# Broke my ankle



## chris9888 (Feb 27, 2011)

Broke my right ankle last Sunday, 3 months after breaking my right collarbone. A record no one would want to achieve. Another 3 months of downtime.

Doctor said it was a clean break, no surgery is required. Any advise? Will surgical fixation speed up recovery time? Thanks


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## chris9888 (Feb 27, 2011)

Another view


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## mtnbikej (Sep 6, 2001)

Broke mine 3 years ago......but broke both Tib/Fib. Surgery for hardware......was off the bike for 15 weeks.

Don't rush it....let it heal.

Make sure you do the PT.....I didn't do it proper, and now when I pedal the ankle/heel drops inward.

Sucks, but it does heal. The time will go by quicker than ya think. Have done my collarbone as well.

Good luck.


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## chris9888 (Feb 27, 2011)

mtnbikej said:


> Broke mine 3 years ago......but broke both Tib/Fib. Surgery for hardware......was off the bike for 15 weeks.
> 
> Don't rush it....let it heal.
> 
> ...


Thanks bro, will take note of PT.

Agree with your tagline, my Nomad carbon proven tougher than my bones. They are still in perfect working condition.


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## Finksta (Jan 2, 2013)

Bad luck mate, I got my cast off on Friday after breaking both fibula and tibia ( fibula fracture looked much like yours) just before Easter. I'm back walking around pretty well, doing the prescribed exercises, and seem to be healing well. I'm hoping to be back on the bike within 2 weeks, but won't push it if its not ready. 

Best advise i can give, is to keep off it as much as possible while in your cast. I spent 80% or more of my time resting with my leg elevated. I was told this would give me my best outcome for fast healing. 

Once out of your cast, go to your PT, do the prescribed exercises, and you should be back on the bike quicker than you think. Good luck!


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## chris9888 (Feb 27, 2011)

Thanks for the tips mate. Good to know you are on your way to full recovery. Cheers!



Finksta said:


> Bad luck mate, I got my cast off on Friday after breaking both fibula and tibia ( fibula fracture looked much like yours) just before Easter. I'm back walking around pretty well, doing the prescribed exercises, and seem to be healing well. I'm hoping to be back on the bike within 2 weeks, but won't push it if its not ready.
> 
> Best advise i can give, is to keep off it as much as possible while in your cast. I spent 80% or more of my time resting with my leg elevated. I was told this would give me my best outcome for fast healing.
> 
> Once out of your cast, go to your PT, do the prescribed exercises, and you should be back on the bike quicker than you think. Good luck!


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## WR304 (Jul 9, 2004)

Is your collarbone ok after crashing again? Can you feel the bones clunking around in your ankle? If it's stable I'd guess they'll avoid operating?

The problem with a bad leg and bad shoulders at the same time is mobility and deciding which body part hurts least. It sounds like last year where I had a broken leg and dislocated clavicle at the same time. Getting around even indoors on a zimmer frame was quite uncomfortable. If you're on crutches then I'd try and get a zimmer frame (with basket) as it makes it much easier to carry things at home.

Whilst I was at the Hospital fracture clinic on Monday they had a poster on the side of the reception desk for Stride On knee walkers.

https://www.strideon.co.uk/










The idea is that when you have a broken ankle or foot they allow you to get around more comfortably and more stably than on crutches. It might be worth a look if there's something similar available.

At fracture clinic it's usually the same patients each time. We were talking to a woman on Monday who'd had a frame on her lower leg since last October 2012. She was into horses but normally only competes locally. Because she'd been doing well she was invited to a competition at Chepstow. As she was entering the ring her horse spooked and she was thrown off, landing with all her weight on one leg, shattering her ankle. She was taken to a local hospital for three weeks where they initially put a frame on but they didn't do it right, mis- aligning the bones. When she was referred back here they had to operate again, removing the original frame and fitting a new one. She was really pleased Monday because the frame was removed and it was down to just a plaster cast, although she was still on crutches.

Another one of the patients had some of her lower leg frame removed during fracture clinic (most people with frames seem to have broken ankles or fibia/tibia bones, I haven't seen many other broken femurs). With the circular wire frames they can sometimes be removed without going to theatre. Apparently you just pull the wire out through the bone by hand. Anyway, as we're waiting more and more staff are going into the room, towing oxygen cylinders etc so it must have been traumatic. My frame is going to be removed under general anaesthetic, fortunately.


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## snowgypsy (Jun 5, 2011)

If you can avoid surgery, do so. Sometimes it's unavoidable. Other times, its best to let your body do what it does best, heal and strengthen. 

Second x a million on the PT. I broke my ankle in a climbing accident a few years back. Didn't have good insurance. Had the cast taken off early so I could get back to work (rent was due), and didn't have the time or money for any PT. I can feel the impact of that decision today and still have lingering issues with that joint.

Listen to your doctor. Take it slow. Focus on recovering well, not fast.


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## chris9888 (Feb 27, 2011)

WR304, thanks for sharing your experiences. Good to have you around to help out mates like us 

Fortunately my repaired collarbone withstood the fall but my ankle was in the wrong place at the wrong time when I crash. I felt the bone clunking around the ankle when I move. But my doc was against op as the break was clean. Let's see how it goes on 21st May medical review.


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## chris9888 (Feb 27, 2011)

snowgypsy said:


> If you can avoid surgery, do so. Sometimes it's unavoidable. Other times, its best to let your body do what it does best, heal and strengthen.
> 
> Second x a million on the PT. I broke my ankle in a climbing accident a few years back. Didn't have good insurance. Had the cast taken off early so I could get back to work (rent was due), and didn't have the time or money for any PT. I can feel the impact of that decision today and still have lingering issues with that joint.
> 
> Listen to your doctor. Take it slow. Focus on recovering well, not fast.


Thanks for the advise bro.

Noted that PT is extremely important for good recovery. Will focus on recovering well instead of fast. Thanks for sharing with us your experience. Cheers mate!


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## WR304 (Jul 9, 2004)

If you can feel clunking that's the two ends of broken bone rubbing together. Ideally you want the two parts of bone held together constantly in one position so that they will knit together again. If there's a particular motion (such as twisting your foot in the cast) that makes the bones click try not to do it. Staying still and resting is best until the bone has joined together.

If you get the broken bones rubbing all the time for months on end then the bone ends will eventually smooth off, stopping new bone growth and resulting in a non-union. If that happens they have to open the leg up and roughen the bone ends up again.

One of the times that I was in hospital there was a man in his fifties who'd broken his ankle in the same bay. His ankle had been operated on with screws and a plate to hold the bones together but the bone itself hadn't healed. He'd been discharged a few weeks before but had to come back into hospital for a course of IV antibiotics due to the ankle becoming infected. Lots of fluid and pus had to be drained off from the ankle each day.

Anyway, he had to wear a compression boot on his leg and was supposed to rest but was allowed to get up and walk around a little. Only he was a heavy smoker so every 20 minutes or so he'd be up and walking down to the hospital entrance on his bad ankle for a cigarette, despite the nurses asking him not to. Along with the infection all that walking stopped the bones healing. I think he eventually had to have all the metalwork removed too so he was left in a bit of a state.

Compared to your collar bone, which was in pieces and clearly needed operating on, that broken ankle doesn't look too bad. It could be a lot worse (my non-medical opinion as I'm not a doctor  ). It's either a case of leaving the break to heal without surgery, fitting an external fixator to hold the bones in place until they heal or operating and fastening it together with screws and a plate.

If the break will heal properly doing what you're doing (ankle in plaster cast) without surgery then that avoids any potential complications such as infection or needing to have screws removed later.

There are some pictures and detail about ring external fixation for the ankle here:

http://www.orthofix.com/ftp/assets/product/product_files/truelok/easley.pdf

Putting screws and a plate in by the ankle has the same drawbacks as with a collarbone plate. The metalwork is very close to the skin and it's a joint that gets a lot of use, increasing the chances of it needing more surgery at some point in future.


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## YamaDan (Mar 24, 2011)

Dude! Sorry to see this, I was just reading about your clavicle.

If you can avoid surgery, try to. Wear the cast, and follow the dr orders. I have two friends who have plates in thier ankles, and both have issues now. 

Get better soon, healing vibes sent your way..


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## chris9888 (Feb 27, 2011)

Went for medical review on 21-May but ended up hospitalized for surgery to fix my ankle. Broke fibula and ankle.


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## YamaDan (Mar 24, 2011)

Ugggg. Feel better..


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## mtnbikej (Sep 6, 2001)

Been there.....done that. 

After 3 years mine still gets achy.

Not to mention that there is no fat in that area, so bone/plate/screws/skin. That's right, you can run your fingers over it and feel the hardware.


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## WR304 (Jul 9, 2004)

Look on the positive side. At least they fixed it promptly, rather than leaving you in a cast for a few months and _then_ deciding it hadn't healed and would need operating on anyway.

With all that metalwork in your collar bone and ankle you'll be excellent at weather forecasting in future too.

Did they say how long the ankle will be non weight bearing for? When do you start physiotherapy?


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## chris9888 (Feb 27, 2011)

Fortunately I got the best orthopedic in the hospital to fix my ankle. One day after the surgery I was put on aircast and started to walk on both legs with clutches. Critical to have good surgeon, I was fortunate to have one 

Yes, absolutely no fat except skin, metal plates and screws. Feel like a robot, hopefully as strong as them. With all the plates and screws, besides providing weather forecast, will give custom officers hard time when passing through metal detector in airport. 

To start sports physiotherapy next week. I think the recovery time will be faster then collarbone. Can't wait to get back into action again.


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## mtnbikej (Sep 6, 2001)

chris9888 said:


> Fortunately I got the best orthopedic in the hospital to fix my ankle. One day after the surgery I was put on aircast and started to walk on both legs with clutches. Critical to have good surgeon, I was fortunate to have one
> 
> Yes, absolutely no fat except skin, metal plates and screws. Feel like a robot, hopefully as strong as them. With all the plates and screws, besides providing weather forecast, *will give custom officers hard time when passing through metal detector in airport. *
> 
> To start sports physiotherapy next week. I think the recovery time will be faster then collarbone. Can't wait to get back into action again.


Not really.... Thought the same thing. Between the plates/screws in my shoulder and in my ankle....but no.


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## jabert (May 1, 2006)

chris9888 said:


> View attachment 799150
> 
> 
> Broke my right ankle last Sunday, 3 months after breaking my right collarbone. A record no one would want to achieve. Another 3 months of downtime.
> ...


Dood.. I broke my right ankle in the exact same place yours is... 4 weeks ago today! Your Xray looks like mine. After 5 days I went to the Ortho and he said a cast would be OK to get me healed. I got the cast on 3 weeks ago yesterday, Friday, and yesterday had a another cast placed for the next 3 weeks. 6 weeks in the cast total. Then he said a boot and then a brace..

Prior to this brake, I commuted 100 miles a week to work, and then off road on the weekends. He said I should be there again by August, at least the commuting to work. I hope so... I will keep you updated. He said the road work will be my best rehab I could do...

Jabert


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## YamaDan (Mar 24, 2011)

chris9888 said:


> To start sports physiotherapy next week. I think the recovery time will be faster then collarbone. Can't wait to get back into action again.


Don't do too much before the bone heals.. You know that from your clavicle. This is a major weight bearing fracture.. might be a longer process than you think. Good luck, and I hope you heal up super fast!!!


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## MTBCanuck (May 19, 2011)

Well I am just a lowly veterinary surgeon but any time the joint is involved in the fracture we always plate these to get the best congruity at the level of the joint surface or the arthritis can get horrible. Glad they 'cut' you, heal up!


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## WR304 (Jul 9, 2004)

This plated ankle is a lot like your collarbone in that it's the metal and screws holding it together currently. Until the broken bone itself has joined back together it's weaker than it feels.

Wearing a cast I'd have thought you could maybe do some light turbo training work, resting the heel of the cast on the pedal, so that the ankle doesn't have to bend, and doing the work with your other leg. See what the physiotherapist says.

I damaged my right ankle in 1996 crashing on a scree slope (the ankle wasn't broken but there's still quite a good lump there even now). I had to wear a cast whilst non weight bearing for several weeks afterwards. I put the saddle right down on my mountain bike (so I could get both feet down whilst sitting on the saddle) and rode up and down the sea front with the cast on. It was better than being stuck indoors all the time.


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## chris9888 (Feb 27, 2011)

Fixed! Riding trainer now


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## WR304 (Jul 9, 2004)

That's good to hear.

How much movement have you got in the ankle now?


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## chris9888 (Feb 27, 2011)

Saw my physiotherapist measured it but did not ask her. Definitely stiffer than before. Was asked to stretch my ankle with towel everyday. Hope it helped to get it back to normal again.



WR304 said:


> That's good to hear.
> 
> How much movement have you got in the ankle now?


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## chris9888 (Feb 27, 2011)

This is how I stretched my ankle on a daily basis to improve my ankle movement.


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