Progress post Talonavicular Fusion

Hi, I had my op 17 March. I am hopefully out of my final cast on Monday. Had a removable one since mid June. The relief at being able to wash my foot and sleep without the cast!. I have been relatively pain free,just painful when I've been on my feet too much. Foot is swollen most of the time. I can walk OK though. Looking toward to getting some new footwear if all goes well on Monday.

Hi, yes not walked without cast until today. Surgeon said everything is fine. Just take things slowly and start walking. Feels strange but so far so good.

Hi everyone! I'm a little late in responding to this thread, but I wanted to share my experience. In January 2017, I had flat foot reconstruction surgery, which involved a TN fusion, as well as a few other surgical repairs. My fusion did not heal properly and I just underwent revision surgery 4 weeks ago. I was walking without any assistance by 6 months with my first surgery, however I still had a lot of pain and swelling. After this revision I am in a lot of pain but realise that it has been only 4 weeks. This time around I am not looking for speed of recovery, but a good healing process which can take up to a year. Keep on top of things. If you feel that something isn't right, go see your surgeon and ask for an MRI as well as a CT scan. These tests showed that my fusion wasn't healed after a year, as well as some tendon thinning and tearing on the other outside of my ankle, from limping and walking on the outside of my foot. I wish that I had asked for these tests earlier, possibly saving me 6 months of pain and frustration. I am non weight bearing again and was told that I would be for at least 6 weeks. I really wish that I would have asked for these tests earlier, and saved myself 6 months of pain, I hope everyone here who had the fusion is doing much better now. Any updates would be appreciated. 

 

Hello All,

Thank you for this discussion and thanks to Joanne for starting it.  I had the TN fusion 14 weeks ago and was feeling discouraged with my progress so I looked for this kind of forum.  I'm in the US - Virginia - and have had a different experience than you all it seems. My doctor took the cast off after 2 1/2 weeks and made me promise not to put any weight on the foot.  I wore the knee cart around mostly to protect it when I was out and about on my knee cart.  This allowed me to shower easier, sleep better, and start flexing and at least moving the foot.  I've got to believe this is important and helped.  When I went back at the six week point, I was fully expecting to be given the green light to walk on it, so I had been putting a little weight on the outside - doing some slight weight bearing.  He told me to wait another five days and then only walk in the boot.  Well, the boot was excruciatingly painful (like I had a wooden block under my arch), so I did what I tell my yoga students to do, "Listen to your own body," and I continued walking without the boot.  I found at first the foot would get tired and sometimes so achey, I would go back to the knee cart when cooking dinner or moving around the house, but within several weeks, I was walking on it all the time - no crutches.  The pain waxes and wanes, so I ice it and take either acetaminophen, naproxen, or when it's really hurting, diclofenac (a prescription med for arthritis pain).  I started back to teaching yoga and TRX at about 8 weeks post op (with adaptations) and found that my foot would hurt most usually the day after a class, but that has gradually gotten better.  I'll have good days where I'm moving furniture and boxes and climbing up and down stairs all day long (over 10K steps on my Fitbit) and the next day it hurts like crazy - back to the ice and meds.  The doctor wanted me to wear the orthotics (PowerStep) that I wore before my surgery, but they too hurt like crazy, so I'm just wearing Sketchers (with Memory Foam) mostly - they feel the best.  The doctor also told me that it's always 4-6 months recovery time and is usually a very successful surgery - the only concern he expressed was for smokers due to slower healing/poor circulation.  

So, based on what I'm reading from you, I wonder if getting out of the cast and boot sooner so you can start moving the ankle and foot again isn't a better approach?  I've been rather amazed at the pain from all parts of my foot - outside ankle, top, inside - I expected it where they fused the bone, but this has been a bit of a disappointing surprise - how it hurts in so many places and in so many different ways.  I still have three weeks to go before I'm at that four month point the doctor said is the earliest people feel like they are better than before - at least that is how I define it.

I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on less cast and boot time and also get updates from those of you who posted ten months or so ago.

Thank you and happy healing,

Nancy

 

Hi all, I am due to have talonvicuar and calconcuboid fusion this Thursday (17th May) I have googled and found your discussion and it sounds like it’s a nightmare op to recover from.

I am dreading the recovery and now wonder if I would be better off with the pain!

Hope you are all feeling a bit better soon.

Hi Suzie! My advice is to follow your surgeons advice to the T. Stay off of your foot until he gives you the go ahead, and you should recover just fine. It is a long recovery and you have to be patient. I had difficulty recovering from my first surgery due to a few reasons. I have the onset of osteoperosis, so my bones take longer to heal. Also with the first surgery, I had a flat foot reconstruction, which not only included a TN fusion, but also a tendon replacement, an achilles lengthening, and I had my heel bone cut and shifted with 3 screws to hold it in place. So... as long as you follow your OS instructions, you will recover well! Best of luck with your procedure, and let me know how it goes  

I had navicular joint fusion exactly one year ago. I was in a soft cast for 14 days then transitioned to no cast and full time in an orthopedic boot with no weight bearing for 6 weeks. I used crutches and a knee scooter for mobility. After 6 weeks, I was cleared to begin gradual weight bearing. I was able to fully weightbear at the end of the 6 weeks. In the house, I never wore the boot once I could fully weightbear and never used crutches after getting cleared to fully weightbear. I had some pain and discomfort throughout the process but nothing that was excessive. I did alot of icing throughout the day. I started passive physical therapy as soon as the soft cast was off. PT progressed into more active exercises as I was able to weightbear. My bones were fully fused at the 3 month point which amazed the orthopedic surgeon as I am 65. I began yoga again 3 months after surgery but modified some of the poses that put pressure on my right foot. In the early stages of being able able to fully weightbear, I wore the boot when I walked my dogs for extra stability. 6 months after surgery, I began hiking again and have done 5-8 mile hikes with no problem. I have no pain in the joint and haven't had any pain for at least 6 months. I still have a little bit of numbness in my toes but that is minimal. I have fully returned to yoga and the only position I can no longer do is warrior as I can't bend by foot at a 90 degree angle due to the fusion. I have thin feet but have not had any problems with the upper screws that some people have had removed. I attribute my recovery to NOT being in a plaster cast and I am grateful that I chose an orthopedic surgeon who used a different surgical protocol. I continued PT for 4 months after surgery as I had some hip issues due to changing my gait for 2 years to accommodate the joint pain prior to my decision to have it fused. Good luck with your healing.

Hello Joanne,

I am 18 weeks from my post Talonavicular fusion, and I still cannot walk without the boot without every step being painful. It is constantly swollen and stiff and I cannot get the ball of my foot flat on the floor. I am so disappointed that I wasn't warned that if your other joints are stiff they cannot compensate for the new biomechanical position without further surgery. I regret having had the op, and despite being a physio and mobilising, stretching and exercising my foot there is very little progress. I have been trying unsucessfully to find a shoe that works tlike the boot. I hope you all recover soon.