Failed ankle fusion?

As a sufferer of rheumatoid arthritis ..........Following two ankle replacements, each lasting 5 years,I had to have an ankle fusion. Unfortunately I had no ankle by then, so had to have donor bone. The fusion was done with a hindfoot nail. 10 months later I was in ortho shoes for just 6 weeks, when it all snapped!!! Rod/nail and my bone. Unusual I know, but has anyone else had anything like this occur? I am now back in a cast 10 wks into the 14 wks they think necessary; witha broken stainless steel rod/nail doing nothing inside me. Will my ankle "hold" eventually? Help........

[helixhelix]

Absolutely no expereince of this - but it sounds awful so all I can offer is loads of sympathy. Really, really hope that the cast has done its job and everything has knetted together ok when it comes off.

[Tinwoman2]

Oh, Hopalong, ouch. My left wrist fusion didn't go so well. I have always been a left hand driver-since I had a stick-shift for my 1st car (US). I use it more than my right for a lot of other things too, and the Dr told me a screw was backing out. He made me wear my brace for another month after the follow-up appt after surgery. I can feel the head of the screw under my skin so it did not reverse & go back into my bone. My wrist just doesn't seem as stable as my fused right one does.

I still drive left handed-out of habit, but I try to use my right hand more now. (I am right handed).

I hope they get everything working again for you. Perhaps they need to use plates as well as the rod to hold your bones steady so that it fuses correctly. Good luck.

Christine

[Hidden]

Thanks so much for the info and support...it does help!!

Hopalongx

[Hidden]

Update from NoKag aka hopalong! Well, it didn't work, but I still have my leg (real fear of losing it) BUT I now have no ankle and had to have the useless rod removed. 'They' wouldn't risk another attempt because I could lose my leg; so I have a cement block in place of my ankle and cannot stand without my marvelous airboot, which has had to be raised 5 cms/2.5 inches to accommodate the length of leg loss ...I can walk (yippee!!) but not far. Thought some of you would like to know?! My moral of this fiasco is to go for a fusion first time; if a replacement fails there is no fall back......Life goes on, but not as I would wish..