has anyone had ankle reconstruction surgery?

amanda · Jun 13th, 2007, 07:27 PM

it looks like i'm probably headed for it. i have a 9-year history of ankle sprains, dislocations, and one break (that i didn't know about until i went to the ER a few days ago and they said they saw a healed fracture). i dislocated my ankle for the first time in two years by stepping in a hole 2 weeks ago, and my ankle completely gave out on me at work the other day, for no reason.

i went to the orthopaedist this morning, and they said that i'd need to get an MRI next week, but based on my history, how my ankle looked, and how it felt when they moved it, they guessed that i had torn every ligament in my ankle at some point in the past 9 years and that my ankle would continue to be completely unstable if i didn't do something. they said that pending an MRI, i looked like i'd be a good candidate for ankle reconstruction.

apparently, the surgery is much more rare than a knee reconstruction. webmd doesn't have an article about it, and the article they had about sprains said that it's rarely required. i've tried everything, and at this point, i think it's the only thing that will ever stop me from continuing to reinjure my ankle, and it's the suggestion that the orthopaedist went straight for.

so has anyone been through it? what was recovery like? how long before you could walk normally? it's on my driving foot, so naturally i'm concerned about being immobile. any advice you guys could give me would be much appreciated, i'm having trouble finding information and i'd like to be as prepared as possible. thanks!

amanda · Jun 14th, 2007, 04:57 PM

has anyone had ANY sort of reconstructive surgery on their legs? ankles, knees anything? i'm very nervous, i'd like to hear any and all stories if anyone out there has one...

jcriley5 · Jun 15th, 2007, 01:30 PM

I never had reconstruction surgery, but I sprained my ankle really bad several years ago and it never healed. I kept going to to Dr after Dr and even with xrays they told me that it was a bad sprain with torn ligaments. Then I went to one of the top orthopedic surgeons here and got a mri and catscan, and they found out it was called "osteochondral lesion of talus". It is rare (happens to 5% of all sprained ankles) but often Drs. do not know how to look for it. I think it is more of a bone decay or the bone fragment seperates. My Dr says that I could have surgery but it is only a 70% success rate so he was leary of that. I just wanted to share in case you wanted to ask your DR about this to rule out this condition.

jcriley5 · Jun 15th, 2007, 01:33 PM

here is a link for more info on the condition I have
http://www.podiatrytoday.com/article/6304

Megs · Jun 15th, 2007, 01:59 PM

Well amanda, I had a huge surgery on my shoulder. I never really had problems, just a ton of over use from swimming all those years, and one day- WHAM- blew it apart in an awful way. My surgery went fine, the recovery was fine.. but my shoulder will never be the same. It is much weaker, still needs to be babied a tad. But that is a different end of the body...

My dad has had a ton of knee surgeries- and my brother has had one knee surgery. My dad can not run, but my brother had one surgery and is fine.

There are my stories!

jellybebe · Jun 16th, 2007, 10:28 PM

My bf wrecked his ankle one night years ago in a drunken accident. It was broken in several places and he still has a metal plate holding it all together. However, he has recovered completely - he can run, his job is very physical and sometimes he even forgets which ankle he injured. I know that it was a one-time accident and not chronic damage, but the injury he sustained was severe and one of the doctors said he might never walk again.

Alberta Mommy · Jun 20th, 2007, 05:52 PM

Hi Amanda sorry for your ankle problems! My brother had reconstructive surgery on his ankle after a basketball injury and they drilled a hole through the ankle bone and re-thread the ligaments and tendons through it so it would heal together. He hasn't had any problems since but it was in a cast for 6 weeks (ouch) he still plays bball and he's 31...

amanda · Jun 21st, 2007, 08:20 AM

thanks for the info, everyone. i'm going to see the orthopaedist in about an hour to get the results of my MRI and find out if i need surgery or not, although i'm pretty sure i do since i haven't been able to heal on my own over the last 9 years.

cross your fingers for me!

Jun 13th, 2007, 07:27 PM	#1
amanda I Bleed Georgia Red Location: Athens, GA	has anyone had ankle reconstruction surgery? it looks like i'm probably headed for it. i have a 9-year history of ankle sprains, dislocations, and one break (that i didn't know about until i went to the ER a few days ago and they said they saw a healed fracture). i dislocated my ankle for the first time in two years by stepping in a hole 2 weeks ago, and my ankle completely gave out on me at work the other day, for no reason. i went to the orthopaedist this morning, and they said that i'd need to get an MRI next week, but based on my history, how my ankle looked, and how it felt when they moved it, they guessed that i had torn every ligament in my ankle at some point in the past 9 years and that my ankle would continue to be completely unstable if i didn't do something. they said that pending an MRI, i looked like i'd be a good candidate for ankle reconstruction. apparently, the surgery is much more rare than a knee reconstruction. webmd doesn't have an article about it, and the article they had about sprains said that it's rarely required. i've tried everything, and at this point, i think it's the only thing that will ever stop me from continuing to reinjure my ankle, and it's the suggestion that the orthopaedist went straight for. so has anyone been through it? what was recovery like? how long before you could walk normally? it's on my driving foot, so naturally i'm concerned about being immobile. any advice you guys could give me would be much appreciated, i'm having trouble finding information and i'd like to be as prepared as possible. thanks! __________________ PROUD TO BE A UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA BULLDOG! Read my blog: http://graduationday.wordpress.com

Jun 14th, 2007, 04:57 PM	#2
amanda I Bleed Georgia Red Location: Athens, GA	Re: has anyone had ankle reconstruction surgery? has anyone had ANY sort of reconstructive surgery on their legs? ankles, knees anything? i'm very nervous, i'd like to hear any and all stories if anyone out there has one... __________________ PROUD TO BE A UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA BULLDOG! Read my blog: http://graduationday.wordpress.com

Jun 15th, 2007, 01:30 PM	#3
jcriley5 Jen Location: Illinois	Re: has anyone had ankle reconstruction surgery? I never had reconstruction surgery, but I sprained my ankle really bad several years ago and it never healed. I kept going to to Dr after Dr and even with xrays they told me that it was a bad sprain with torn ligaments. Then I went to one of the top orthopedic surgeons here and got a mri and catscan, and they found out it was called "osteochondral lesion of talus". It is rare (happens to 5% of all sprained ankles) but often Drs. do not know how to look for it. I think it is more of a bone decay or the bone fragment seperates. My Dr says that I could have surgery but it is only a 70% success rate so he was leary of that. I just wanted to share in case you wanted to ask your DR about this to rule out this condition.

Jun 15th, 2007, 01:33 PM	#4
jcriley5 Jen Location: Illinois	Re: has anyone had ankle reconstruction surgery? here is a link for more info on the condition I have http://www.podiatrytoday.com/article/6304

Jun 16th, 2007, 10:28 PM	#6
jellybebe Back to school! Location: Canada	Re: has anyone had ankle reconstruction surgery? My bf wrecked his ankle one night years ago in a drunken accident. It was broken in several places and he still has a metal plate holding it all together. However, he has recovered completely - he can run, his job is very physical and sometimes he even forgets which ankle he injured. I know that it was a one-time accident and not chronic damage, but the injury he sustained was severe and one of the doctors said he might never walk again. __________________ Wish List: LV Farandole bracelet (WL) LV pink scuba pochette (WL) white Balenciaga City with GGH (?) Prada E/W Gauffre

Jun 15th, 2007, 01:59 PM	#5
Megs	Re: has anyone had ankle reconstruction surgery? Well amanda, I had a huge surgery on my shoulder. I never really had problems, just a ton of over use from swimming all those years, and one day- WHAM- blew it apart in an awful way. My surgery went fine, the recovery was fine.. but my shoulder will never be the same. It is much weaker, still needs to be babied a tad. But that is a different end of the body... My dad has had a ton of knee surgeries- and my brother has had one knee surgery. My dad can not run, but my brother had one surgery and is fine. There are my stories! __________________ Enter our fabulous November giveaway sponsored by Adriana Castro!!!!

Jun 20th, 2007, 05:52 PM	#7
Alberta Mommy Member Location: Alberta, Canada	Re: has anyone had ankle reconstruction surgery? Hi Amanda sorry for your ankle problems! My brother had reconstructive surgery on his ankle after a basketball injury and they drilled a hole through the ankle bone and re-thread the ligaments and tendons through it so it would heal together. He hasn't had any problems since but it was in a cast for 6 weeks (ouch) he still plays bball and he's 31...

Jun 21st, 2007, 08:20 AM	#8
amanda I Bleed Georgia Red Location: Athens, GA	Re: has anyone had ankle reconstruction surgery? thanks for the info, everyone. i'm going to see the orthopaedist in about an hour to get the results of my MRI and find out if i need surgery or not, although i'm pretty sure i do since i haven't been able to heal on my own over the last 9 years. cross your fingers for me! __________________ PROUD TO BE A UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA BULLDOG! Read my blog: http://graduationday.wordpress.com