner and I want to go back running at some point.

       

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