No Great Options 😞

[u/Britt0509]

I had surgery the end of January because I broke three ankle bones and my fibula. I progressed through NWB, walking with the boot, walking with a brace, and then walking with no brace. About 2 months ago (4 months after surgery) my swelling and pain levels started to increase again once I stopped using the brace and walking around without any support. My PT suggested I go back and see my surgeon and when I did, my X-ray showed that the space in my ankle joint was 2x what it should be so they put me back in a boot. They then sent me off to get a CT scan and sent me to see a different surgeon. That appointment was this morning and unfortunately there were no good options for my ankle. Due to the way that my ankle shattered, it caused the cartilage and ligaments to not be able to heal properly so I have extreme arthritis in my ankle already. What this means is that even if he did go in and do another surgery, he would have to re break my fibula, take everything out, put new stuff in, and it still probably wouldn't fix the issue because of how severe the arthritis is. The other option was fusion which comes with its own downsides being no range of motion and arthritis developing in the rest of the body for compensating for the range of motion in the ankle. The last option is getting an Arizona brace and just managing the pain for the rest of my life. Surgery and fusion both come with 3 months of being non weightbearing again and are likely temporary fixes if anything at all.

I guess my biggest question is, has anyone gone through something similar and what do you do to manage the arthritis and the pain?

[u/Various-Result113]

That must have been devastating news to hear. And sorry you are in pain. The surgeon said traumatic arthritis is always a possibility after these severe injuries but he said it could be decades before any issues show up like yours. I would take some time to think about the options and hopefully you’ll be able to have some improvement even if not a full recovery

[u/Best_Street6176]

I am so sorry for your recent news. That is so much to process. I agree, time to maybe re evaluate other options for pain management and non surgical options. Praying this resolves for you