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Pain while trying to start rehab post syndesmosis screw removal?

Posted , 3 users are following.

anna70651
anna70651

How long after screw removal has you been able to fully bear weight?

I'm almost 2 weeks post my op and still can't fully bear weight because of the severe pain.

Is it normal?

Can it have anything to do with my Metal Implant Allergy I developed shortly before my stainless screw removal? (I mean the pain in weight bearing)

I've been on Steroids since 6th of Jan because the severe itching and rashes on my screw implant, and on Dalacin since the screw removal in 13th of Jan (because of the eczema I got at the screw incision.)

I am thankful for any answer that could help ☺

0 likes, 13 replies

13 Replies

  • andie33865
    andie33865 anna70651

    Posted

    Sorry I can't help you on this as i was never operated on but I am hoping someone else on this forum may know.. good luck and I sympathize.
  • stephanie_42850
    stephanie_42850 anna70651

    Posted

    Hi there. I had a syndesmosis screw removal atthe end of July but I was fully weight bearing almost straight after my operation. Like you though Ive been given some cream as I have developed itching and a rash. The creams I have are hydrocortisone and one called Eumovate. If I don't put it on it gets very very itchy. They contain a steroid.
    • anna70651
      anna70651 stephanie_42850

      Posted

      Thank you for sharing 😊

      Ok.

      As it's normal to be able to put some weight on the injured foot, I guess it must be the permanent articular cartilage damage I got in my lower inner surface of fibula in the distal part of the malleolar. I have almost no cartilage left on my fibula bone ... 😦

      They discovered this damage along with the reconstruction surgery in Oct. 2014.

      I've been struggling with this ankle since Nov. 2013 when I happened to misstep in our stairs outside our house.

      For the first 7 months no one took me seriously, but in June last year they did an Arthroscopy, and FINALLY started to listen to me.

      I had Bassett's ligament, impingement and latent diastasis.

      In Oct. I had also a cartilage damage 😦

      I think I had a minor Maisonnevie fracture in proximal fibula, but they never x-rayed it, just x-rayed my ankle in 2013.

      They knew I had twisted and everted my foot. (hrrmmm, wearing high heeled boots = bad idea) 😕

      Well, after all the misstakes the Doctors did along the way, my Orthopedic Foot Specialist has turned really nice and almost humble. 😉 She's forgiven. 😊

      I think she's feeling slightly guilty as she told me in late April last year, I just needed rehab. When I broke down she consulted another Foot Specialist, and this Doctor immediately decided that I was going to get an Arthroscopy. Thank God for that! 😀

      Unfortionately I probably got more issues in my foot, but hopefully I have one problem less after this surgery! 😊

      I am longing for being able to take a long walk, playing with my children and start working with my dogs and horses again.

      Just to be able using more than one hand (eventually)!

      14 months since I could move myself normally...

      Thank you again for sharing!

      By the way, is the cream you're using on prescription?

      You'll have to excuse me, I'm not that good in English at all, but I understand English quite good actually (at least when reading it😉)

      The excuse: -I'm from Sweden 😉 😊

      ... and write in "Swenglish" 😜 😀

      I hope you've already had your share of these injuries and don't need to go through any of it again! 😊

      /Anna

  • stephanie_42850
    stephanie_42850 anna70651

    Posted

    I think they thought I had developed eczema too at the the incision so that was why I was given the creams.
  • stephanie_42850
    stephanie_42850 anna70651

    Posted

    Hi the hydrocortisone cream was on prescription but the sumo ate isn't i was prescribed some on prescription but apparently there is a a til all shortage of the cream so the eumovate is the same thing but that's over. The counter. The tube I got was the last one in my local chemist. I've been told I may need an arthroscopy in next few months if it starts to cause me pain. I had 3 ops as I broke mine Ice skating quite badly. I was unable to weight bear for 111 weeks and was on crutches till just before I went in to have my syndesmosis screws removed. I certainly had a rough time of it so hopefuly this year will be better. What do they do with an arthroscopy?
    • anna70651
      anna70651 stephanie_42850

      Posted

      An Arthroscopy is a surgery through 2-3 small incision holes (1cm each).

      Trough these holes they can remove scar tissue, cartilage damages etc.

      Often it gives instant relief and are faaar from being as painful as the bigger op was.

      Then you might be put non-weight bearing for a couple of weeks (til your suture is taken) then it's more or less back on track again 😉

      I had almost no pain at all after my Arthroscopy, and I think most have no problems after.

      As the incisions are so small the risk of complications decreases a lot compaired to open surgery.

      So, don't worry. The Arthroscopy is nothing like you've already gone through. 😊

      Thumbs up! 👍

  • stephanie_42850
    stephanie_42850 anna70651

    Posted

    Sorry for the omits my computer being weird. The emuvate over the the counter but same asthe stuff on prescription. I was on crutches 11 weeks!!!
    • anna70651
      anna70651 stephanie_42850

      Posted

      I've been on crutches for more or less 11 months out of 14 (26th of Nov. 2013-...)

      Isn't it weird how these crutches can be both our best friend as well as our worst enemy?

      😊😊😊

      I do hope you'll recover soon. ☺👍

  • stephanie_42850
    stephanie_42850 anna70651

    Posted

    Hi, I'm recovered but sometimes I do getthe pain. I just don't like the scar mark as it reminds what a horrible year I had.
  • stephanie_42850
    stephanie_42850 anna70651

    Posted

    Hey you didn't develop a rash anywhere else on your body did you after having steroids? I seem to have developed this red itchy patch on my arm, almost like hundreds of tiny spots and don't know whether this is a reaction to the cream ive been using.
    • anna70651
      anna70651 stephanie_42850

      Posted

      No, I just got the allergic reaction on the location of the screw incision aside from developeing itches all over my body. The eczema is about 5x6 cm now (from the beginning it was about 3x3). It has started to fade away, but still itches a bit, has become really dry and has changed from bright red to a light tan colour.

      I had no reaction of the steroids, but I had pills. Started with 12 pills (Betapred) at the Emergency when the allergy accelerated, and had to continue with Prednisolone for a while. Took my last pill yesterday.

      I never got any cream, just pills.

      You haven't been tested for metal implant allergy? As I understand, according to research, there might be metal ions left for a while in the surrounding tissue were the screw was located. If so, then it might be possible that you still got an immune reaction that has spread from your leg. I've read about it after I got my allergy.

      Are you swollen around your ankle? How does your pain feel like?

      I've mostly got dull aching pain at the anterolateral corner of my ankle and at the bottom of my heel. I still swell up pretty much there. Quite painful really. I've had this pain since I sprained my foot, but they've never really listened to my complaints.

      Other from that, it's mostly pain from the soft-tissue around my ankle. I guess I'll have another Arthroscopy done later, just to remove some scartissue in my joint again.

      But that's not going to happen for a while yet. At least I hope not.

      Are you under rehab by a Physiotherapist now? I will be examined at the Hospital in mid-Feb before I'll get a rehab program. I guess the evaluation has to do with my other injury, but who knows. 😉 You've got a big scar, don't you? As they never checked my upper end of my fibula bone looking for a fracture I never got any other than just one screw. At the time for surgery my fibula had already healed if there where a minor fracture there. On the other hand, they woildn't have done so much about it anyway, other than hopefully done my syndesmosis reduction surgery imediately. If they'd done that I might had been off crutches before last summer...

      When did you break your ankle?

      I had 2 ops (3 if you count the screw removal).

  • stephanie_42850
    stephanie_42850 anna70651

    Posted

    Hi there. Long time I haven't been on this website. How is your ankle now? Hope it's better. So I went to the docs in December, got cream and been using it but stopped using it as I thought I had developed a reaction on my arm. I have lots of spots in random clumps. But I really don't know, however I stopped using the cream and now my ankle is bad again, I have lots of cuts on my surgery scar, it's really getting to me now because I don't want to be using the cream all my life. Couldn't get into doctors. It's a corticosteroid and they tell you not to use it longer than 2 weeks! 
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