Numbness of toes after ankle fracture surgery

Would try a knee scooter for sure...

Is the numbness also swelling? Mine isswelling and tingling around big toe to ball of foot. Makes it feel like you can't move the toes. They put me on lyrica for it. Only two days in so can't be sure it's working. How long does this last? Starting to feel same feeling on right side.

I rented a wheelchair just out of despair : I went back home from Emergency to wait for a surgery for two days and it was extremely painful to move around. I tried to hop on crutches but could not stand it...I will use it for two weeks untill the follow-up appointment and then switch to knee scooter. Thank you everybody for mentioning it, until today I never even knew such thing exists.

For icing for the swelling there is an ankle wrap on Amazon that I like i.....brand name Shock Doctor kind of pricey but I find easier for me than the homage ice packs

That would be helpful, in particular after the cast will be removed

That device looks "cool" in more ways than one, Lisa. Thanks for posting about it. 

I am glad you could decipher my note lots of typos

I ordered a Shock Doctor wrap and love it. I noticed it's easier to use the ice packs if they are slightly defrosted and softer (they are plenty cold that way still). Thanks for the recommendation Lisa! Really appreciate it.

I love mine too I figure it was worth the price if we are gonna be stuck with the swelling for a while!

I am out of my cast 6 weeks in a boot still have numbness I wish I could of used crutches but I broke my wrist too!!!

Can you use a walker? I found sometimes that walker was even better because it forces you to concentrate on using both legs and you press down on the top to lift yourself if needed...can you press with the broken wrist at all? Poor thing! Did you get a cast for that too?

Btw....6 weeks in a cast would explain the numbness on the top of your foot and big toe, since my doctor said it has to do with the cast. The more I massage and soak mine, the better it gets btw!

Hi Linda,

I am still using wheelchair, not feeling safe ...as for numbness, it is still there, but not getting worse, and toes don't have any signs of circulation problems... I started toe wiggling exercises 15 sec on 15 off for 4 min every 4 hours yesterday. I did call the doctor about this numbness but all they are saying is "go to Emergency if you are concerned". This would mean a long wait there, and I would be sitting in a not very comfortable chair and not able to elevate the leg much... So I decided to wait for my scheduled appointment.

Hi Olga, 

Does your ankle feel tight in the cast?  As long as it's not too tight you're ok.  With these injuries the ankle swells quickly when hanging down.  There are lots of odd pains during the process.  I understand the ER waiting.  I broke my ankle in France (live in US) and they casted me within 2 hours.  We had to drive 3 hours back to where we were starying with my leg down.  My ankle swelled and I had to go to another ER to have the cast cut.  I waited for 6 hours to have the cast cut, but my toes had turned purple.  I used the wheelchair the entire time.  As time went on I would add the crutches, the walker.  I am 63 and my upper body was not ready for crutches.  My doctor did not want to use a wheelchair at all saying he thought I was going to get enough exercise.  In my experience using the wheelchair was only way I made it.  I was very tired at first and I felt totally unsafe on crutches.  I have 8 large step to get in my house.  I would wc to the door, crutch the landing, get on the group and crawl backwards up the step and then push up to the wc, my husband would wheel me to the car over the sidewalk and grass, then I would hop 2 steps to the car.  Thank god that's over. Don't feel bad about using the wc.  Your safety is of the ulmost importance.  I had a small wc from france that was easier to get into doorways.  I still banged into them, much to my husbands dismay.  At this phase just take one day at a time, keep your leg elevated and ice it.  If you feel like it,  do some movement with your other leg and arms to keep the muscles active.  Seems like I gradually used the crutches and did gain strength.  In the end, my arm muscles were buff.  Who knew? Take care of yourself.  In my opinion you will know what you are capable of at the right time.  Don't let anyone push you, because this is an individual thing.  Some injuries are worse than others and we are at different ages and abilities.  

Hi Linda,

Wow, you been through a lot too...I had my surgery on Sunday, so 5th day post-op. I think the cast was too tight first, because I barely could wiggle my toes next day...we unwrapped it with my boyfriend, we are both nurses and he has more experience with casts then I do, and loosened it up a tiny bit...I don't recommend it to anybody, but again we are both RNs, so I felt comfortable doing this. I never removed the cast, but it does have a space on front like a seam, so we just pushed it sideways a bit. Feels good since than. Some numbness is still there as I said, but movements of toes returned right away. My pain level is also going down every day, today I had no pain meds at all.

Wheelchair is working great for me, I can go around my place without fear of another trauma and this is the most important thing at this stage, I agree. Even went outside today for a very short ride (15 min). I am in w/c accessible condo building, so I used a ramp. Found it a bit steep on the bottom and no railings there..maybe need to mention it to the strata council. I think people who buid these things need to hear a feedback from the users...

Yes, I also done the corners and doors inside my place by w/c, but don't care about this much. Will see what doctor will say on May 10th on f/u app, hopefully X-rays will show some healing starting...Totally agree that the process is different for everybody and we need to listen to our own body and to do things only when we  are capale of it.

yep my wrist was casted for 6 weeks now in a brace almost healed the walker option was not available to me but besides swelling and numbness and pain I can get around in the boot now pretty well let's see for me this started on 2/26 9 weeks today! 16 more months till pain free I am going to try a spinning bike this weekend Dr said to raise the seat as high as I can to reach the pedals then put on lowest resistance and pedal slow going to try pool walking at the gym too fingers crossed these things are doable

Hi Olga,

Funny, I am a nurse, too so I hope I didn't sound teachy.  I am over 7 months post op so I you need any info I'm here.  It has been a test of patience.  Initially it is hard being dependent.  From my experience and from reading about others doctors do not tell us what to expect and they discharge you as soon as the bone is healed.  I was casted after surgery with plaster and I pulled it off in 5 days, a week later they put a fiberglass cast on and my husband cut it off after 4 days.  So....I think I have castphobia. I'm getting my hardware out in 3 weeks.  Maybe, nurses make bad patients.  They said I arrested post op in the recovery room from 2 mg. of Dilaudid.  Good to have a nurse for a boyfriend and a handicap accessible place.  Wishing you a speedy recovery. 

 

It's so great that there are nurses on this site! Can I ask you both why you decided to take your casts off? And why are you having the hardware taken out? I'm really curious because I'm concerned it may not be best to keep the hardware in. Also, do you happen to know when the optimum time is to take it all out? I believe I read somewhere that you don't want to wait past the first year because scar tissue grows over the hardware too much by then. I'm thinking 7-9 months might be the best timing from things I've read. Do you know how weak it makes the bone if you take out a lot of screws (13) and a plate? (I'm imagining a Swiss cheese type bone at that point). I'm concerned the bone will be quite weak and brittle to take out that much,but it may be a pretty fast recuperation and worth it in the end. Any info you have would be most appreciated! Also, how can we best help our tendons and nerves heal? Is it true it takes about 12-18 months on average to be back to our original selves (as much as possible) after a multiple ankle break with surgery and hardware installed?

Hi Linda,

 I never been even admitted to the hospital, they gave me a choice to wait for ER there or home, so I decided on home because I had people to take care of me...and after the surgery with general anesthesia I was ready to go home in couple of hours after I woke up. I think it is much better for me to be at home, the only drawback is a lack of information, I have no discharge papers, nothing, even a name of the surgery...it is a policy here in Canada, at least in BC I believe. I only remember that in ER initially doctor said I broke bones on each side of the ankle, and then on some point I was told they put a plate on the left and two screws on the right. Unfortunately don't know enough about casts, etc. I am in long term care nursing myself.

Now questions, if you don't mind : I read somewhere that I suppose to be mostly resting with the leg elevated for the better recovery first two weeks. So in your experience what was your activity/rest balance for this time? What I am trying to say, I want to get up and do more things around my place but I am afraid that would affect the recovery...Is 15 min every 1-2 hour at day time is okay to be up in w/c with the leg down? Pain wise I can tolerate this already...Sleeping is tough too, can not get a good sleep on my back with the leg up.Is it dangerous try to turn on the side a bit?

You can move any way you want.  It is self limiting.  If it swells you'll know it and you'll have to elevate.  If you feel good, keep moving. You can turn on your side at night, just pad with pillows.  Just remember it takes hours for the swelling to go down, so try not to get it too swollen.  If it's not swelling that is terrific, however I think swelling is normal for this injury.  What type of cast do you have?  I had plaster for 12 days.  When you go back to the surgeon they will take an xray and I'm sure they'll show you what type of hardware you have.  I broke the distal fibula and have a hook type plate and just 3 screws, about a 6 inch incision.  Sounds like you're dealing well with the pain.  I had pain for several days and then very little.  I had more pain when I started to walk (not bad, but annoying).  I was suppose to wear the second cast for 3 weeks, then an airboot for 4 weeks.  So, I didn't wear the cast, but I was non weight bearing.  I was totally healed at that point.  Then, the rehab begins.  The more active you can stay the better you'll be.  I don't think you can hurt your ankle with the cast on.  The airboot is nice, in that you can take it off to sleep or when you are sitting.  

Hi,

Personally I am not taking my cast off, I believe I need one for proper bone healing with two broken bones and hardware...having hard time with it though particular at night time, but all I can do is just wait. And as for hardware, I heard in some cases it's been rejected by the body, symptoms are: a lot of pain, swelling...then it is to be removed. This is all I know so far.

My cast is plaster I believe...thank you, that sounds reassuring.

You need to go with whatever your doctor says. I have a plate and 7 screws but my doctor told me I could take the cast off 3 days after my surgery (as long as I thought I had good balance). So for me I basically never wore the cast after surgery. I'm now 5 months out and the bone healed perfectly. I do still have a lot of swelling, stiffness and pain though, but I believe it's all normal. I also just started using a 30-40 compression stocking and it's working miracles with the swelling.

I might need compression stocking later, good idea.

It's 3 1/2 weeks since I was operated. I have a half cast (it is hard only on the back of my foot and lower leg) and I too feel numbness on the upper side of the big toe (and the upper of the second toe a little).