Foot / Ankle :: Brostrom Ligament Reconstruction - Still Pain
Apr 23, 2014
I had a modified brostrom ligament reconstruction back in October of 2013. I am still having a LOT of pain in my ankle. It is very much more stable now that it used to be... Before the surgery it was like every step it was close to popping out of place due to the ligament, however I still have severe pain in my ankle and shin... Does anyone else experience the same issue, and any advice on what I need to do? I called the OS and they recommended me going back to the brace and although that works, I would like to at some point be without the brace, because it hurts even with the darn brace on!!!! It just feels more protected while in the brace but it doesn't stop the pain from happening.... It aches like when you have the flu, I feel achy in the ankle all the time, but w/o the brace it HURTS about a 5 out of a 10.. I have a very high pain tolerance and would say the pain is about the same as it was before the surgery.. The pain before the surgery was never so bad I couldn't deal, but it was like all day nagging pain... I am still having that pain. Is that normal 6 months after surgery?
View 1 Replies
Advertisement
I am currently 8 weeks post op from a very extensive flat foot reconstructive surgery . I was excited to start partial weight bearing this week starting w 25 percent in a boot.
My problem is I have sharp pains coming from the bottom of my heel which I am thinking may be from the screws from the calcaneal osteotomy. This is making it very difficult to put any pressure on my foot when weight bearing ?
Has anyone experienced this ? Did it go away on its own? Was there anything that helped this . I am afraid I will not be able to proceed the wt bearing with this continued heel pain.
View 13 Replies
I was diagnosed with small (<1cm) OCD of the tibial plafond and lax lateral ligaments. I am now facing a microfracture and a Brostrom is about a month. Has anyone had both procedures together and what was your experience?
View 2 Replies
I had three procedures two weeks ago - microfracture for talus, brostrom
- gault repair and debridement. Am supposed to be NWB for 6 weeks, but my crutches slipped in rain yesterday and I put weight onto my ankle. It is hurting again now, although been ok for the last week and a half. I am so worried that I have undone all the healing and will have to have it all done again. Has anyone else done the same and been ok?
Is there anything I can do before my next appointment with the surgeon in four weeks time?
Also last week had the lighter cast put on and it was so tight and painful that after two days the plaster nurses just cut in straight down the middle, but left it on my leg. This seems to be counterintuitive that this will still work? Has anyone had the same?
View 8 Replies
I am just writing with the hope of getting some more help/assurance re the Gould brostrom (or as my letter has now pointed out Arthroscopic debridement and lateral ankle reconstruction - unsure if this is the same of different?) procedure which I am due to have in just over 2 weeks on the 22nd June.
I have been very unsure for a while now as to whether or not to go ahead with it but have decided to take the plunge, however I still have my doubts!
I injured my ankle initially around 5 years ago (ruptured ATFL showed up in MRI scan) and almost had the surgery back then, only to decide not to go ahead with it. Since then I have rolled over and sprained it on multiple occasions, and have felt it become increasingly weak to the point where I have very little confidence in its strength. When playing football I now wear lace up supports, which are strong enough to prevent the rolling, but obviously doesnt deal with the root cause and there is a still a feeling of achiness and limited movement. When not wearing my ankle supports I would say its at least a 50/50 chance I'm going to roll over on my ankle every time.
I can still run and go about my everyday life virtually without any issues (feel twinges but nothing major unless recently sprained) and the views of the consultants varied from the cautious 'maybe only have it if you're playing high level sport' ( which I'm not but just play football weekly for my local team), to saying yes I go for it as its clearly getting weaker and weaker and becoming more of a frustration.
I guess alongside asking for advice as to what to expect post op, I am also seeking assurance that by going ahead I am making the right decision (bearing in mind surgery is considered last resort and rehab process is lengthy).
View 10 Replies
I had reconstruction of my left foot. I am 7 1/2 weeks Post op. I was in the hospital for 4 days with a nerve block behind my knee and drugs through a pushbutton pump. pain was managed. I was sent home with perks and vicodin.
For the first week I was told to take the pain meds before I felt the pain which was every 4 hours. After the perks I was able to use vicaden, however I didn't like the vicodin so I went to tramadol. That was only for the first two weeks. My dr does not believe in hard drugs after that. I was in a cast for two week which was the worse for me😔I felt very confined and tight.
Went back to the Dr to only find out an additional 4 more weeks in the cast. Total of 8 weeks, I am now in a boot an able to bear 1/3 of my weight along with PT and exercises at home.Weight bearing is gradual. Takes 3 months for full weight bearing. It is a very long process with lots of patience.
My knee roller is a blessing.Before weight bearing I tried hopping on crutches and fell, please don't try that.
Be honest I haven't felt myself since surgery hope it's part of recovery...I would like to know if you feel not yourself yet after 7 weeks. I am the type of person that loves to run out every chance I get and sometimes I am not up to it because it's tons of work with the boot. I sincerely hope after 3 months I can work by myself. Let me know if anyone feels the same.
View 2 Replies
If you used both crutches and a knee walker after surgery, how much did you depend on your crutches? I tried using crutches today for my upcoming surgery, and I don't think I can go more than 15 feet with them because of elbow problems.
View 13 Replies
Disclaimer: If I ramble on and make absolutely no sense,
I blame my incoherence on the pain meds
Anyway, my second PTTD reconstruction is done! I had the exact same procedures on my left foot as I did on the right...FDL transfer, medializing calcaneal osteotomy, Evans calcaneal osteotomy, bone marrow aspiration, and Strayer procedure. The surgeon told my family that over two inches of the PTT was severely degenerated/beyond repair. Prognosis is a full recovery over the next 1 1/2 to 2 years.
Unfortunately, my nerve block didn't work as well this time; so, I woke up in pretty severe pain. The nurses were great and had the pain to a manageable point within a half hour. By the time I was discharged, I was able to take my first dose of oral pain meds...I was pretty comfortable on the ride home.
At this point, I am taking one oxycodone every 4 hours (down from 3 the first day) and think I will be able to start putting more space between doses tomorrow. The pain is not too bad as long as I stay "toes above nose."
Knowing what to expect in the days following surgery has definitely made these first few days smoother/less scary. Each day is one day closer to being active again!
View 4 Replies
I will be having Flatfoot Reconstruction Surgery in May and am trying to get a handle on the recovery. I live in a small 1 bedroom apartment, ground floor, but with 2 semi-steep steps leading inside.
I'd love to know anyone's experience with steps/stairs after this type of surgery. Also am looking for a recommendation for a good foam wedge for foot elevation...and actually anything else you might want to share. I'm a bit overwhelmed at how arduous the recovery may be.
View 14 Replies
I think I saw this mentioned before, but do you have some helpful hints about sleeping after surgery? I'm a side sleeper with pillow between knees. It's about the only way I can sleep. Yea, it's probably not possible at the beginning. Also, did anyone put a "blanket support" at the footboard to hold the blankets and sheets off the foot?
View 9 Replies
I had my surgery 7 weeks ago and am finally in a boot and can walk again with the help of 1 crutch. I am driving and going to physical therapy 3x a week. The first 5 weeks were very hard not being able to put any weight on my foot. A knee scooter was a tremendous help. I was not In very much pain and got to go shopping and out to eat. Getting the cast off at 5 weeks was great. Hopefully the rest of my recouperation will be as easy.
View 3 Replies
I am 7 1/2 weeks post of from Flat Foot Surgery and the outside area of foot from where my incision ends from the double calcaneal osteotomy up to my little toe the soft tissue is halfway numb and very painful. Has anyone else experienced this and if so how long did it last.
I am not sure how long it takes the soft tissue to heal to a point where it does not hurt when you are not walking. Or is what I am feeling nerve pain. I started PT this week and am PWB. My doctor thinks I will be in a shoe in 3 weeks and I don't know at this rate how that could be possible. I am icing a majority of the day for sure after I do my PT exercises.
View 14 Replies
I had ankle surgery to repair my medial malleolus back on May 8. It was fairly routine--just 2 screws. I was in a cast for a week, then was put into a boot but told to treat it like a cast--NO weight bearing for 7 weeks, keep the boot on 24/7 unless in the bathtub. I followed directions religiously.
I did notice that when I pressed on certain areas of the foot, I would feel a sharp pain. This occurred in the heel (from the bottom), toes (again, from the bottom, primarily the foot pad below the pinky, second, and 4th toes). When I asked the doctor about this, he said (around week 5) that it was just because I hadn't been using the foot.
The problem persisted, and this week, week 7, I was cleared to start partial weight-bearing--walking in the boot while taking approximately 1/2 the weight off my foot via the crutches. I don't have ankle pain to speak of (or at least, not often and only if I overdo it), but I have terrible shooting pains in my heel and toes as I step. It's OK if I take most of the weight on the crutches, but as soon as I go to more than just a little weight on the boot, the pain starts.
This week I also started PT and the therapist told me this is nerve pain--not uncommon after surgery (don't know why the doctor couldn't have told me this, but OK). I couldn't get much of an idea from her how long this will persist or if there is anything I can do about it.
I'm doing my ankle and leg exercises (those are mostly non-weightbearing at this point) and they are going great. The ankle is clearly healing well. But I don't see how I can progress to full weight bearing (supposed to try that next week!) when much more than a little pressure on the foot results in this nerve pain!
Help! Does anyone have experience with this? Is there anything I can do to speed things along? I need to return to my second job (barefoot hoof trimming for horses--how I broke the ankle!) ASAP and I'm fearful this will slow my progress to a crawl! The doctor is useless.
View 14 Replies
I am 7 and a half weeks post op after a Lapidus & an Akin procedure. I was in cast until last week and have managed a tennis type shoe and a sandal on so far.
The swelling has been bad as expected with full weight bearing, but the real pain is in the ball of my foot and my big toe does not lie flat, but rather sits elevated. I think the ball of the foot under the big toe is swollen so that may be the cause? I can only walk for a few minutes properly before the pain becomes too much and I am limping and walking on the outside of my operated foot. I can usually cope with pain so know this must be fairly severe.
I am doing my toe bending exercises and think that already the range of motion is not too bad.
View 3 Replies
It is my right foot only. Heel pain, and basically all of my foot. I wear inserts plus an extra heel cushion. I been to the foot doctor and gave me a antibiotic and he recommended icing and heating and stretching bottom of foot. Any other suggestions?
View 3 Replies
I had PTTD reconstructive surgery on Feb. 24th. I am still NWB and in the hard cast.
I have been good about icing and elevating, and now the swelling is rarely an issue. However, now that the cast is much looser, I am very aware of the feeling that my foot is turning inwards... as in...It feels like i'm "standing" on the outside of my foot. If I prop the foot up so that the bottom of my foot is all fully touching the bottom of the cast, I have significant pain along that outside area from what feels like right under my ankle to just below the ball of my foot. Is there any chance that I am healing "crookedly" due to the cast being loose? Although I can't put weight on it, just straightening my leg completely will cause that "rolling out" and pain.
On an unrelated note:
Is there anything that I can do for nerve pain at this point in my recovery? I am no longer taking the "heavy" pain medication. I am just taking Advil and Tylenol. I am finding, however, that these do nothing for the nerve pain. Is there anything that I can do besides going back to narcotics? I'm wary of taking them for too long, but the real issue is that I would rather be clear-headed.
View 10 Replies
This forum has really helped me come to an understanding of my ankle, and hopefully I can pay it forward. Late June of 2012 I stepped on a guy's foot while playing basketball (just running down the court, not landing from a jump). After many a misdiagnosis and tons of different treatments 17 months later, I'm left with surgery or live with the pain. I have opted for surgery as I can't continue to play basketball as I am now. The surgeon is doing a microdrilling, aided with bio cartilage and bone marrow to be extracted from my heel, to fix my 10x6x7mm OCD. I am also having a Brostrom procedure concurrently to reconstruct my outer ligament. This is my first time having surgery so to say I'm nervous is quite an understatement. The surgeon thinks I can return to work (at the library) 10 days later as long as I remain NWB. I'm 28, was in great shape before the injury but not any longer. 10 days sounds VERY optimistic from what I've read online. If anyone who comes across this post has any advice, opinions, words of wisdom, questions, please don't hesitate. My surgery is on Wednesday, Nov 20 of 2013 and I plan to update throughout for those who may be interested.
View 14 Replies
It has been quite a while since I have been on here. I had surgery on Mar 14 to repair a tendon and release the nerve that runs on the top of my foot. I have had severe nerve pain since the surgery. I could only get so far in rehab - because of the severe nerve pain. I had a cortisone shot about five weeks ago - it was somewhat helpful. I can finally let a sheet rest on the top of my foot.
However, it is my right foot. It is extremely painful to drive - and basically impossible for me to be able to drive more than 25 miles without pulling over to alleviate the pain from the nerve. I still cannot wear anything more than sandals as I cannot let anything touch the top of my foot. Now mind you, it has improved some. It used to be the entire top of my foot. Now it is mainly the toes and about 3 inches up from my toes - it is so severe it has put me in tears more than once. I have been living with some friends of mine - about 25 miles from where I work. The problem is that I own a house about 52 miles from work - one way. There is no way I can drive that far - and don't think that will get better anytime soon.
I see my surgeon again on 8/16/13. I am willing to try another cortisone shot - but someone else has strongly recommended I cut the nerve to alleviate the pain. If he cuts the nerve - I will not have any feeling on the top of my foot for the rest of my life. I have asked him if I would be able to drive, etc....and he commented that cutting the nerve might actually make driving/pain worse?
View 6 Replies
I am on week 4 after my surgery. I am wondering if there is anyone that could give me some hope. Right not walking of going PWB on my foot seems like light years away. I am having severe nerve pain and my foot still brings me to tears on occasion. I am taking Ibuprofen to help with the pain and down to two Percocet a day. When did you notice a huge improvement in your pain and will the pain be mostly gone by the time I go into my boot.
View 12 Replies
I'm 34. I had a left ankle reconstruction for instability with a ligament repair and arthroscopy in July 2015.
My recovery has been slow due to hip operations around the same time. My ankle has healed well however the range of motion is still below neutral for dorsiflexion though it's improving.
I still have loud cracking on the outside (lateral) aspect of my ankle where the ligaments were repaired. It's terribly painful and my ankle swells straight away each time. It usually occurs with shifting my weight. My ankle surgeon says it's scar tissue breaking down but is it usually accompanied by a loud painful crack in the same area each time. I'm worried it's not ok.
View 2 Replies
I have been dealing with pain in my feet for several years which has gotten progressively worse. The past 6 months or so have been so bad that 3 months ago my doctor prescribed Gabapentin which helped significantly for a brief few weeks, but I am at the highest levels now and there is a new pain in my right ankle that will just not go away. I am weaning off of the Gabapentin so that I can try Lyrica. I am being scheduled for a nerve conduction test to try and determine what is wrong exactly. I am not diabetic. I believe it is from too many years of standing/walking on concrete (I'm a caterer/chef) without proper foot support. My doctor seems to support this opinion, she does not seem to have any answers. Just had blood work done, I am in excellent health otherwise! Am so worried that I'll be unable to continue working. Pain is relentless. Cannot live on pain pills, just do not want to go down that road! Anyone out there have experience with this sort of problem? How about Lyrica?
View 2 Replies
