Progress post Talonavicular Fusion
Posted , 13 users are following.
Hi, I had my op 23/3/17 and like everyone else I was in a backslab for 2 weeks, 4 weeks lightweight cast and finally an aircast boot for 6 weeks. I'm now 17 weeks post op and still walking with crutches, I can walk from the lounge to the kitchen without them but its very painful. Does this seem a normal progression? Obviously everyone is different, I'm just wondering how everyone else progressed? Hoping I may get an idea when I can start to walk pain free or when the pain will ease.
Thanks, Joanne
0 likes, 28 replies
tessa98714 joanne52275
Posted
Hi, I'm now 23 weeks post fusion and still have pain when I walk. It's mostly in the foot but also to the side of the ankle and above it. I'm due to get some insoles to correct my foot positioning when I walk and also may need to have the screws taken out at some point as they may be slightly aggravating. It's all taking far longer than I expected and the 3-6 month post op period has been really difficult for me with lots of muscle pain in the foot. I'm still walking with one crutch and although I'm getting faster, walking is painful. At your stage I think I was still in the boot with one crutch, so your progress seems similar. Keep persevering! I really hope that things improve for me in the next few months as at the moment I don't feel I've benefited much from the op. Hope you make progress too.
joanne52275 tessa98714
Posted
Thanks Tessa, think I'm probably a little suprised at how slow the progression has been since a came out of the aircast boot at 12wks. Some times theres very little pain and other times theres a lot of discomfort. I too am concerned I'm worse than before. Hope everything starts improve for you.
tessa98714 joanne52275
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Hi Joanne yes I too have been really surprised at the slow progress after coming out of plaster. It want really talked about by the medical staff , they tend to focus on the difficulties of being in plaster for so long. So I was expecting to come out of plaster and be skipping along the road pretty quickly!! Alas no! At least it's reassuring that you're not the only one and to know that other people are going through the same. Good luck, hope things start to ease up soon.
sandra81957 joanne52275
Posted
Hi I'm 14. Weeks since my fall and 13 weeks since op. Still on crutches and still have a lot of pain once up and about. Also still swells up if I've been on feet for just a short time. But as far as the swelling goes it's no where near as bad as this time last week. And seems to reduce every week. I have my 3rd session with physio in the gym on Wednesday where I've been told it's "treadmill" day!!! Don't know how I will get on as I can't do normal walking without crutches as too painful. I think we are all different, some people on the forum have been pain free for weeks!! How lucky are they. I'm still in need of painkillers, 4times a day. But have reduced from 2 to 1 but taking 2 at night as they do help with sleep, hope your pain eases soon. Sx
joanne52275 sandra81957
Posted
Thanks Sandra. I still walk with crutches but inside the house I try walk without them. I hadnt had any painkillers since 2 weeks post op but I'v had to take them since I came out of the aircast boot at 12wks. All the best with your recovery.
darren79130 sandra81957
Posted
Hi Sandra, just a little update, I had my X-ray today, it's almost 6 months since my accident,the bones in my ankle still not healed, doc says I need more aggressive physio, but he said it's going to take probably 2 years to get to some sort of normality, he emphasised the fact that I'll never have full movement again, can you believe I'm still on crutches and air boot,the muscle waste isn't good and Im having issues with my knee and hip.. all that said I have great family support and lots of books to read. Hope all is well with you. Bless ya !
sandra81957 darren79130
Posted
omg im so sorry to hear this. Not great news is it.
Ive een walking without crutches around the house fo the past few days and its killed me. The pain and swelling is worse now then ever...well pain is. Swelling is much better over the top of my foot but around the wound area on the right of my ankle is bad. Muscle was bad when the cast came off but slowy ive manage to rebuild that up a lot. I have issues with my knee anyway, this is part of the reason why I fell in the first place, waiting for op on torn cartilidge, but no way getting that done now, not after all this. Movment isnt good for me either, even with physio and the homework they give me. Although I get physio its only been 2hrs max over the past 6weeks!!! longest sesson has been for 20mins!!! big deal. Ive been told by physio that i will never have a nice slim ankle again, so one nice one one fat one 
. Found it so hard to get shoes to fit. Size 5 one good foot and 6 on bad foot...so sloppy shoe. lol chin up and enjoy the reading!! sx
sandra81957 darren79130
Posted
Hi Darren. I have replied to your message, but for some reason they are moderating it?? So here's another reply. Not great news for you today. 😔. 2 yrs and still may not be right. OMG let's hope not. I haven't got great movement in mine either because of stiffness swelling and pain. I do my exercises every morning before I get up just to loosen things up a bit. Been hobbling around for the past 3days without aids around the house, the pain I've been in is hurendus, worse than when I first had fall. I'm hoping it's because I've been trying to walk without crutches? Both consultant and physio had told me this is what they now want from me, but it's been hell. I've had 6 sessions of physio but the total number of hrs have only been 2, so 2hrs isn't going to do that much. Have physio tomorrow Friday. So I'm going to ask if she thinks I need another xray because I'm not sure I should be in so much pain? But she had told me that she happy with how I'm going. But also told me that I'm always going to have a fat ankle!! 😢 can't get shoes to fit. As now need 5on good foot and 6on bad one. 😔 my knee has started to play up now, but I've been waiting for operation on torn ligament one of the reasons why I had the fall. That is not going to happen next not after this experience. Let's hope your able to move around a bit better in the next few days/weeks. Chin up enjoy your books. Sx
becky7624 darren79130
Posted
Darren, I guess I'm "butting into" this conversation, but did your accident result in a Talonavicular joint fusion or are you speaking of a different type of surgery? If it was the fusion, did the doc also do a graft?
While walking with the air boot are you using a boot with a fairly high heel on the other shoe or do you have an Even up type shoe that you can find on Amazon and in some stores? I strongly suggest getting one to keep from having the issues with your knees and hips.
You can read some of my experience in my reply to someone else. I had the talonavicular joint fusion with a graft done with an artificial substance containing biactive glass (I think that's the correct term). Anyway, the joint was completely fused at 10 weeks.
Good luck! I hope your healing accelerates quickly.
sandra81957 darren79130
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becky7624 sandra81957
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sandra81957 becky7624
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becky7624 joanne52275
Posted
I had talonavicular fusion in January. I was in a cast for 6 weeks and a boot for 4 weeks, but I was only on crutches for the first 2 of the weeks I was in the boot. Although I've been able to walk around the house without a problem since I quit using crutches at the end of March, it was several more weeks before I could walk much further than that without pain. My pain started easing up about the 5 month mark and now I often have a few days in a row with no pain at all. My feet are still extremely stiff after sitting for a while. The talonavicular joint in my other foot is also deteriorating so sometimes it hurts more than the surgical foot. If I ever have to get up and run out of a burning house in the middle of the night I'll be toast!
My doctor said to expect swelling and some pain for 6 - 12 months so I'm trying not to get impatient. "6 - 12 months" has been the standard for other surgeries that I've had so I'm sort of used to it.
If you're worried, it wouldn't hurt to call your surgeon, if you can. From the way you write your dates I'm guessing that you aren't from the US and I've noticed that sometimes people from other countries have to follow a completely different set of protocols about going to see a surgeon.
joanne52275 becky7624
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Thanks for your reply Becky. Yes I'm from the UK. I believe my progression is going to plan, I just wondered when others began to walk pain free again or when the pain started to subside for others.
sandra81957 joanne52275
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joanne52275 sandra81957
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Hi Sandra, I too was very nieve ! Assuming once I was out of the aircast boot I'd be walking within a week!!! This couldn't have been further from the truth. I'm now 19 weeks post op. When I first wake in a morning I can't walk without a crutch for the first 10 mins then I walk ok ish without any aids but every now and then it becomes really painful around the joint and I struggle to walk without the crutches. It feels like it's 2 steps forward and 2 steps back!! I don't receive any physio . Are you from the U.K. ?
sandra81957 joanne52275
Posted
Hi Joanne, good to hear someone is going through the same. I find it hard to walk first thing but not too bad after about 10/15 mins. Foot very stiff. My consultant and physio told me to try and get rid of crutches ASAP, but over did it last week. Still not able to walk one foot in front of the other. I kind of shuffle. Back with one crutch. Very painful today. Sometimes even find it painful when all I've done is sit for a while. 😕 do for gone backwards.... At the moment I have no change pain wise since physio last Friday when told to go on use 1 crutch. This is so much harder work. Yes I live in the 🇬🇧 UK. sx