Hello
I have a ALR surgery done on my ankle in 2009. I twisted it on an uneven pavement last October. First I was told it was a fracture, now I have been told I have damaged my previous surgery and am being sent to a top specialist in London to assess with possible further surgery. Has anyone had this done? Am very nervous after the last time.
Oh jeez, sorry you did that! Hope it all goes well and you are not in pain!
Luckily not massive pain now, was in a boot for 8 weeks. Dr said it’s too complicated for him to do as I’ve already had the surgery before so I have to see this specialist so he can work out what can be done next.
Very nervous as I still get flashbacks about the previous ALR.
I just wondered what they can do this time?
How are you walking now? Yes, the anxiety is awful, all the unanswered questions. Good thing you are seeing a specialist.
I’m on my 8th week fractured tib fib with 8 screws. Still NWB. Start PT Monday. Just getting down. Takes so long to recover and swelling to go down.
Best of luck, Alison, Florida USA
Walking is fine as I am in an ankle brace but if I am pushed or on a bus or a train I find it hard to stand as it’s like I have a jelly ankle.
I’ve never had pins so that sounds horrific. At least with bones is that they knit themselves together stronger so when it’s all healed it will be fine- although it probably doesn’t seem like that at the moment x
Trouble is in the UK it can take months to see a Dr. So just a case of waiting and I can’t find anything on the internet about having ALR a second time or what the alternative is.
That sounds extremely difficult! And waiting for appointments, extremely frustrating. I don’t really know what ALR means exactly although have some idea.
This site is great although everyone’s case is so different!
The screws and plate in the ankle are fine but the two on the inner side of the ankle have bothered me since they have gone in. Plus the ankle is still swollen. Mentally you just have to be strong, but it’s hard.
I just looked it up (ALR) so I am a bit surprised that in the beginning they thought you might have a fracture because x-rays would show an obvious fracture. How can you mistake one for the other?
I suppose the inner bit of your ankle is more sensitive. I twisted mine in October and it’s still puffy, so surgery is so much worse. Are you keeping it elevated enough?
They think i may have fractured my fib at some point and not realised. But the MRI said a complete tear of the ligaments. Again I don’t understand that either as I thought I’d already done that hence the ALR.
So confused.
Well perhaps you can tear your ligaments over again? I watched a video about how they cut and reattach them so I presume you can tear them again.
I keep the foot elevated a lot and iced. Just totally tired of recouping!!! Ugh!! I’m sure you understand!!
So did you get donor ligaments? When they were replaced?
I completely empathise and it’s so frustrating, not being able to do what you are used to... not long and it will be a distant memory.
The surgeon stripped a tendon from my left leg and drilled a hole into my fib and formed a hook and pulley system (his words). I don’t think I’d want a donor ligament- makes me shudder. I think now in the UK that is considered old technology and they use mesh strips as you can’t injure that again. It’s amazing what they can do. I must admit I don’t think I could watch a video of that. It was the most painful thing and my son was born using forceps. So that’s saying something.
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Oh!! Wow, now I understand why you don’t know how it could happen again! Yes, this ankle ordeal is very painful. How are they about painkillers there?
They are very strict on pain relief 3 days max on anything opiate based. There have been a loads of tv programs about opiate addiction in the US reaching epidemic proportions because of the amount of painkillers given out. Is that true?
Yes apparently there is a huge opioid epidemic here! In certain areas more than others with reports of people dying from overdoses of heroin with babies in the back seats of cars, etc. but they are not so strict as to just give out three days of pain killers. I’m on probably my last if not next to last prescription of 60 pills of oxy-acetaminophen, and if I did not have it, especially in the beginning, I think I would have gone nuts. The first two weeks I could take 8 a day. I guess this whole opioid epidemic started with the docs overprescribing them but really, the side effects are awful and I would not want to take them long term. People move onto harder drugs from there and some die. It’s one of the leading causes of death now, among people under 50. Over 50,000 people died in 2015 in the US.
That is so sad, so many people dying needlessly.
Wow that drug you mentioned is one that they will only allow you for 3 days here as it’s classed as addictive. You used to be able to buy it from a pharmacy until a few years ago but not now. I’ve had it in the past and it made me vomit and hallucinate so I just Did without. After my ankle surgery I had morphine implanted into my ankle but again that made me ill and it was only 24 hours worth after that it was paracetamol and ibuprofen.
You must be in so much pain. I hope you can sit out in the sun there, that makes me feel better. Grey, wet and miserable in London.
Oh, you sound sad. Yes being here has been the best part of breaking my ankle. We were on our way here when it happened.
So we decided to stay a bit longer. It has been nice, sometimes a bit cold but overall cannot complain or I shouldn’t rather. Just not getting much exercize. I’m not in that much pain only those screws on the inner ankle and when I over do it. I hope you feel better!!!!!
my ankle is unstable, suffered a comminuted fracture with torn ligaments.
i later had a ligament reconstruction surgery (4 of them needed to be fixed) and i spent 2 months nwb. it never recovered and in september took sprain and pains were unbereable after another sprain. i was diagnosed stress fractures and severe osteoporosis (caused by all the time i spent on crutches). doctors told me another surgery would be out of question.
i have been over protective with my foot, i used the ankle brace too much and didn't exercised enough. recently i reinjured it again! it is broken but what worries me are the ligaments, i can't imagie how floppy the ankle will be !
Hi Oscar
I’m so sorry to hear that. I agree that it is so painful and for it not to work and for you to damage it again is so scary. If they can’t do another ALR what is your alternative? Fusion?
I redid mine in October and after 8 weeks in a boot I can walk but if I walk too much it becomes very painful. I am also to scared to walk outside with a brace on to stop me from twisting it and I was told physio was pointless as the ligaments are the bits needed for ankles to work.
My surgeon said anyone can perform an ALR but once that is damaged it’s not so easy as they can’t do the same thing to stabilise. I have an appointment with one of the top ankle specialists in March but I’m not sure what can be done as I’ve never seen anything on the web about a second ALR.
I hope you find some way of getting yours fixed, I really feel for you.
luckly my cartilage is ok also nerves and tendons. old fractures were well aligned and the actual ones should be too. so the fusion is out of question till i can walk .
i'll go for another opinion, but both my specialist and the surgeon suggested to wait.
i think the boot isn't effective, my ankle was much better in the cast. did your ankle hurt in the boot? when my cast was changed with the walker boot pains increased alot.
in my opinion physio is not useless, my reinjury was caused by the fact that i didn't use the foot, both bones and ligaments got weaker. if even a small portion of the ligament is attached exercises should help to reinforce it. if the tear is complete you still have tendons and muscles and a reinforcing tissue around the ligaments.
in my case they fixed the deltoid ligament on one side and 3 other ligaments on the other side, i still have another ligament partially damaged. could be an option even if it is more difficoult to fix. there are many ligaments in the foot.
hopefully this emergency splint will soon be changed with a proper plaster, leg injuries are boring to heal.