Ankle fusion advice and help

[Loyd]

Has anyone on here has an ankle fusion? I had one on my right ankle three weeks ago and would love to know how soon life can get back to normal. 71 year old woman. Many thanks in advance

[KittyJ]

If you put ankle fusion into the search box you will get all the previous posts regarding it 😊

[Loyd in reply to KittyJ]

Thank you I will do that. 👍👍

[Lolabridge]

I’ve avoided it so far but expect I will need one before too long. I’m trying to manage with steroid injections for a while. Hope yours works well for you.

[Loyd in reply to Lolabridge]

I’m praying so! So far so good. 👍👍

[oldtimer]

I had a talo-calcaneal fusion. Six weeks off weight bearing, six weeks partial weight bearing, then mobilised, about another three months. I hired a knee scooter so that I could whizz about. But marvellous -I could walk again!

[Loyd in reply to oldtimer]

Thank you for that. Gives me hope. Do you find you can walk pain free now?

[oldtimer in reply to Loyd]

No is the short answer, but I can walk. I have damage to other joints as well, so it has gone from not being able to walk across a room to being able to walk about a mile.

[Loyd in reply to oldtimer]

Thank you for your reply. A mile is very impressive!! Well done but would be so good to be pain free too. I guess we must always be grateful for small mercys.

[Kags1068]

Hi Lloyd

I had a triple fusion on my right ankle 3 years ago, a couple of weeks after my 50th birthday!

I think surgeons seem to differ as to the length of time they require you to non-weight bear and be in plaster etc (not sure if it varies depending on whether you've had a double, triple fusion or whatever)!

For me, I hadto non-weight bear completely in a plaster cast for the first 8 weeks. This was the absolute worst bit as I cannot hop! It was very difficult. In the end I was allowed to put my foot to the ground for balance. I hadto rent a piece of equipment I found online that I sort of sat on and pulled myself along. We nicknamed it Neddy! I couldn't manage anything like a knee scooter. After 8 weeks I was put in a new plaster cast and then told to partial weight bear for 4 further weeks. After that, I was swapped to a walking boot for another 6 weeks and allowed to bear as much weight as was comfortable. Towards the end of the 6 weeks I was allowed to leave the boot off for short periods. Although it was physically difficult to get around, I was pleasantly surprised as the ankle wasn't particularly painful while it was healing. Each time I was allowed to put a bit more weight on it, I was able to do so.

It probably took about 4 months or so in all to be able to start walking on it again. It takes a bit of getting used to as your gait and balance are a bit different, but as someone who was very reluctant and wary about having it fused, it's made a huge difference to me. No more pain and fractures!!

Hope it works as well for you. Good luck xx😊

[Loyd in reply to Kags1068]

Thank you so much for that. So good to hear you are pain free now. There is a lot of different advice out there. My plaster was removed after 2 weeks and I’ve got a massive moon boot on now and I can take it off at night after another 6 weeks. At twelve weeks can gently weight bear and wear normal shoes. Does all seem a long time. Only got 2 screws in.

[Kags1068 in reply to Loyd]

You are very welcome. It sounds like your recovery is going very well. It's very good that you are already in a walking boot. Although 12 weeks seems like (and obviously is), quite a while before you can wear proper shoes etc, that will be very good going. Fusions of any kind are always a bit of a long-winded recovery, as they have to be absolutely sure the bone is healing together properly before allowing us to use it again. I hadto have x-rays at 6 weekly intervals to check the bone healing was progressing as it should. I'm guessing you may be having something similar. When you're in the middle of it, it does seem to drag on, but if it's anything like my experience it will eventually be worth it. xx😊

[Loyd in reply to Kags1068]

Thank you that has given me so much hope. Although I have this monstrous moon boot I’m to do no weight bearing. Roll on Xmas. 🤞🤞

[Kags1068 in reply to Loyd]

I'm really pleased to hear it's given you hope. I know just what it's like to be part way through something ongoing and hard work, and wondering if it's all worth it!! Roll on Christmas indeed as you'll be pretty much at your 12 weeks by then! It seems ages now and I know the days drag with a situation like this, but I think when you look back on the weeks, it's seems the time passes quickly (if that makes sense)!

As I said though, it does sound as though things are going very much to plan for you so far which is excellent. Just keep dragging that massive boot around!! One good thing I found though with the plaster casts and the boot was that as it was Winter, it kept my foot and leg lovely and snug!😉

Let us know how it progresses X

[Loyd in reply to Kags1068]

Loving your positivity and has done me the power of good! Thank you. 👍👍👍

[Kags1068 in reply to Loyd]

Aah, that's so nice to hear. Thanks. Take care xx

[CourtS1971]

I had an ankle fusion a year ago and have been miserable.. today I finally went to a different doctor and find out the fusion never took... now I have to go thru it all again!

[Loyd]

I’m worried I’m in the same boat. Still not really able to walk after four and a half months. Sorry to hear you now have to do it all again. A nightmare. Why do they not tell you what to expect?

[CourtS1971 in reply to Loyd]

You know at 5 months my gut told me something was wrong but I kept listening to the doctor tell me to give it a year.. at the 10 month mark he told me I needed to get a pain management doctor.. I knew then that my gut had been right.. took me 2 months to get a specialist to agree to see me.. as soon as he showed me my xrays and someone else's I knew.. mine you can still see the entire ankle and lines.. I am saddened and upset to have to go thru this again.. he promised that if I did this again with him , that I would be pain free and walking at 4 months.. I sure hope so!!

[Loyd in reply to CourtS1971]

Thank you for your reply Court. Although it has confirmed my gut feeling that all is not right with mine. Just too much pain that they didn’t tell me to expect. I so hope your next op works perfectly for you.

[Loyd in reply to CourtS1971]

I just would love an update on how things are going with you - have you had the surgery done again? I am now convinced that my ankle fusion has failed and am so worried. It’s now been 7 months and I can barely walk. The surgeon says give it another 6 months. Would love to hear any updates from you.