In the last ten years I’ve had surgery eight times on my right ankle. Most of them were ligament reconstructions and finally a complete ankle fusion. Making the decision to fuse my ankle was one of the toughest decisions I’ve had to make but with the chronic pain, instability, degenerative arthritis and inflammation I agreed. It’s going to be two years this June and although it’s been a very long recovery and endless hours of physical therapy I can say I’m feeling good about it. One of the biggest challenges is finding shoes that help me walk. With an ankle fusion you have no range of motion so I need orthopedic shoes to help me out. I wear a pair of MBTs but would like to find something different that still provides the support I need, any suggestions? I’d love to hear your story and how you are dealing with the ankle fusion -- was it the right decision for you?
~Gimpy
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I fractured my ankle September 2010. I had a trimaliolar fracture. 1 plate plus 15 screws. 6 months later I found out that I had avascular necrosis in the ankle. There was no question but to fuse the ankle. There is a rod from my talus to about mid tibia plus 4 screws. The pain and swelling are still there although not as bad as pre-fusion. Ifound a place called MyFootShop.com that has a carbon fiber foot plate that goes under the shoe insole. It works great in any shoe creating that rocker motion for Any shoe. They also sell heal lifts depending on the discrepancy in your leg. Mine has a 1/4 inch discrepancy in length For my right leg. The fusion is ok, I'm adjusting to it a year later. Stairs are tough but I am thankfull I still have my own leg to walk on.
May 4, 2015 - 1:23pmThis Comment
About a year and a half ago I was in a car accident and now have 3 pins in my right ankle, a total hip replacement and 2 pins in the right knee. The pain has never went away. Monday I went to see an ankle Dr. for help. He told me, from what the x ray shows, my bone is dead and the best thing for me would be to fuse it. I am only 29 and very scared about making the wrong decision. I am taking pain medication but it only works for so long and I'm needing to take more and more every few months. Standing for more than an hour or so will make the ankle swollen and be very hard for me to even want to walk. Now, from reading a lot of these posts I'm having even more second thoughts about the surgery. I hope I make the right decision and hope the best for all of you going through this life changing ordeal.
April 28, 2015 - 8:05pmThis Comment
You need to get another opinion, you cannot fuse good bone to dead bone. The whole joint surface of my tibia was dead and a doctor wanted to do the same after I had spent 2 1/2 years on crutches. I left his office and never looked back. I knew this could not work and luckily I found a doctor who confirmed this. She took graft bone out of my hip and took out the dead bone, replacing it with healthy bone. I spent 1/2 a year with an external fixator but so worth the freedom I gained afterward. My fusion day is coming (and I knew that because my dr was very honest about that), but this procedure bought me a couple of years. Good luck to you, ask around and find the best ankle specialist you can find.
April 29, 2015 - 8:31amThis Comment
I guess I didnt mention the Dr saying he was going to cut out the dead bone then fuse it all together. He said thats where the pain is coming from. I have to go for a cat scan then if that proves its truly dead they will give me an injection to see if the pain goes away. If so Then its time for fusion. I asked the guy not to BS me and he said hes almost positive thats the case.
April 30, 2015 - 8:26amThis Comment
I just had an ankle fusion Dec 17th 2014. And I am STILL in horrible pain. I have been in a walking boot for two weeks, just two weeks.
April 27, 2015 - 9:11pmThe pain has completely shifted.
I broke my ankle 10 years ago, shattered I t actually and it never healed right. I finally had enough pain and pulls pushed on me, so I finally agreed to a fusion. As of now I regret it, and when I see other people that would rather had an amputee..I couldn't AGREE more.
I had the fusion to relieve the pain not shift it. I still wasn't released to go back to my job, so I had to find another. .I will never be able to run again, that was my life. I have to many NEVER agains.
Before an ankle fusion think about what your willing to give up and what other pain you can deal with. From a mom of 4 please really weigh your options.
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Was hit by a car on my motorcycle 2 yrs ago. Right leg in a metal frame for a year, an my left foot was taken off. It as reattached, but 10 months later the left ankle had to be fused, since it was bone on bone. A little over a year after the fusion, and I can't complain. I can walk without much trouble, almost without a limp. Still stiff in the mornings, and both legs will swell throughout the day. But, hang in there, take every challenge as an opportunity to come up with a unique solution, all your own. Life will be a bit different, but it's still yours in which to live and excel.
April 27, 2015 - 6:06pmThis Comment
Hi..I was in a head on with a tracker trailor when I was 20yrs old.. broke left shoulder..left knee ..hip..pelvic..left femur and crushed both ankles.. it's been about 11 yrs since then and I'm still going through it..pain everyday no matter what..I hate it..but I'm glad to be alive and able to walk..just hate the pain..discomfort I go through.. both my ankles are infused and it's terrible..if I'm on my feet to long the pain is ridiculous..I still haven't found a pair of shoes that would help me.. it's hard to find any shoes / sneakers..most high tops I can't put my foot in cause it don't bend..and shoes my ankle curves so it sticks out and looks terrible plus no support.. I need a good pair of sneakers and a good pair of sandals for summer..
April 24, 2015 - 6:32amThis Comment
I will start and feel all your pain, I was in Iraq when I broke my ankle in 2006 combat injury and it never healed proper. I have been in pain for the last 10yrs with the ankle because it never healed proper, Last year I went to a ankle specialist in Nashville he removed a piece of my bone in my joint that did not fix the problem. So he recommend me the ankle fusion of the joint which I had on March 6 of this year. Now me being new to this how long will the recovery phase take and if anybody that is in the military or prior that had this done will it keep me in the military or MEB me.
April 9, 2015 - 12:21pmThis Comment
They will likely refer you to the MEB to be honest. I broke my left ankle last year during a training accident and it took a few months but I was ultimately referred for a medical evaluation which just ended a month ago. It's been a process to say the least. Plus the department of veterans affairs is a treat to deal with. But they will likely send you through aerial evaluation and you can appeal the boards decision if you have zero limitations and don't need a permanent profile or can continue doing alternate PT events. My break was bad and I cannot do any alternate events so I just signed my declination and was done with it. There's no way I could do my service job anymore especially with an upcoming amputation. I hope you recover quickly and have good luck with the MEB, they may reassign you to a different job if you're still capable of doing something. Have hope. It's difficult but you can do it.
April 29, 2015 - 11:42amThis Comment
I am so glad to find this forum! Due to several sprains of my left ankle I developed end stage osteoarthritis. I delt with the awful pain and missing out on activities for 3 years so after much thought I went with the ankle fusion since my doctors said that was all that would stop the pain. I am 8 months post surgery. The recovery was long and painful and I also wanted an amputation, every step hurts, not my ankle but the whole outside and outside bottom of my foot hurts and walking is painful. Many days are spent with my foot elevated. I went to my doctor this week and was told that yes the ankle was pain free but this has caused other parts of my foot to work like they are not supposed to and so the pain and swelling is something I have to deal with. I was very discouraged. He told me to get rocker shoes on Amazon. I don't take narcotics but I religiously take 400 mg of Ibuprofen twice a day. He said I could add another 400 mg mid day. I have found that really thick socks and Dr Sholls shoes help a lot. I guess I will get some rocker shoes and hope that will help me. I am developing pain in my right knee and hip, which he said probably will need replaced. OH NO! I'm really not going there! Im going to do exercises and wear thick socks and whatever kind of shoes.
April 4, 2015 - 11:51amThis Comment