Medial malleolus fracture healed painful when walking! Help
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I fractured the bottom of my tibia in December needed surgery because it was displaced. Had one screw put in and was non weight bearing for 6 weeks. Just had my 6 week appointment with my orthopedic and he cleared me for full weight bearing right from the get go. Told me to walk with the boot on for the weekend then on Monday take it off. Safe to say I tried like hell to walk but the boot is not off and it's Tuesday. Guess my question is to why it is so painful to walk my surgery was on the inside of my ankle however when walking I get significant pain on the outside of the ankle as well as my heel. Don't know why I didn't gradually increase in weight bearing and don't know how I'm suppose to walk in no boot when I can't even walk with it on! Also got prescribed physical therapy working on getting that situated with insurance and what not. I'm just getting really stressed about the amount of pain I'm in when walking it's about a 8 almost unbearable thoughts? Suggestions? Anything would be appreciated! Thanks 🙏
0 likes, 2 replies
tricia09818 jaclyn37805
Posted
Wow you shouldn't be having pain but if you haven't gotten PT yet, Id wait to have them sort it out. I wasn't allowed to even partial weight bear (6 weeks) with boot and crutches until I went to PT. They give you exercises and things to strengthen your ankle and leg so you can walk again. I'm 8 weeks tomorrow, down to one crutch and nearly full weight bearing walking with boot. I'm 8 weeks post op today.
kpower jaclyn37805
Posted
Hi Jaclyn,
Sorry for your troubles, but you need to put your emotional stress response in neutral. You will get over the worst a little farther on.
I had a medial bimalleolar fracture (no surgery) and experienced an uneventful, garden variety recovery back to full weight bearing. My orthopedist ran it by the book with regard to non-weight-bearing status to partial-weight bearing, and back to full activity. Partial weight bearing (in boot, using crutches to achieve 50% weight bearing) started at about 6 weeks, and continued for 2 weeks before graduation day (that is, full weight bearing.
When I got to weight-bearing stage I experience a minor pain in medial aspect of injured ankle (but while NWB in boot I had no pain).
I found out later that this pain was, unknown to me, from a tendon that got banged up in my fracture injury, causing PTTD. But it got better farther on with a lot of care and special exercises, diet, etc. This was the only residual problem from my injury.
You don't have to suffer in silence-- get back in touch with your doc and insist on a rational explanation for possible causes of your difficulty-- and what you should be doing now.
I suspect the problem lies squarely with (as was my case) damaged soft tissue, be it muscles, ligaments, tendons, nerves, or any of a bewildering array of tissue down there that can, and does, get clobbered in ankle fractures and sprains.