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Rehabilitation after ankle fusion

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tessa98714
tessa98714

I had an ankle fusion 14 weeks ago and after 12 weeks in plaster, progressed to an aircast boot.  The surgeon told me to walk around the house without the boot from 14 weeks, so I've just started doing that,  but am finding I have lots of pain in the foot - below the toe and along the left side of my foot when I attempt to walk and roll through the foot.  Am walking with crutches now without the boot, and trying to roll through the foot as much as possible, hoping that the muscles will relax.  The hospital told me very little about what to expect at this point and haven't referred me for physio so I'm feeling a bit lost. Is this foot pain normal? (I don't have pain in the actual ankle, it's just everywhere else, including my opposite hip and knee too!).  

3 likes, 150 replies

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  • Wapkia
    Wapkia tessa98714

    Posted

    It has now been 13 weeks since ankle fusion surgery.  I was non weight bearing for 7 weeks and have been in a boot for 6 weeks.  I have an appointment to see the surgeon next week.  I can see that I have made progress but am still in a lot of pain.  I can walk short distances around the house but then swelling and pain restricts me.  I am feeling impatient and frustrated.  At the moment it feels like it will never get better.  I thought I was reasonably tolerant of pain - I have had both knees replaced due to arthritis - but, lately, have become quite tearful.  One strange occurrence is that when I get into bed, it feels like there is something sharp down the bed which is cutting my feet.  It even feels as if my feet are bleeding.  After checking on numerous occasions, I know there is nothing untoward with my bedding and there are certainly no scalpel blades lurking in the bed!  I guess this is some sort of nerve pain which has resulted from the surgery. Has anybody else experienced this?
    • tessa98714
      tessa98714 Wapkia

      Posted

      Hi there, I haven’t experienced the particular symptoms you mention after ankle fusion, but one thing I can say for sure is that the recovery process is very long and frustrating.  At 13 wks I was still having considerable difficulty walking around and was feeling quite down. It does get better though and by about 6 -8 months you should be feeling a lot better. Try to exercise a little everyday but elevate and rest if you get tired or swollen and don’t expect too much too soon.  It will get better in time. Good luck.  
    • Wapkia
      Wapkia tessa98714

      Posted

      Hi 

      Thanks for the encouragement. Recovery is a lot slower than I had imagined.  I thought I would be ready to get back to work by now. I guess I will just have to be patient and make the most of my time off work!

       

    • alison42577
      alison42577 Wapkia

      Posted

      I'm much the same as yourself. Had no pain untill put in boot and told to PWB and now it's really sore and have pain underside of heel and down outside of foot. Lowest day in 8 weeks today, feel like it's going backwards not forwards. Should I go back to NWB. ? X ray in 4 weeks.

  • willfullard84
    willfullard84 tessa98714

    Posted

    I had a triple ankle fusion in may and was back it full time work 14 weeks later I found it really difficult with pain but with weeks of physio really helped I’m still under the surgeon (I thought I would of been discharged by now) I’m currently managing day to day life with painkillers 
    • tessa98714
      tessa98714 willfullard84

      Posted

      If it’s the forefoot where you’re having pain then it’s probably all the muscles and tendons in your foot readjusting to walking with a fused ankle. That’s what I went through and it takes a good long while for everything to settle down and to learn to walk in a new way.  It’s what they don’t really tell you about before you have the surgery unfortunately.  It will get better though in time. 
  • geraint87484
    geraint87484 tessa98714

    Posted

    This sounds just like me! Up to now I have not really experienced any pain at all. But now after 15 weeks my forefoot is extremely sore & tender. Maybe this is because the swelling has gone down? I'm spending a couple of days back in the aircast boot full-time to try and let everything settle down. I have my 16 week x-ray next week and I'm a little nervous ! 

  • Mo_12776
    Mo_12776 tessa98714

    Posted

    Hi all

    I hope you’re all doing better now.

    I had ankle fusion 10 weeks ago and am in boot now and was putting weight on it for the last two weeks, totally have no pain in the ankle, and am very optimistic about it,  but I have so much pain in the toes and my surgeon says that he doesn’t know why am having the pain, so is it normal and how long does it take to go away ? 

    Cheers 

    Mo 

    • Crutchy
      Crutchy Mo_12776

      Posted

      Hi ,I been stretching my leg and it's help with heel pain but still having pain in ties and side from nerve I think. I'm so ready to get out of this cast and my knee,hip is wanting it too.. are you still taking pain meds? I'm going to ask to extend mine because any time I go someplace is really hurts afterwords.? Keep your chin up like all of us.

    • Mo_12776
      Mo_12776 Crutchy

      Posted

      Hi crutchy 

      Yes it helps me too when I stretch the toes,

      I don’t know why my Surgeon says that he doesn’t know if it’s a nerve pain. and it’s very sensitive too to touch the toes.

      I don’t take painkillers but I feel so much pain when moving around, It’s actually very bothering. 

  • ginnymcc
    ginnymcc tessa98714

    Posted

    My ankle fusion was 10-16-2017.  I was a full 8 weeks of no weight bearing on the fused ankle during which time I was in the original plaster cast. When the cast was removed, it was time for the air boot and walking. The support provided by the air boot was surprising and it allowed me to walk without discomfort but a bit awkwardly pretty much immediately. By the time the boot came off, I was moving on the boot at a pretty good clip and without discomfort. The most frustrating thing was wearing the boot to bed to insure that the ankle remained aligned correctly. On February 6, 2018, the doctor freed me from the boot. This move forward proved to be a bit of a step backwards as well as the foot/ankle was pretty tender, stiff, and uncomfortable. Three weeks later, 2-27-17, I can walk pretty much normally.  However, the ankle is still tender and stiff with occasional shooting pains.  It feels no reluctance to send those pain signals when I ask it to do more than it wants to and stairs are the biggest challenge. Using the railing is a must and there is no running up the stairs. The doctor dismissed me two weeks ago, so it seems he's pleased with the ankle's healing.  I'm getting itchy to get out on the trails geocaching and am hoping that the stiffness and discomfort is substantially reduced by the time we take a two week vacation to the Southwest where I hope to take a burro ride through the Grand Canyon.  Cross your fingers. Oh! By the way, I'm 74 years old.

    • linda28371
      linda28371 ginnymcc

      Posted

      Hi ginnymcc

              Do you have to keep boot on for bed as nobody told me so I’ve been taking it off on a night

  • Crutchy
    Crutchy tessa98714

    Posted

    Got out of my cast last Thursday and went for 1 1/2 day stepped out of my boot got a Hugh amount of pain from the back of my heel. It's at the top been suffering with it ice, rest off feet again seems not working for the pain . Can't put weight on it like before when I could with cast and show. Think it's the tendon on top of heel and frustrated with ortho to find out if it is. Has anybody had problems with achellies tendon after ankle fusion ? X-ray looks good which not surprised because can't  show tendon damage. Any suggestion and want it heal good if it is? Have been in pain for years with ankle and now that's doing better now this frustration ,discouraged and new problem . 

    • Wapkia
      Wapkia Crutchy

      Posted

      This sounds familiar.  I had ankle fusion in November.  Was in a cast for 7 weeks and boot for 6 weeks.  I could walk reasonably well in the boot,  Have been trying to wean myself off the boot for the last 3 weeks.  Not too much pain at the actual site of the operation but the top of my foot, my toes and my heel are all very painful and walking is difficult at best.  X-ray is fine and the surgeon is pleased with his handiwork.  I am going to see an occupational health physiotherapist this morning.  
    • tessa98714
      tessa98714 Crutchy

      Posted

      Hi yes unfortunately coming out of the boot and readjusting to normal walking seems to be one of the hardest part of recovery after fusion. It was for me - I had my ankle fusion in Jan 2017 and was 12 weeks in plaster, then about 6 weeks in the boot.  When I came out of the boot I thought I'd just go straight to walking normally but I had a lot of pain rolling through the foot, at the back of the heel and outside of foot. This was all tendons/muscles readjusting to a new way of walking.  It does get better with time (it was several months for me) but it is very frustrating.  I started feeling more 'normal' after about 8 months.  There's also a lot of muscle wastage in the quads and calf of the bad leg after being immobilised, so those muscles all need strengthening.  I'd highly recommend seeing a physio to help you adjust to walking with the fused ankle as it has knock on effects on the whole body.  I'm belatedly seeing one now and it's really helping.  

    • ginnymcc
      ginnymcc tessa98714

      Posted

      Tessa, it's good to read that your recovery is very similar to what I am experiencing. It's mid March 2018 and my surgery was in mid October 2017. I have to walk more to get my ankle ready for our trip to Arizona on the 17.  Since it's snowing pretty hard in the Northeast today, it looks as if it will be mall walking - if we can get out of the driveway.

       

    • ginnymcc
      ginnymcc

      Posted

      By the way, when we get back from our trip, I'm going to ask the ankle ortho about physical therapy. I have a check-up with the hip doctor two weeks after we get back and I hope he'll recommend PT if the ankle is still complaining. I really don't feel like making a special appointment with the ankle guy. Strange how the two personalities are so different with the hip doctor being very warm and easy going and the ankle doctor being abrupt and all business.

    • tessa98714
      tessa98714 ginnymcc

      Posted

      Good luck with your trip.  I went on holiday to Spain six months after my fusion, and although I was really worried about going away, it was actually great for me. I did lots of swimming and walked more than usual (although I was still using one crutch then for moral support more than anything!) and it was just so good to get away and relax/have a change of scene after all the post op hardship.  Have fun! 
    • ginnymcc
      ginnymcc tessa98714

      Posted

      I haven't used a walking aid since the first week of January, Tessa, and I'm doing pretty well although the ankle is complaining a bit by the time I reach the back of the super market.  I have to do some mall walking between now and when we leave so we can enjoy our vacation and also to manage the air terminals since we are flying - lots of walking there. A daily walk in the mall is the plan for the next week.

       

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