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Intra Articular Calcaneal Fracture (Heel Bone Fracture)

Posted , 4 users are following.

hemantudz
hemantudz

Dear Sir,

I fell down from stairs on 11 July 2015 and got fracture. After examining, my orthopedic doctor diagnosed that it is heel bone fracture in both legs. (Intra-articular Calcaneal fracture. I have lost subtler movements in heel and ankle area.

He simply told me to walk on toes for 20 minutes twice a day (in the morning and in the evening). He did not prescribe any medicine other than a pain killer. But he told that the pain killer to be taken only when there is unbearable pain.

He told me that it will take one year for recovery. (At present, I can walk very slowly, not fast). I cannot walk on toes as doctor prescribed.

I want to have second opinion for this. Does all intra-articular calcaneal fractures require surgery. (Why my doctor didn't recommend surgery right now and simply told me to practice to walk on toes ?)

Please help me in this regard.

Hemant

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • bronwyn97278
    bronwyn97278 hemantudz

    Posted

    Hi Hemantudz;  My husband had both heels fractured same as you, in 1988 (the calcaneums).......what I did to stabalize his heals and help with the pain, was to put on, what we used to call " A Reverse Elastoplast Bandage".........if you buy 2 rolls of Elastoplast, and wrap one around each of  the heel/ankle etc, with the Sticky part to the outside, firmly, but not too tight, and continue to strap the whole roll....then rub Talcum powder over the sticky outside of the bandage when completed, to prevent the bandage/s sticking to other things.....and keep on for at least a week, and then repeat same procedure,  with another 2 rolls of elastoplast (bought from a chemist/pharmacy)., if strappings become too dirty??....these strappings will stablize like a plaster, and allow you to partially weight bear when necessary...............my husband Never had to learn to/walk on toes....this sounds absurd to me...it took my husband about 1 month for heels to heal...........so try doing the same as we did......maybe the web may describe this type of strapping better than I have.....but it was quite commonly used in the Emergency Dept/s, Physios in the 1980s and 1990s........so if you find an older physio, they may also be able to help???...................if still not understanding what I am saying, please send back more questions, and I will try my best to help.............did you do any damage to your spine, when the accident happened.....the Orthopaedic specialist who looked after my husband, said this type of injury can also affect the spinal discs,  and the interlinking cartilages......do you feel this/had your back x-rayed too?........hoping that this has helped?..........Bron
    • hemantudz
      hemantudz bronwyn97278

      Posted

      Hello bron

      Thanks for your reply. I did not understand your explaination well. And as you asked...as far as I know there is no injury to spinal discs as there is no pain.

      I am very surprised that my orthopaedic specialist did not prescribe any medicine. He told me to walk on toes. (that is unbearable)

      Does your husband can walk and run without limping and without discomfort ? Was the fracture severe ?

      I fear if I will be ever able to walk and run as before the injury. And how long will it take for recovery ?

    • bronwyn97278
      bronwyn97278 hemantudz

      Posted

      Hi Hemantudz; yes I knew it would be hard to understand how to strap your  heels, without the medical/nursing knowledge of this technique.......I guess basically it is the same as strapping an ankle/heel with a normal bandage.....but instead, using an Elastoplast Self-adhesive bandage, but instead of putting the Sticky part against your skin, you need to put it on Back-to-front....the Sticky side outer  (otherwise it will be stuck to your skin and painful to take off)

      ​Yes my husband fully recovered after about 3 months,...with both heels too like you.....and went straight back to work as a Construction Worker, no limp/nothing wrong.....he did start to use crutchers after a few weeks, when the pain started to settle, due to the strapping and the breaks started to mend.......but he Never walked on his toes....I do remember, he originally crawled like a baby when it first happened (around the house, as he couldn't walk/do anything really with both feet....like  you)......as to the severity.....the R) heel was fractured completely through in 3 places, and the L) was fractured once completely through  (he was building a bridge 20 metres high, and fell off and landed on  barge below...so yes was very serious..and lucky that he did not die with the impact.....I think my husbane has the life of a cat....as he has many serious accidents is his line of work...at present he is off work, after having put an electric drill through his upper left arm)...............you will get better.....but if you still can't understand how to put on strapping, is there someone you know who was a nurse/dr???   otherwise, ask the physio/orthopod to do so....tell them that you have been told by someone who has had the same experience, that this was the best way they found to Stabilize the Fractures........Bron

  • ptolemy
    ptolemy hemantudz

    Posted

    A friend of mine did the same thing parachuting. He had to use crutches for a while along with pain killers. He did not have surgery though. He is fine now, I think he even went parachuting again after a year or so. 
  • jyoti_2418
    jyoti_2418 hemantudz

    Posted

    Hi

    My husband got his Calcaneus fractured on 22-Jan-2017 and is post 5 months now - he is on one crutch and one cane - started weight bearing and trying to put full weight and get rid of any support - but he is having extreme pain in his tendons and is not able to put his foot down and able to walk sometimes - pain is unbearable and stopping to get rid of support. Please suggest what could be the reason for this pain - fracture is fully healed and only few signs of osteoporesis are there....

    Thanks

    Jyoti

     

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