About three months after ankle surgery, but my ankle looks really odd?

Foot care
1


(right ankle was the injured one, left for comparison)

So I fractured the lower part of my fibula really bad back in March, and I had to have surgery where screws where put in my bone and ligaments were sown back together. It’s been roughly 3 months, and I’m not sure my ankle is supposed to look like this? Last time I went in for a checkup was 3-4 weeks ago and my doctor said everything looked good then, but I feel like it looks worst now? Is it normal to look this way after surgery, or am I pushing myself too hard and making it worse?

Thank you!

2

HI. I'm 4 months post ORIF after breaking my right ankle in 3 places. Your ankle looks very much like mine, particuarly towards the end if the day. My physio says it can take 6 months for the swelling to go down. I have noticed though in the mornings mine now looks a lot more like my uninjured ankle but now I'm fwb it does swell depending on how much walking I'm doing.

3

I think it looks fine. I still have swelling on both sides of mine. I had both sides fractured and surgery in March. Still can not walk without crutches. I may have damaged ligaments from putting so much weight on it too darn early. Everyone says that the swelling will go away. I just want to walk again.Yours looks great!!

4

I am so jealous. I wish I could even be on one crutch. Good for you to be fwb. I wish I never would have tried to push my weight on that scale so many times like those darn physical therapy people told me to do. It stinks. I feel as though I am starting from scratch all over again. My ORIF was March 3, 2019.

5

hi, i also had a nasty trimalleolar fracture and dislocated rt ankle 4 months ago and had surgery with a plate and 12 screws, and still have alot if swelling just like yours plus still have issues with numbness and tingling to top of the foot, and alot of stiffness. I limp badly and will be starting hydrotherapy soon that my physio has organised for me on the NHS (UK) My orthopaedic doctor says its normal at this stage and will take a year before things settle and he also plans to remove the plate and some screws in 4-5 months time as i get pain at the plate site too. i guess we just have to be so patient but its very frustrating isnt it ?

6

WOW, well I guess I have hope from your message that I will walk again. I love to hear these comments. It helps to know that I am not the only one going through this very scary and frustrating time of healing. I am giving you some healing power too, I hope.

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I am fwb but can only walk short distances and not very fast. I spent 2 hours walking around our town centre this morning and was very uncomfortable towards the end. My ankle is now very swollen and I've needed painkillers. This is a horrible journey to be on, requires a lot of patience and you literally have to take one step at a time. Sometimes if feels like two steps forward one step back though and that is really hard. Good luck for your recovery.

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Is your foot preventing you from walking? It's been 3 years and I'm still in a wheelchair. Unless it's getting worse when you walk on it, I'd be happy with it and not screw with it. My doctor was terrible and now no doctor will touch it because of infections keep occurring. It's very depressing.And my friend went in to have surgery on her foot To correct her post surgery foot and then fell and broke it again. Now she can't walk anymore either. Baby that foot until it's strong enough to walk on. I tried walking on mine too soon in rehab and now it is horribly bent and would need corrective surgery to straighten it out. But because of the frequent infections I had post surgery no doctor will operate on it and risk dangerous infections. I wish you better luck than me.

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Thank you for your wishes of luck. I really appreciate it! This has been the journey I never would have thought. It is the hardest, most painful and scariest thing I could have ever imagined. There has not been one day since Feb. 22, 2019 that I have not shed tears. So thanks so much for your thoughts. Less pain for you and happy recovery also.

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Hi there, I had a similar issue, they said bones had healed at 8 weeks, but I started having pain and lots of swelling, they did CT SCAN and found that one of the bones was still fractured. It's worth a visit to your surgeon. He told me that 12 weeks out you should be feeling good, and improving constantly.

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I wish you all the luck and pray you don't have the problems I had.

12

i never had surgery when i fractured calcaneus (heel) in several places mid march.Apparently this area covers heel and ankle and much of the foot as a whole. Your foot looks more or less exactly as mine does right now (without the varnish!) it swells after walking perhaps too much at a time then goes down to what yours is like now. For instance yesterday i braved a game of golf (with a golf buggy) not easy with a broken wrist also, and this morning my ankle both sides looked like something from the elephant man movie. Xrays on Friday suggests that everythings good and got literally told to get on with it! The top consultant said it could take a year for swelling to go down or stop blowing up like earlier today. I can wear a shoe one size bigger than normal for short walks but, basically depend on moonboot to get around. I had enough sitting around doing nothing and seems pushing onwards so far has no negative effect but, every injury is different. Good luck.

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I have a fairly similar fibula fracture, just a month behind you (early April injury) and my next surgeon follow up is this thursday.

My ankle looks all kinds of funny when I have been doing a lot of walking or after physio; or if I am wearing normal socks or boots - anything that causes or restricts swelling. I have a compression sock that the physio gave me that helps a lot, and I have been wearing super fluffy socks that don't have cuff's on them so that if it does swell it wont be lumpy. Massaging the swelling with physio cream (cream with arnica in it) or massaging the scar with vitamin E cream really helps too, especially with the redness of the scar.

14

Hi

I broke my ankle in 3 places feb 1st had to have i manipulated and had operation pins and plate 20 stitches still cant walk without crutches, stills swells up and aches, i am doing physio at moment but its been so long 5 month driving me crazy anyone else been like this x

15

Your injury sounds a lot like mine, mine happened Mar 17. I went to the surgeon 2 weeks ago and he said I should be walking by now with no pain and no limp, so he ordered a CT scan. It turned out that the bone at the back of the ankle was still fractured and not healing. They are putting me on a bone stimulator to see if that will heal it, so now I am back to non weight bearing. Swelling can last up to 2 years I was told, but I think by now you should be able to walk on your own. Have you seen your surgeon recently?

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Hi Kay No i havent seen him for a couple of months all i see now is the physiotherapist I am seeing the surgeon july 10th, the last time I had a i had the ex rays they said it was healed ?? but its frustrating, the physio said that because it was such break it will take longer to walk and of course im older

17

Same with me, they said mine was healed, but I think the xrays were focused more on the sides than the back...anyhow once I had the CT done, it showed clearly that the bone at the back had not healed at all. Here I was getting physio, walking on it for weeks....brutal. The last time I went to physio, they said they were hesitant to work on it anymore until I saw the surgeon, as they felt I should have made progress, my limp and the pain was getting worse instead of better. My leg was at least a third if not half bigger at all times because of swelling than the other leg. Since last week I have been non weight bearing and elevating it, the swelling is gone. It hurts like crazy though if I put weight on it by mistake. Sometimes I forget and try to stand up.

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Maybe call the surgeons office and say you need an earlier appointment

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thanks for posting this! Im actually 3 month post surgery today and i feel like ive also pushed it too much my right side by the bone has been more swollen than usual this week and bothersome im resting and using my ice machine all week and now into the weekend hopefully it will go down but the PT also told me i will notice more swelling now that im FWB and doing more exercises for strength