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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An orthotics specialist should be able to alter the soles of regular shoes for ankle fusion patients.
June 3, 2016 - 10:20pmThis Comment
Hello, I have both my ankles and heels fused due to severe Osteoarthritis. I wear MBTs as well but finding other shoes I am wanting to try as Abeo has a rocker shoe and HokaOne also has a shoe that is rocker. These are on my list to try next. I think it is the right decision, I was bone on bone with one of my ankles. I had a total hip replacement last year and my hands are starting to go down hill. Arthritis can eat away at your body. I am just 47 and been going through this for the past 10 years with the ankle issues. The others just started a year or so ago. There are people out there with no legs or cannot walk. I will take anything I can get to help me. When people say you poor dear, I just say I am fine. It is not cancer and I am thankful for that.
April 13, 2016 - 10:24amThis Comment
Hi-I am so frustrated. I had my fusion 12/29/20015 for a very severe Tib-Fib fracture on 11/25/2014 which the repair did not heal correctly. I still can not walk without a walker. It is terrible. My husband is a physical therapist so I had lots of training. Give me advise. I also still have to wear a walking boot. This last 17 months have been a nightmare. I would love to hear from you. Carly
April 23, 2016 - 10:18amThis Comment
thank you for initiating this conversation. I spent hours reading , i was initally interested in info re ortho shoes however i felt good to know there are so many others in this life boat i joined the EmpowHER group to learn additional information
March 16, 2016 - 5:40pmThis Comment
Thank you for sharing. Just had my ankle fusion Feb. 3, 2016, could have waited for awhile, but afraid I would get hurt and ruin all chances I had to ever walk again. Still not weight bearing (had a bad accident 8/2015-blacked out hit a tree head on) hopefully I will be soon. I have hope, determination, and a great deal to be thankful for.
April 12, 2016 - 2:02pmNext is checking out EmpowerHER group.
Hope all goes well pls. never give up.
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I am going on 15 1/2 years of hardware in my right ankle because of car accident...it shattered my ankle bone....2 plates 16 screws....my ankle swells to the size of cantelope...I am in pain daily...I had to learn to walk again and the most comfortable way was to walk with my foot out to the side...I can't find any shoes except flip flops with a wedge...can't run, barely walk...I wished they made boots for people like me....I see all the women with pretty winter boots and I can't wear them...its hard to get a job with a limp....is there any support groups for people with hardware I can contact ? or can anyone tell me shoes that I can get to walk better without pain
January 18, 2016 - 8:11pmkathy from Florida
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Try Finn Comfort "Finnamic" line. I have had an ankle fusion for 6 years now and am still dealing with the challenges of walking comfortably without pain and swelling. I now have 4 pairs of these shoes and 2 pairs of sandals. These really seem to work well...not the most stylish but comfortable and expensive.
February 29, 2016 - 6:34pmThis Comment
My name is Janet,
I was in a head on accident in 1998. I had my foot on the brake when I was hit. My right ankle broke and came thru the skin, my heel bone could not even be repaired, also my knee and thigh was also broke. It was a mess. They planned on amputating the ankle and foot but they managed to save it, saying it was the worst they had ever saved. However, the pain was horrible if I tried to walk on it. After about six months to a year,I requested they amputate it because I couldn't walk across the room due to the pain and it was not the way I wanted to live.
Instead they had me wear an AFO brace. It did work and the pain was was something I could deal with by taking Motrin 600 mg in the morning. However the arthritis and pain built up over the years. I had gotten by for 10 years with the AFO. But now it would take a wheel chair or other accessories to get around. So I started checking out specialist again to see what could be done.
All of the foot and ankle specialist, some well known, just shook their heads when they saw the x-rays. They couldn't believe I had ever been able to walk on that foot. Then one day a podatrist who could not make a brace fit right said to go see Dr. Myerson, but then when he re looked at my x-rays, he then said ah, maybe that won't be helpful. I went decided to make the trip to Mercy Hospital and see Dr. Myerson in Baltimore. I made the appointment and then I saw Dr Myerson, who within the first few minutes said the unbelievable " I can fix it" huh? what? Then I said" well if it were you, when would you have the surgery." He said" He would have done it 5 years ago.
And he did. He fixed it with a triple fusion. I was to wear rocker shoes. Several months later I realized something was just different. I realized that I hadn't been having any pain , I had become so use to pain that I had forgot that I had had it.
Now He is the Top Dog Foot and Ankle reconstruction. He is world famoous and writes all the stuff.
I believe some doctors are very good , some are great, but he is even above those terms.
Now 6 years later I fell down and broke my other ankle. Dumb, Dumb, Dumb. I did a major job on that ankle too. When ER told me I broke it, I said I going to make the trip up to Mercy and Dr Myerson. I went there and had it fixed by one of his associates. This ankle kept hurting even after a year and follow ups so I insisted to see Dr. Myerson. He saw a problem and is taking care of it now.
In the mean time the foot with the fusions was giving me trouble. I was using that foot too much and babying my other new broken ankle. On top of the foot, I had pain below the 2 and 3 toe. It became real bad, swelling, pain. See I had also started to wear non rocker shoes and had bought shoes anti motion shoes for the newly broken foot which had pronation. I went to the podiatrist near by who said I need to get all the pressure off that foot and put my rockers back on or wear a boot cause that foot doesn't bend and I had two stress fractures. I went back with the the Rocker and the pain is lessening each day.
I know that my other joints on that side will take a beating. Plus that leg is 1 inch shorter . Yes, my knees and my back hurt at times, but I go to the chiropractor for that. By the way, my knees got better when I realized that my gait was off and I needed an ankle support for weak flatting ankle on the other side. But I had 6 years without pain and have made adjustments to try and protect my other joints as I am aging and things are getting worn.
Moral of the story. Don't just let anybody do any foot surgery especially a triple fusion or an ankle replacement, Too many horror stories. Stop, only proceed if you see if Dr. Myerson and recommends it and ONLY if he is the one who does it. He he is the specialist of specialist, he has other orthopedic surgeons from all over the world follow him around trying to learn from him.
Several years ago, the hospital had a party to honor him and invited people who had foot and ankle surgery by him, and they came. It was amazing to hear one after another the stories that were close to a miracle of what he did for them. They felt without his talent , gift , and skill their lives would have been very different. I was one of them.
September 25, 2015 - 7:09pmP.S. I personally know 6 other people I come in contact with where I live, who have gone to Baltimore to have had surgery on their feet. They are all up on their feet and moving on with their lives. I don't even see them limp. They all are so grateful to Dr. Myerson.
That's my story
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Hi Janet ...can you do any type of light jogging now?
January 13, 2016 - 5:14amThis Comment
Dear Janet,
December 31, 2015 - 8:58amWhat a story! I will be tracking down Dr. Myerson shortly.
I was born with bi lateral club feet in 1980. My feet have been resistive since day 1. My right foot hasn't had any more surgery since I was 5 ( Dr Mosca at Children's in Seattle) . It's my left that has given me the most pain. I had 2 seperate Triplearthurdesis in my teens on my left foot, including an osteograft and screws/pins. I saw Dr Herzenburg several years ago (he's now one of the best club foot specialists in the nation at Siani in Baltimore) and he said that since all the surgery has already been done there is nothing more that can be done really. All the interns came out of the woodwork though. I was an example of the "old school" treatments.
Your post gives me hope. My new orthopedist recommends ankle fusion because my pain is increasing. I've had cortisone injections, acupuncture and I started using a cane at times this year. He gave me a brace to wear (a soft lace up kind) but after wearing that for 3 weeks it threw my back out. My range of motion is limited but greater in the right foot but even more limited in the left. Thanks for your story. Dr. Myerson might just be my saving grace.
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