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Fractured my ankle 3 months ago but ankle keeps swelling and is painful.

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susan60212
susan60212

I had fractured my ankle in July this year. Had it in plaster for six weeks, had a review with consultant yesterday. Had another x ray and consultant confirmed the bone had healed,but I explained to him that I my ankle keeps swelling and is painful. Can't walk very far and he said it could be the soft tissue area may have fragments of cartilage init, but because I have a pacemaker can't have a MRI scan. He has told me to come back in 3 months time.I have to have psyiotherapy . what do i do if it keeps on swelling.I don't have much faith in the consultantbreally

2 likes, 383 replies

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  • guru66
    guru66 susan60212

    Posted

    hi guys

    i had a fracture of my ankle. has two screws put in. all healed but it swells when i stand[ am a teacher so this happens all day ]...great to hear that it appears to be a normal thing. keep excersising and grin and bear i guess. heal well friends

    • helen00131
      helen00131 guru66

      Posted

      Hi guru,

      I am a teacher too. I fractured two bones on my left ankle on 30 Nov 2016. The surgery was carried out on the following day. There are plate and 6 screws on outside and 2 screws on the inside. Cast was removed after 40 days, allowed FWB right away. I had never been given a boot to ware. I wish I had. for the first 4 weeks of FWB green light given by the doctor, my life was not much different from NWB, except didn't need to cover my foot while taking shower. I was still on two crutches. the injury foot only pretend to do something. Only after 5-6 physio sessions, my injury foot began to wake up. 

      I went back to work 40 days after cast off. But the school allow me to put my foot up most of the time, even I was in the class. I was able to use icepad to cool my foot while I am not in class which have help a lot.

      Now I am at the the end of 5th months after my ankle surgery. I am able to walk more than a mile unaided, but very slow and will suffer a lot of pain after that.

      I am 54 yo woman, slim build. I was very active before the injury. I did hiking, rock climbing, distant running. It is very frustrating that I can only walk for a short time on 3km per hour speed.

      It is very encouraging to  know that I maybe able to walk pretty well after 6 months. Before the surgery,the doctor told me that I will be able to run again after 12 months. Just keep positive thinking. The day will come.

      I am getting all the hardware removed in two months of time. Hope the pain will be reduced or disappeared after the surgery.

      Has anyone here had got the hardware removed?

      Helen

  • fayelouise.xo
    fayelouise.xo susan60212

    Posted

    Hi I know this post is over a year old but I was hoping to get some help, I broke my tib and fib ankle bones 2 weeks ago when I landed on the side of my foot after doing a front somersault. I was in plaster cast for one night and the next day I had surgery and now have two screw and one metal plate.

    Since the surgery I haven't had a cast or even any bandages, just small dressings on the wounds and was initially given a shoe to walk in, however I have stopped wearing it as I can now fit a normal shoe on.

    I was told I was 'weight baring as pain allows' with crutches when walking, and that I'd be able to walk unaided within 6 weeks from the accident. I'm having physio once a week and doing physio at home for around 5 hours per day in between, and whilst I can see some improvement the range of movement in my ankle is still very limited which nt physiotherapist says is a cause for concern.

    The pain has pretty much subsided in my ankle however it's still quite swollen and I am getting horrendous cramps. I was just wondering if anybody has had a similar experience to this (surgery followed by no cast) as I am struggling to find any info about this online! Is 6 weeks a realistic rehabilitation period? I thought so but I have since read so many stories of people taking months to be able to walk!

    NB I'm 22 and a fit and healthy gymnast

    Thanks!!

    Faye

    • beezybee
      beezybee fayelouise.xo

      Posted

      Hi Faye, sounds like you are healing fast! And being 22 and fit does make a difference! Just like you I had a surgery with a plate and 11 screws in my ankle and I am now 10 weeks post operation and had to be non weight bearing for 6 weeks. So to your question 6 weeks is the standard recovery time for your bones. Yes I do have this crampy feeling on the ankle and the foot every now and then especially in the morning when I first wake up, but I won't say it's horrendous. My PT says the pain at this point is mainly due to swelling ( if wound has healed properly). And yes at 10 weeks my foot and ankle still swells especially by afternoon. So to your question, I think it's normal. But do check with your Dr about the cramps! I am walking about with the boot and I found that the boot helps to reduce the swelling. Just keep exercising and hang in there! It will be a long journey as I have read in this thread, hopefully yours will be a smooth one!

    • cornelia51279
      cornelia51279 fayelouise.xo

      Posted

      Wow, the protocol sounds extremely aggressive! I'm much older but a performing dancer (and have been for years) and before my accident I figure skated twice a week. I was in a splint, then had surgery (3 broken bones, a plate and screws on the opposite side), another splint for a month, non-weightbearing cast for a month after stitches were removed, walking boot for 2 weeks, sneakers after. It's been almost 5 months and I am just able to start dancing again (but not in heels.) My drs and my weight trainer say I'm healing very well but that I can expect swelling for 12 months. Complete healing was anticipated to take 6 months-1 year (and I thought I'd be back on the dance floor within 6 weeks, lol.) The back of my ankle is swollen but it's due to trauma to those tendons. It takes a very long time for the soft tissue to heal, much longer than it takes for the bones to fuse. I have been a model patient beause I am so driven to get back onto the dance floor, so every day I'm more mobile. Still it feels like I need a shot of WD-40. Where's that oil can? Good luck with your heeling; a broken ankle is no small injury. Be kind to it.

  • Justwornout
    Justwornout susan60212

    Posted

    First I can't believe your having therapy only after 2 weeks. I also broke my ankle in 3 places and have a metal plate with screws and just screws on the other side. I had to wear a cast for a few days then into the boot for 6 to 10 weeks. This was lead to a non weight bearing foot for almost 6 weeks in the hospital.  After I got the boot off then I went to therapy. But my foot keeps swelling. I can't just stay in bed all day. I do take time out and ice it down but that isn't doing the trick. It looks like the swelling is going up my leg.  I do wear one of those elastic socks.

    Any body have any suggestios?  It also seems if I do anything where I have to walk the next day I pay for it, tired and swelled.

    • shelagh21337
      shelagh21337 Justwornout

      Posted

      Hi

      The swelling you're getting seems a nightmare- I'm sure like me you have googled it to death and read every thread going about broken ankles - from what I have read it seems some people are just unlucky with the swelling- but it seems to settle down at some point for everyone. Have you discussed it with your physiotherapist or your orthopaedic dr ?

      I broke my tibia (plated and screws) and my fibula 4 and a half weeks ago. After surgery was in a backslab cast NWB for 2 weeks then put in a boot after sutures out. My orthopaedic consultant said I could tiptoe walk with the boot but it was agony so I haven't been doing. First physio appointment was yesterday and he told me off for not tiptoe walking and said I needed it to help the healing process. I'm still really worried as it's only 4 weeks since I broke it and my fib isn't plated etc. So I've done what he says - it's a weird sensation but I'm very wobbly on my crutches so I am not doing it all of the time - still a lot of hopping. Got hydrotherapy next week. The swelling has completely gone in my ankle and foot, but I have very numb areas in my foot and leg (around scars from surgery) discolouration and don't have full movement in my ankle. My leg and ankle did swell a bit when I was wearing my boot but the physio told me to only wear my boot when walking and to ditch it when I'm sitting or in bed. First time in bed without it last night - slept a lot better than I thought I would.

      It's so worrying isn't it, not knowing how long it's going to take to be completely better. I'm exhausted getting up and down stairs and walking short distances with my frame - I can only manage a few feet on crutches. I'm normally someone who is running around all day and am finding it so frustrating spending so much time in bed or on the couch.

      Faye - if you're reading this please update us on how you are as it's a couple of months further on for you now, I hope your mobility is good 😊

  • Angelauf
    Angelauf susan60212

    Posted

    I would also invest in a knee scooter. I got my on Offer  Up
  • julieann_84522
    julieann_84522 susan60212

    Posted

    I fractured my fibula, spiral fracture and dislocated my ankle on the 30th June this year. 10 weeks today. I had my ankle set and a plate and screws fitted on the same day. 2 weeks in a surgical cast then 4 in a normal cast. X ray loomed good and cast came off August 9th and was given a brace to wear. I went back 25th August and the consultant suggested I no longer need the brace (but to keep it) and he feels I have good movement so no physio!!

    Now..I was somewhat pleased but a little worried as I was told I would definitely need physio and it can take months and months to recover. I may be a quick healer but feel a bit unsure and the only exercise he suggested was gentle walking slowly as I was non weight bearing in cast and bending foot forwards and backwards. I am a TA in a primary and they want me well before I return to work. I am due to go back to hospital end of September but if discharged is that it! I have daily swelling and stiffness and twinges but am walking unaided in the house. Should I be happy with quick healing ?

    Does anyone have any good suggestions and advice on questions when I return to the consultant please?

    • madeleine_80068
      madeleine_80068 julieann_84522

      Posted

      Sounds like you are recovering quickly! Walking! I am now at 8 weeks having broken tibia and fibula and cannot even stand up straight. I also broke my shoulder so I cannot use any aids like crutches or frame. I have to wait 3 weeks to get an appointment at physio. I have had my "boot" off for 2 weeks and cannot bend the foot joints because of the swelling. Also painful. My next consultant check up is in 6 weeks but I also feel as though I have been left with no info apart from being told to bend the foot. We'll done you for getting walking. Good luck to you.

  • s_m93107
    s_m93107 susan60212

    Posted

    Four weeks I fell from roof while going up through a ladder and got both my ankle bones tibia and fabula broken at the end ,along with backbone injury at L5 and D12,both have fractures.During first week I did not go to doctors and freely drove my car 200 km daily and even without using bandage on my ankle.As soon as I consulted doctors, they confined me to bed and advised surgery for ankle as well as kyphoplasty for backbone but I ran out of OT just before my operation and recovering on its own without any medicine.No pain killer.Moving carefully,attending office regularly,driving my pulsar dailyand car as well.Dont worry if fracture is stable.It will heal up on its own.I am 63+.Ran out from OT with four fractures.Now fastest recovery without medicines.
  • arti66
    arti66 susan60212

    Posted

    Did u get any remedy for this as I am facing same problem 
  • pamelal
    pamelal susan60212

    Posted

    on July 15 of this year, I had an accident and broke all the bones connecting my foot to my ankle.  The surgeon called it "limb threatening" and took me in for emergency surgery immediately.  I had a bunch of "hardware" put in.  I visited this thread often to read what others had experienced so I'd have some idea of what was "normal" as I was recuperating.  I wanted to write my experience to give other that may be going through this some hope.  Some days it's very overwhelming and seems it will never get better - but it will!  

    I am a 54 yr old female, not athletic at all and in terrible shape so far as complete lack of exercise.  Overall good health other than that.  I had the accident and surgery on Saturday, July 15, 2017.  I was in a white (plaster?) cast for two weeks.  I went in 2 weeks later for a checkup and a more permanent fiberglass cast.  I am a HUGE chicken for needles, procedures etc.  Had I known what that appt was going to be like, I definitely would have taken Xanax prior to going.  It wasn't painful, I'm just a freak about stuff like that.  If you are too, you may want to ask your Dr. for a prescription for a xanax tablet.  Mine wrote me one for the next visit cuz I was such a baby on this first check up lol  They sawed off the cast (yikes was that scary) and removed the staples - so gross :-P

    I live alone, my sis came to help a few times a week.  I was using a walker the first 2 weeks, it was horrible. I pulled my right shoulder out from lifting / lowering myself improperly.  I was a hot mess lol   When my sis took me in for my first check up and saw how badly I was struggling w/the walker, she surprised me with a knee scooter 2 weeks later and it changed everything for me.  I loved that thing!

    I had the fiberglass cast on for aprox 5 weeks.  I had virtually no pain at all from the time of the surgery to now but a lot of swelling.  The cast would go from feeling like it was way too big to feeling extremely tight.  I kept it up and continued to ice it.

    I had my second visit on August 30th, they removed the fiberglass cast and put me in a walking boot.  It was awesome - I didn't have to wear plastic on my leg to get a shower and I could SLEEP w/out a cast on my foot!  I was told to start putting some weight on it, but not full weight bearing yest because there was still a slight fracture in one of the bones.  I was scared as hell to put ANY weight on it but I did as instructed.

    On Sept 19th I went in for my "final" visit (9 weeks after the accident).  The surgeon said it had healed so beautifully that he was having a hard time showing me where the breaks were - yayyyyy!  I could now go from partial weight bearing to full weight bearing over the next week "as I felt comfortable" to do so.  I had my tennis shoes w/me in the hopes of this news. I ditched the WAY TO BIG TO WALK IN "walking cast" and put on my sneakers. Very difficult as my left food/ankle were pretty swollen.  I walked with one crutch from Sept 19th until this past Monday (Oct 2nd) as I got used to putting more and more weight on my foot. Sunday the 1st was terrible, I had to use the scooter again as I had a lot of cooking to do and my foot swelled up soooo badly.  Overnight, it got better - crutch free Monday the 2nd (except first thing in the morning).  I mention that only because there will be times when it feels like you're going backwards in your recovery and then WALLA - you can do something the next day that you couldn't the day before. It was pretty scary to put full weight on my foot, I was afraid it would snap again. The surgeon guaranteed me it would not, but I was scared.

    As far as any pain - I was lucky, I had NONE the entire time other than the discomfort caused by the swelling. The swelling was TERRIBLE.  I had my sneaker laces as loose as I could possibly get them and it was still tight.  The only pain I felt was on the top of my foot as it got used to bearing weight again - but no pain at all in the areas of the surgery or breaks.  Since last Tues, my foot has stopped swelling up so badly that I can barely get my sneaker on.  These past 5 days the swelling has been mostly in my ankle with minimal swelling in my foot. It is swollen some, but nothing like what was happening - made it nearly impossible to even wiggle my toes (which looked like sausages).

    This past week there has been some major improvements almost daily.  Thursday morning was the first morning I could get out of bed and to the bathroom w/out using a crutch - I haven't used a crutch since then.  I was feeling pretty down on Thursday in spite of that - it felt like I couldn't get anything done.  It took so long to do ANYTHING.  On Friday, I was able to spend 5 solid hours getting things done that had been piling up since the accident - shampooing the floor, moving my bedroom back to where it was before the accident, taking out the recycling that had been piling up.  It was amazing.  Saturday was a repeat, I even moved some furniture room to room and today I am going strong w/scrubbing and cleaning.  I feel like I'm getting back to my "old self" again.  It's about 11 1/2 weeks in today.

    I have had no physical therapy because I have no insurance.  I chose to spend the money on a Chiropractor instead to make up for what I'd done to my poor body w/the walker lol  My surgeon told me to wiggle my toes around as much as I could immediately following surgery and to continue doing so when I was in the cast. He said it would help w/mobility after the cast came off.  I did this regularly.  I "work" my foot a lot - putting my feet side by side and trying to get the injured foot to make the same movements the non injured foot can make.  I have watched youtube video's for stretching exercises. When I am able to (when the top of my foot doesn't hurt), I try to "walk consciously" - pay attention to what my right foot is doing as it's walking and have my left foot try to make the same movements.  It's VERY slow but it gets better each day.

    Diet is so important during the healing process.  I have training as a health coach so the day after I got home from the hospital, I started googling.  I added 10,000 IU's of Vitamin D3 and 133 mg of Magnesium three times a day to my daily supplements.  Cooking was pretty much out of the question as I was healing.  I mostly made soups in my instapot and then added a TON of greens to them as I was re-heating the soup - as many greens as I could get to wilt into the bowl.  I took lots of spirulina and chlorella to help get oxygen into my system and toxins out. If you can afford organic and don't normally do it - I'd recommend you do it while you're healing.

    What I wish I had known to do as I was healing - any type of exercise I could on the leg I wasn't using so that side of my body didn't lose so much strength.  Even if I would have practiced leg lifts on that side while I was laying in bed. It never crossed my mind.  A huge challenge as I was trying to go full weight on that side was the my knee and leg were so weak from not being used for two months, I felt wobbly and it felt like my leg was going to give out on me.

    I'm sorry this is so long.  I'm hoping if anybody comes across it that's going through the healing process, this brings you hope.  It DOES get better - even when it feels like it "never will".  

    I wish you the best!!

    -Pam

    • madeleine_80068
      madeleine_80068 pamelal

      Posted

      Your story is identical to mine. I broke (crushed) ankle July 14. Now full of metalwork which I can feel digging in me when I try to stand on it. Doc says compression bandages or icepacks do not work with the swelling and just says to get mobile. Easier said than done! However I still cannot put full weight on it. Big problem being that I also broke my shoulder as well so cannot have the support of crutches or a frame. I also broke two of my toes which was not discovered until recent x rays, which explains extra pain. Good bits of me have also weakened due to being flat on my back during 6 weeks in hosptal and immobile for the last 6 weeks at home. It is somewhat reassuring to read of others in the same boat. Good luck to you.
  • Solas8
    Solas8 susan60212

    Posted

    Hi my ankle break happened in June.  I still have swimming but it's getting less and less 

    • Solas8
      Solas8

      Posted

      Oops sorry. Predictive text can be a nuisance at times. I do have some swelling but I use stretchy bandages which seems to be helping a lot. It's time really and for us impatient people that seems endless🏃🏾🏃🏾🏃🏾😁. X

    • pamelal
      pamelal Solas8

      Posted

      So the stretch bandages seem to be helping the swelling?  You wrap them around your ankle...and foot?  I was wearing "footies" for socks, that's what I used to wear but changed to long socks now so there was a tightness around the ankle.  They gave me a cloth brace but my foot was so swollen all the time, it was difficult to put on and take off.  Maybe I'll try an ace bandage around my ankle.  Thank you for the post, I appreciate it.  You're a month ahead of me so I'll take any tips I can get lol

      Yes, you're right - that's me too...impatient.  

    • Solas8
      Solas8 pamelal

      Posted

      The compression bandage is put on first thing in the morning, before my foot swells, and it lessons the swelling. It gives me more chance to exercise my foot and ankle. I had the added difficulty of breaking the  left leg while my right was still in plaster which slowed exercise down so I'm not really much ahead of you.  Best wishes for your recovery. X

    • pamelal
      pamelal Solas8

      Posted

      I am so sorry to hear that - what a nightmare!  I wish you the best as well.  I hope you have a lot of support as you're recuperating. 

    • Solas8
      Solas8 pamelal

      Posted

      Hi Pamelal, I believe the greatest healing came when I focused on the positives, which were many believe it or not. I am taking 12 friends out to dinner tomorrow night. These 12 friends supported me through the most vulnerable stages of my ill health. .i'm still limping somewhat but i know i am on the right road. x

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