Hi i broke my talus,fibula and tibia climbing about a month ago. Had to wait 2 weeks for ORIF and now I'm soon 3 weeks post op. I'm fitted with a plate and a few screws.
Everytime i have to put my foot down it goes purple which makes it really uncomfortable. I thought that would dissapear with the swelling going down but apparently that's not the case. Does anyone know if it is likely to improve over the coming weeks?
Not being able to move around is really killing me as i'm very active.
Thanks
Hi.
I'm post op 10 MONTHS and still have pain in my ankle and FOOT. The swelling will definitely go down, you're only early in your recovery. I have 2 plates and many screws and also 60. You will recover but it takes a long time. Keep your leg elevated and if you are really worried, see your doctor/ surgeon. Take it easy and buy a few books 🙂
Johanna,
Discoloration is normal. I had the same surgery almost 14 weeks ago. I've been WBAT for 4 weeks. The discoloration has stopped over the last few weeks. Also when you are WBAT you will experience swelling and discomfort when the foot is not elevated. I started PT 2 weeks ago and all has improved quite quickly. When I couldn't walk I used a knee scooter. It was a godsend. I was golfing 5x week before my break so I know what you mean about inactivity. I spent 10 weeks in a recliner with my foot elevated.
Good luck with your recovery and absolutely commit to your PT.
I am 4.5 weeks post ORIF and I had the same issue of the foot swelling, turning an angry purple color, and being painful whenever I would get up on crutches, and the pain/purple/swelling immediately went away when elevated. As a result, I was effectively inactive other than to get up to the bathroom, which was all I could handle. Right around 3 weeks post-op I started sitting in a chair with the foot down, and those issues seemed to start going away. My surgeon said that this was all normal, and he agreed that starting to sit in the chair with the foot down and get the foot to start getting acclimated to the circulation pressure again couldn't hurt. So I started sitting up more with the foot down until it got fairly uncomfortable (this was the first step to being more comfortable standing up/on the knee scooter), and after a few days I got to the point where I could drive and work half days in an office. Now at 4.5 weeks it still swells and gets uncomfortable if it is down for an hour or two without putting the foot up, but it is definitely improving dramatically and no longer gets purple. I still ice several times a day to get the swelling down, and think that helps a lot.
Bottom line is what you are going through is completely normal, and at least for me started to improve dramatically right around the same time as where you are at. My advice would be not to let the horror stories get you down. While this is a slow process, I am also a very active person and got very down in the first few weeks without being able to even get up to the bathroom without the purple/swelling/pain. But I'm now driving (my break was the left foot), spending half days in the office, and able to get around quite well on crutches or a knee scooter. My mindset improved dramatically around week 3.5 when I was able to start being more independent. I hope that this helps and that you turn the corner in your recovery soon.
I'm almost 20 weeks out from trimalleolar (3 bone) break and still have a slightly pinker injured foot than the other by the end of the day. It just looks a little flushed is all, but it's not really that noticeable unless you look carefully at it. In the morning, both feet look the same color. I still have some swelling- just 1/2 cm. left. I can see all the veins in my injured foot again and the only swelling is below each side of the ankle, between the ankle and where it meets the foot. It swells a bit more when I have been walking on it all day. I now can go down stairs pretty easily, just a bit slower than a normal stair walk. I can't run yet, but can do a bit of a whacky fast walk/run for very short distances. I still elevate my foot when I sleep on only one pillow now and wear a compression sock at night that has made all the difference for me so I can sleep through the night. Sometimes I wake up with some aching in the middle of the night, but if I stretch the foot for a minute while still lying in bed, it seems to take care of it and I can get right back to sleep. I feel pretty normal now and don't think about my foot that much in the day now (maybe once an hour or so), and primarily when I wish I could run down the stairs or hurry and do a sprint across the street when traffic is coming...those are still not possible. Hope this helps to see one person's experience 5 months out. Doctor appts now are 6 weeks out and doing PT appts only one time a week at this point. PT is still very important for gaining my old leg strength back and I try to do them at least every other day, even though I should do them every day. I can see my calf muscle on the injured foot is starting to grow back. I think it will look normal 12 months out. I don't need to ice any more, unless I do a lot that day on my feet.
Hi Andrew thank you so much, this was really helpful. I feel much better now. 
You are wright about the horror stories, there are quite a few out there. I have totally stopped looking for info online re my injury, it's too depressing. Happy to get some positive feedback from here!
After my op i was told apart from that it went really well my talus bone is 70-100% likely to die. Also every time i see my surgeon he comments on how bad my injury is.
The swelling went down fairly quickly after the op and i got a cast after a week. Had an xray at the same time which they were happy with.
I jump around a bit on crutches but have to sit down and elevate fairly quickly.
Was acctually thinking today that maybe i should as you said train my foot by having it down for longer periods.
I try to do some exercises with the rest of my body, sitting or lying on the floor with my leg elevated on a few pillows. Found that it helped a bit with my mood.
Hi thank thanks for reply. I'm already on the books but very restless. I got an outpt apt on Fri just felt really low today so i thought i'd try this.
Hi Carol, thank you! Nice to hear about some improvements.
This is a great forum. Lots of caring and support.
Very normal. Mine was was Still turning purplish red for 3-4 months post op. Massage it where you can. Seek physios advice. If pain bad go to Specialist for a checkup and get correctly prescribed meds.
You've joined a club that nobody asked to belong to. We all belong to it too. It'll take you on a journey if highs and lows. Plenty of lies at your stage. But grasp the highs. I'm five months post bone graft plates and screws for a snapped misaligned Fibula. 9 months post snap.
You need friends, family, a hobby or 2. I see books are recommended. I learnt ukulele, played on PS4, and watch a few movies.
Patience.
I sleep well, and can sorta walk now, albeit very slowly. I can definitely stand unaided and climb stairs if I hold on to a rail. I can cook tea.
I still have ups and downs and use the R.I.C.E. method always. Swelling happens every time I put my foot down. Wide brand of shoes helps me.
Hang I. There. I'm mid 50s female btw.
@(*+*)@
Andrew I too want to thank you for your email you have helped me already. I have been laid up here now 5 weeks, 4 weeks since surgery and I have been so worried about the swelling and discoloration, when the foot is down. Reading your testamony really brightened my day a bit. I had the cast taken off 2 weeks after surgery and told to wear the boot cast that I had been wearing on the left foot due to a bad sprain on that ankle at the same time and breaking the left. This was from the last step and falling 3 inches to the floor with foot on side. Amazing I thought I was the only one who could do that but apparently there are a few of me. Reading on other sites are horror stories and glad I didn't look before surgery at pictures of extremely upsetting photos. I am retired, just need to get back to the way life was before. We have a lot of plans that are on hold. Thanks again.
I am so glad I found this! I was in an accident and have had 2 surgeries about a week apart on my foot where they put screws and pins and I'm not sure what else in. I'm about 8 wks post op from the second surgery and still have to keep my foot elevated and it is in a cast. When I stand up my toes turn dark purple but as soon as I put it up it goes away. Eases my mind knowing others have experienced the same. I go to the Dr next week for xrays to see where we are with the healing.
Hi Andrew.
I have the same problem and its driving me crazy. Did you go thru the pain of the nerves healing and if so how long did it last ? Also its unbearable to even lay my foot on a pillow due to the sensitive skin on my foot.
Thank you Johanna55,
I have the exact same injury to my (L) ankle, sustained while jogging in a hilly Gully. I am 4 weeks Post Op. And am experiencing the same red/purple foot/leg issue but mine is even when elevated. The boredom and frustration is hard to take. Your enquiry and the answers that follow are very helpful indeed.
Just entered this club after my son broke his tibia and fibula and had ORIF. We are 8 weeks post surgery and he still has referred pain and his foot turns purple if he leaves his leg down. Trying to figure out best approaches - he is in PT. Some resources suggest foot down more often to train it back to functionality; others say keep it elevated. Thoughts? Any other tips? Thanks so much.
Hi Johanna
I have had the same op I had mine on the 26/3/18 and mine still goes purple. I'm going to ask at my next appointment.
Hi, I have just joined this site when i googled the things wrong with my left foot and right ankle.
I had a fall downstairs and fractured 3 parts in my foot. I forgot what they are called. I have a backstrap on and it has been 4 weeks and another week until I go to the fracture clinic to see if I am having pins etc.
Now my foot is getting sorer and swelling and turning purple. I took the back strap off a couple of days ago to give it some relief.
I am getting around in a wheel chair as I live in a 2 storey house and everything is upstairs. If I have to go out I go down and up the stairs on my backside.
I am getting so fed up with this and would love to get some feed back from others that have been through this.
I am supposed to be keeping weight of my other ankle as i also have a fracture in that but i still need to make lunch and dinner and clean up, so i find I am probably not staying of it as much as I should.
Look forward to chatting to someone about operations and aftercare and do's and dont's.
also my skin also on the base of my foot is sore to touch sometimes.
Cheers
Debbie
This feed has helped me alot with info on what to expect since I've joined this club 3 weeks ago. I'd love to hear how everyone is doing now. I haven't started or on my tibial and fibular break. I had a steel rod and nails installed. I own a construction company and am curious on how long you guys think I would realistically be able to go back to work. Any pointers would be greatly appreciated on how to speed this recovery up. Thanks in advance
I am 1 month post Tibia, fiblia, & talis surgery. My ankle is purple it worried me till I started reading all the posts. Now I see folks post that they are 6+ months out. That took the wind out of my sales surgeon told me 6 to 8 weeks for me to heal I am a land surveyor I need to get back to work I got to provide for my family I can't be out much longer. I know there is nothing anybody can do it just breaks me down like a double barrel to see all these people that have been through what I'm going through having to be laid up for so long.
Thank you Andrew. I am almost in tears of relief after reading what you wrote. Everyone keeps telling me I should be progressing so much faster than I am and that I should be able to start walking around already. I'm just two weeks post op and my stitches aren't even out yet. I am going to keep showing everyone your post. Thank you so much for making me feel better and more hopeful.