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Anyone have their ankle fused?

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Anyone have their ankle fused?

Old 07-26-21, 05:51 AM
  #26  
BobG
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@zjrog- I'm overweight also, 5'5", 180-190 pounds.

Supporting yourself one-legged on crutches may be where your weight will be a hindrance. You probably already know this from your knee surgery. Definitely get a knee scooter before the fusion surgery. You'll fly around your house like a skateboard on wood and tile floors, not as fast on carpet. I have two scooters on loan from a neighbor who had the same ankle surgery in January, one with small solid wheels for inside and another one with larger inflated tires for strolls outside. The larger wheels might work better on soft carpet, smaller wheels have a tighter turning radius.

I only used crutches for the 3 steps in and out of my house transitioning between the indoor and the outdoor scooters, from my truck to the electric cart at the grocery store, into the post office and into the doctor's office at follow up appointments. Of course they will bring you in and out with a wheelchair if requested. Sometimes I would just hand my PO box key to a neighbor and wait in the truck.
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Old 08-17-21, 02:23 PM
  #27  
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Had my consult yesterday. Went about as expected. He does replacements, but I am not a good candidate. BUT, not why I thought. I have damaged the bottom of the tibia and that would make the implant unstable. As a result, I need more area fused. As well as fusion of metatarsel joints to give me a slight arch and flatten my foot in relation to the fused and straightened ankle. He is adamant about 8 weeks non weight bearing, and six week partial before a shoes. On the plus side, in 19 years, he says he has only had 3 fusions fail, and 2 were due to putting weight on too soon.

So, I am looking at my work's schedule to make sure I don't impact coworkers TOO much. Wife is having cataract surgery next month, so I need to make sure she is fully healed before embarking on this next adventure.
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Old 08-17-21, 02:25 PM
  #28  
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Originally Posted by alanruther
I don't know about cycling, but I believe health is more important at the moment. Focus on your ankle and good luck to you.
I'm in a better health position than I was 3 years ago. Weigh less, in better heart health. I admit to taking things a little on the reckless side as I know the AFO brace won't let me get hurt too bad currently...
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Old 08-19-21, 01:07 PM
  #29  
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Originally Posted by BobG
zjrog- I'll post an update after the August x-rays.
zjrog - I passed my final ankle x-ray test on Tuesday. Fusion is almost complete. Total down time was May 25-August 3. The surgeon suggested that I wear my AFO for a few weeks when I do anything vigorous so I'll wear it cycling beneath my Shimano SPD sandal pictured back at post #10. My brace is not as bulky as yours, only ankle height soft leather with an internal stiffener. I can cycle and walk fine now without it but it adds reassuring support.

Cycling feels as normal as before. The pedal axle rotation compensates for any reduced ankle action. There's little of that anyway when I cycle. I can still wiggle the ankle slightly and all arthritic pain is gone. Full disclosure: I had to add electric assist to my bike several years ago due to neuropathy in the opposite leg. That assist has been a big help with my current return to cycling.

Walking is a bit tentative for now but painless. I go down steps sideways as I get used to the new gait. Good luck with your procedure!
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Old 08-19-21, 02:55 PM
  #30  
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Originally Posted by BobG
zjrog - I passed my final ankle x-ray test on Tuesday. Fusion is almost complete. Total down time was May 25-August 3. The surgeon suggested that I wear my AFO for a few weeks when I do anything vigorous so I'll wear it cycling beneath my Shimano SPD sandal pictured back at post #10. My brace is not as bulky as yours, only ankle height soft leather with an internal stiffener. I can cycle and walk fine now without it but it adds reassuring support.

Cycling feels as normal as before. The pedal axle rotation compensates for any reduced ankle action. There's little of that anyway when I cycle. I can still wiggle the ankle slightly and all arthritic pain is gone. Full disclosure: I had to add electric assist to my bike several years ago due to neuropathy in the opposite leg. That assist has been a big help with my current return to cycling.

Walking is a bit tentative for now but painless. I go down steps sideways as I get used to the new gait. Good luck with your procedure!
Awesome to hear you passed that final xray!!

I won't be able to wear the AFO brace later on as it matches the deformity of my ankle currently. I hope I don't require any brace for long if at all. I'm going to have to work during the later half of the 8 weeks NWB. As much work schedule as lack of vacation and sick time. Despite having an outdoor job, there is plenty I can do indoors. I used a knee scooter for teh 6 weeks NWB after my right achilles tendon repair. I'm considering one again. I'm also looking at the iWalk 2.0 knee crutch. It looks interesting and seems like it would be as easy to use as it looks. I'll have to see if insurance covers it or not. If not, I may order it ahead of time and try it before surgery.

As for cycling, I hope to be able to ride indoors once I can be partial weight bearing. I don't often stand anyway. I'll be curious to see if I can keep the midfoot pedal position or go back to normal fore foot. I have neuropathy in both feet as it is. My neuro doc thinks it is from my back injury 10 years ago, and it's not diabetic related (A1C is only 5.0). After my back injury I contemplated a trike, and will consider one in a few years all the same.

As you mentioned gait adjustment. My current gait is about as normal as most people's is. After my knee replacement last year, I worked REALLY hard to walk as normal as possible even with the AFO. I'm successful enough, nobody knows I have the ankle issue when I wear long pants. But I prefer shorts most of the year, even at work. Or the random days I wear my kilts at work... But I'm curious how my gait may change or need adjusted after 8 week NWB and 6 or so week partial weight bearing before being allowed to use a boot, then shoes a month or so later..

I'm anxious, really, to get this going. I just have to wait till after my wife's cataract surgeries.
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Old 09-20-21, 12:55 PM
  #31  
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In 1997 I was climbing Devils Tower in WY and slipped off a hold and fell 4 ft. My rt foot hit a small ledge and I had a bimaleolar fracture and dislocation. Ambulance to Gilette and the best orthopedic surgeon in WY screwed the broken stuff together again. About 4 months later the ankle fell apart again (even though xrays showed all was well). Long story short - my ankle was then fused. Because I am tall and about 230 lb, the orthopods said to wear a leg brace to prevent the fused ankle from cracking/breaking.

In a few years I took up bicycling. I have ridden unsupported long tours across Australia (Cairns to Darwin and also Perth to Sydney) and have had absolutely NO issues with doing so. I am a type 1 diabetic which presents other challenges, but the fused ankle works when bicycling. Mind you, because of the fusion, the muscles below my knee "don't work".

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Old 09-22-21, 11:34 AM
  #32  
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Originally Posted by tmac100
In 1997 I was climbing Devils Tower in WY and slipped off a hold and fell 4 ft. My rt foot hit a small ledge and I had a bimaleolar fracture and dislocation. Ambulance to Gilette and the best orthopedic surgeon in WY screwed the broken stuff together again. About 4 months later the ankle fell apart again (even though xrays showed all was well). Long story short - my ankle was then fused. Because I am tall and about 230 lb, the orthopods said to wear a leg brace to prevent the fused ankle from cracking/breaking.

In a few years I took up bicycling. I have ridden unsupported long tours across Australia (Cairns to Darwin and also Perth to Sydney) and have had absolutely NO issues with doing so. I am a type 1 diabetic which presents other challenges, but the fused ankle works when bicycling. Mind you, because of the fusion, the muscles below my knee "don't work".
OW!!! I climbed Devil's Tower nearly 40 years ago. I slipped a few times, but never fell. While we didn't discuss a brace in the consult, I will next visit.

Long rides, Other than circumnavigating Australia, I don't see how you can much much longer a ride than Perth to Sydney!!! WOW!!! Retired Navy, been to Perth a few times, and a couple Navy buddies now live there. I cycled around the Perth area during my last visit in 1997...

Doc and I did discuss that my muscles below the knee will atrophy further over time, so yeah, I will have to live with that. But this won't keep me down...
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Old 09-22-21, 11:47 AM
  #33  
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Originally Posted by zjrog
OW!!! I climbed Devil's Tower nearly 40 years ago. I slipped a few times, but never fell. While we didn't discuss a brace in the consult, I will next visit.

Long rides, Other than circumnavigating Australia, I don't see how you can much much longer a ride than Perth to Sydney!!! WOW!!! Retired Navy, been to Perth a few times, and a couple Navy buddies now live there. I cycled around the Perth area during my last visit in 1997...

Doc and I did discuss that my muscles below the knee will atrophy further over time, so yeah, I will have to live with that. But this won't keep me down...
Good attitude with your last sentence!

It seems that I have developed some osteoporosis (am 73 now) and am getting that dealt with. In the fusion process, my RT leg was shortened by less than an inch and that has increased to just over an inch - so my RT shoe with the integral brace will need it's sole built up. i see the orthopedic surgeon on Friday..

AKA your last sentence
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Old 09-23-21, 02:07 PM
  #34  
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Originally Posted by tmac100
Good attitude with your last sentence!

It seems that I have developed some osteoporosis (am 73 now) and am getting that dealt with. In the fusion process, my RT leg was shortened by less than an inch and that has increased to just over an inch - so my RT shoe with the integral brace will need it's sole built up. i see the orthopedic surgeon on Friday..

AKA your last sentence
I'm 58, had my left knee replaced 11 years ago, and my right last October. My Orthopedic took great pains to make things quite equal. My ankle guy is a different surgeon, and has every intention of keeping my legs as equal as they are today.

I sure hope things go well with your doc visit tomorrow.
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Old 03-07-22, 12:17 AM
  #35  
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Life never goes as planned. 5 Oct 2021, my wife, and broke her knee, non-displaced tibial plataue fracture. She finally felt in better shape at the end of January, went to see the ankle surgeon again, scheduled surgery for 8 Feb. Next day I got Covid. Super mild, never had a temp over 98.4 (I'm normally about 97.2 on average). Felt like a sinus infection. But had to postpone till 8 March. Two days.

I'm more worried about the pain from taking g bone from my hip for bone framing, than the ankle. Usually, such bone is harvested from the knees, but mibe are both metal...

I think I have most every I can control, covered. I find out in the morning how my latest covid test goes..
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Old 03-09-22, 02:09 PM
  #36  
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Saw fit to write on my own ankles. While it was appreciated for the humor I intended, 4 different people left marks on my left ankle, the one fused.

First two weeks in a splint instead of a cast to allow the swelling to go down. Should get a cast in 2 weeks. Surgery was scheduled for 3 hours, took 5 1/2...

Going home today, so it's a good day...
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Old 03-29-22, 12:37 AM
  #37  
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Two week checkup last week went well. Xrays show everything where they put things. Stitches out, new cast put on. Follow up end of April.


I was done with pain meds after less than a week. Planning to return to work next week. There will be plenty of desk work available.

Non weight bearing is no fun. 5 more weeks, then 6 weeks partial. While I'm pain free presently, I expect that to change as I'm allowed to put weight on it. Hopefully, that pain will pass as I get used to the new normal.
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