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Pain when weight-bearing after ankle stabilization surgery (brostrom gould procedure)

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sabine08228
sabine08228

I had ankle stabilization surgery (Brostrom Gould procedure, where they put in an internal brace to hold your ligaments together) 7 weeks ago. After week 6 i was allowed to replace the walking boot with a lace-up brace and ease myself off the crutches. I was able to bear weight while wearing the walking boot. However, now, with the brace only, I'm in substantial pain when trying to walk. My ankle gets very hot, particularly at night.. I was told by my PT to do certain mobilization, weight and stretching exercises but they seem to only make the problem worse. Am I trying to move too fast? How long did it take you to bear weight comfortably after this kind of surgery? I'd be curious to hear about other people's healing schedule after this kind of surgery.

0 likes, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • jessica71699
    jessica71699 sabine08228

    Edited

    I had a trimalleolar fracture 2/14/2019. It felt as if my foot was dangling from my leg. Tibia , Fibula and ligament damage and dislocation accompany this kind of fracture. Plate and screws inserted during surgery a week after accident. Months of discomfort, going for pt is a must. I always knew that I would have metal removed. Had that done on 3/02/2020. Had surgical staples removed 3/10/2020. I was in a boot and should have started pt for 8 weeks. I am doing exercises on my own from what I learned from pt after first surgery. I already know this was an excellent move and I'm happy I did not wait to have the plate and screws removed. My bone has healed perfectly as seen in x-rays at the doctor's office. The stiffness I experienced even after a year was from the metal in ankle.

    I think seven weeks is a very short time with theses types of injuries. Pain is very normal for these ankle issues. Keep icing and elevating. It took me many, many months to feel okay. Don't expect miracles it takes time. Good luck!

    • sabine08228
      sabine08228 jessica71699

      Posted

      Thank you for your encouraging words. I think I overdid it the first few days without boot. I thought I could just go ahead and walk without crutches. I rested yesterday and did some gentle PT and am feeling a bit better today. Had a video meeting with my PT yesterday and she recommended I wear sneakers when walking around the house (as opposed to going barefoot) and alternating between crutches and no crutches, which seems to help. I'm just panicking because I'm a very active person and am afraid I'll never be able to walk normally again. Plus, it's unsettling not to see your doctor and PT in person.

    • jessica71699
      jessica71699 sabine08228

      Posted

      I agree about the sneakers. I put on first thing in the morning. I look for certain things with my sneakers. After going through this long recovery and always being careful. You can't help but to be extra careful You don't want this to ever happen again. I find wearing a sneaker sock that comes up the ankle to be perfect. The sole is about 2 inches and has a good arch. I feel very secure in them. I bought on Amazon and were not expensive.

  • sandra91776
    sandra91776 sabine08228

    Edited

    Even though you can bear weight at week 7 its not as easy as just getting up and walking

    Take your time I think it was about 11-12 weeks before I could feel comfortable in sneakers and even then I had a limpThe PT does help

    My surgery was last July and I had similar surgery to Jess

    Im now back to my regular activities but some days my ankle still gets stiff or numb

    From what my ortho said it can take close to a year to get back to normal

    Take care and good luck

    • sabine08228
      sabine08228 sandra91776

      Posted

      Thank you for your insight. How long did it take you from being able to walk only with crutches to walking without crutches without it being painful and becoming really hot? (I posted a short update/reply to the comment above. Thanks again.

      Sabine

  • sandra91776
    sandra91776 sabine08228

    Edited

    I was walking decent around 12-14 weeks post op

    I wear slip on Skeechers and I also wear an ankle compression type sock if Im going to go walking or spend a great deal of time on my feet I bartend and waitress and up until the restaurants were shut down in March I could be on my feet about 6 hours

    At home I just wear slippers

    It's a long journey back and I dont ever want to go through it again Im extra careful!!!

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