Weight bearing after ankle surgery

Vicky,

With your bone breaks now healed enough for some weight-bearing activity, go ahead and proceed with confidence-- your bones are not in peril (unless you do something really foolhardy that might cause re-injury). Just don't overdo it starting out.

It seems to vary with doctors, but standard weight-bearing protocol dictates a graduated approach-- several weeks at partial weight bearing (for example 50%), and then full weight-bearing in boot for a few more weeks. Then you are in your normal shoes and walking as usual again.

Crutches or walkers are invaluable aids in getting partial weight bearing activity correct (not too little or too much pressure and stress on ankle). In full weight bearing you may find a walking cane helpful as you work on getting balance and gait back.

How much pain and difficulty you have in recovery and weight-bearing depends a great deal on what associated soft tissue injury you sustained in your accident. Surgery introduces another variable of complications due to tissue scarring, and possibly nerve damage.

So you see that while there are certain benchmarks to look for on your recovery path and timeline, it will vary from patient to patient depending on their circumstances.

You should walk and move as much as you can without too much pain or discomfort. If ankle is screaming bloody murder it's best to back off and try more later. With time, you will improve.

Adopt an ongoing program of physiotherapy to strengthen, stabilize, and heal all soft tissue (ligaments, tendons, muscles, etc.) that were compromised by your injury and subsequent enforced inactivity while you were non-weight bearing. That is probably the most important advice I can give you.

All the best to you.

Hi Vicky, it's nice to know someone's in the same position as me!

I went back for my cast off yesterday and have been given the moonboot, told to bear weight as is tolerable. It's so nerve-wracking isn't it?! Luckily, apart from obvious stiffness in my ankle I don't seem to experience any pain when I put my foot flat on the floor, so I have found it helpful to alternate wearing my boot and practising the motion exercises.

In terms of bearing weight, if I use both crutches it's quite easy to practise putting my foot down, but I think a lot of it will be in our heads; even though my foot doesn't hurt I am so terrified about putting weight on it. This morning I have managed to make it to the kitchen and back on one crutch (same side as my bad foot), but letting the boot take the weight. Yes I look ridiculous and the limp is slow and awkward, but I think it's important to establish your pain level to determine whether you can push forward or take a rest.

I find myself imagining that my ankle will just snap again if I stand on it, but our ORIFs will stop that happening so I hope you feel able to start trying. The only thing my doctor said to me was to make sure that you put the heel down first and really pay attention to not 'flat-footing' with the boot on- that may feel safer but it won't do anything to help the muscles and ligaments stretch and relax. In terms of how much time; I'm aiming to be walking around the house as much as I can (for at least an hour or so), practising stairs twice a day, taking the boot off and flexing the ankle 3 times a day, and standing with crutches and stretching whole leg a couple of times.

I'm going back to work on Monday after 9 weeks, which is why I'm trying to hurry things along, but just listen to what your foot is saying to you. I do personally believe that you have to push through some pain as stopping straight away may just be putting off the eventual recovery, but obviously take care and don't push too far.

All the best, let me know how it goes!