Recovery after broken ankle

[Kevbeau 0]

Thanks guys for the recovery updates. I busted mine (spiral fracture of my right fibula) back at the end of July and had three screws put in on August 1st and it's been killing me not to skate. I'm doing well with therapy to the point to where I can start skating on my own and should be ready for game contact sometime in December (fingers crossed).

The thing of it all is I broke it only doing a quick change of direction stop. No contact, just rolled the ankle and went down like a sack of bricks.

[calihockey11 0]

Thanks guys for the recovery updates. I busted mine (spiral fracture of my right fibula) back at the end of July and had three screws put in on August 1st and it's been killing me not to skate. I'm doing well with therapy to the point to where I can start skating on my own and should be ready for game contact sometime in December (fingers crossed).

The thing of it all is I broke it only doing a quick change of direction stop. No contact, just rolled the ankle and went down like a sack of bricks.

ouch man that must have hurt, i broke my leg at the bottom of my tibia at hockey practice but i got lucky cause it was only a fracture, i wore a cast for 4 weeks and was playing in games 7 weeks later

Edited October 31, 2007 by calihockey11

[Hazard14 0]

hows about an update guys?

me, ive played 2 practices, and 2 games already and all is going well (knock on wood), and hopefully within a few more weeks i'll be back in the flow of things

oh and my new skate account has gone up to $350, thinking about the Easton 1200C's, any thoughts?

[Wolfpack_1986 154]

are those a carbon fiber boot? dont you have screws? i'd find a boot that you can punch out and manipulate... that'd be my only advice. I was thinking about s15's, but in retrospect, it's probably good i didnt go with them.

[Hazard14 0]

nope no screws, from no surgery

[Kevbeau 0]

Went out for some sticktime on Friday. First time on skates since mid-July. Overall wasn't too bad. Almost no pain and little swelling. If anything, my back hurt more than my ankle :) . Also had some scar irritation, but not too bad.

Took it easy, didn't push the ankle and stayed out of the corners. I did have difficulty crossing over to the right side both forwards and backwards. My right ankle is still weaker than the left and it's definitely noticeable when all my weight is transferred to the outside edge of my skate. Was also a little weird thinking about skating as opposed to just "doing it." But....having said all that, it felt great to get back out there!

[gee2626 0]

I recently just broke my ankle. I actually, did quite a number on it. I fractured the fibula in my right leg, tore some ligaments in the inside of that ankle and separated ankle from where it meets the tibia and fibula. I've already had my surgery to repair the damage; four screws where the fracture is, and two plates where the separation is. I'm looking at 6 months (maybe longer) before I start skating again. I have never been away from the game for so long and it's driving me crazy to just laze around the house all day long. I feel I'm getting out of shape pretty fast and was curious, if you guys did any exercises to keep in shape? Did you guys work out at all or hit the weights? Did you guys buy a stiffer skate after you healed your ankle?

[Hazard14 0]

sounds rough, how'd ya manage to do that exactly?

the wait really sucks, you just have to deal with it. after, you definatley have to go to physical therapy.

time for an update: 8 months and 1 day

got a stiffer and better skate (graf 703) and all is going well (knock on wood), i am back at 100%, probobly even better than before.

how has your recovery gone guys?

[gee2626 0]

sounds rough, how'd ya manage to do that exactly?

I caught an edge and slid feet first into the boards.

Did you do any training while in the "cast" phase?

[Hazard14 0]

no, not really. other than moving around in crutches.

[Wolfpack_1986 154]

i sat on my ass, i didnt feel the need to exercise. I just came back at it hard when i was cleared.

I'm still in my vector 10.0's, with the inside ankle punched out. have ankle protection for it, too. It's not going to be fun picking out a skate next time around.

[gxc999 7]

I tore some soft tissue on the inside of my right ankle at age 14 or 15, I forget which. I do however remember how long it hobbled me. I was hamstrung for over 6 months, the very best thing you can do is not mess with it! Just leave it alone and let it heal. In fact, it still hurts me now after some hard rollerblading.

I made it worse for myself by trying to not see a doctor for several days and walked around on it without ever using crutches. Please learn from my huge idiocy...

[GoatBar17 0]

I'm playing for the first time tonight after fracturing my right fibula on 9/5.

Mine was pretty clean fracture and did not require pins/plates. Cast and crutches for 3 weeks and then walking cast for 4 weeks. PT 2x's a week for 4 weeks afterward. Started open skating over Thanksgiving.

As other's have stated:

- Not much exercise you can do while in the cast; wish I spent more time working on stick handling when I was in walking cast

- Do the PT!!! Stretching, riding a stationary bike, helped a immensely

- Don't rush it; set goals but your body will tell you if you are going too hard or too quickly

[Pats 0]

I fractured my fibula about an inch above my ankle bone on November 23. I had surgery where they inserted a plate with seven screws. At my two week check-up, the doctor said I'd be able to walk at week six (that check-up is tomorrow, keeping my fingers crossed) and then resume skating two weeks after that. He said that I would more than likely be able to resume game action around February 1 depending on how everything feels when I start to skate again.

[Wolfpack_1986 154]

if you're in a beer league, I cant stress enough really taking your time. Dont push it. Go ahead and get back in skates, but your ankle will tire quickly. I took my time getting back, because when your ankle gets as tired as it does your skating gets shot to all hell and can end up being dangerous (ankle giving out and going down, etc).

[Pats 0]

I honestly would like to take a bit more time, but this is my last season on junior and in all honesty probably my last season of serious hockey. I'm kind of in a rush mode here as long as the doctor says I'm fine, I'm going to do everything I can to play again this season.

[Wolfpack_1986 154]

thats understandable, i suppose

[Pats 0]

I understand that it will definitely be a struggle and I'm not going to play until I get clearance, but on the positive, my team has a full medical staff as well so hopefully that can be of help as well.

[gee2626 0]

I'm going to get my plates removed soon. The surgery is next week and I was wondering what kind of recovery should I be expecting? How many days should I take off work? How soon I can start walking?

I know I should probably talk to my doctor about this, but he's always really busy and hard to get a hold of.

[Wolfpack_1986 154]

when i talked to my doctor about what that surgery would entail, he said I'd be in a boot and on crutches for 2 weeks. That's just to allow the wounds to heal properly. He told me i could walk after that, but it would be 3 months or more before my bone was fully healed. Of course every situation will vary.

Are yours particularly painful? I thought i was going to want them out, but honestly, I'm near full range of motion (95%ish), and the inside ankle only hurts in my skates. Well, there is the daily pain associated, but its not bad enough to make me want to endure another surgery and recovery. Its only risking a decrease in range of motion.

[gee2626 0]

I didn't really have a choice on whether on not if I want to keep my plates. Apparently they are located on my ankle in a way that I won't be able to properly put weight on my injured foot. It currently doesn't hurt at all right now, but I guess it'll be quite a bother in the future.

I'm kind of glad I'm getting them removed though. A ref who broke his ankle, said it made a huge difference in skating comfort after he removed his plates.

[Wolfpack_1986 154]

i went back and read your description, sounds like it was far worse than mine.

It's really only uncomforatable when i first lace them up. after a few minutes it's ok. I do have a pocket so there's minimal pressure on the screw heads, so that helps

[ThePurpleCobra 0]

after starting this topic over 6 months ago with a left ankle break, i'm at it again.. Tonight on the same exact kind of play i went feet first into the boards and broke my RIGHT ankle.. hairline fracture, don't know how long the recovery will be until tomorrow-ish

http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/1252/jananklemx5.jpg

http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/2104/janankle2lb8.jpg

[Wolfpack_1986 154]

maybe you should stop going feet first into the boards ;)

I'm sorry to hear that you have to go through that whole mess again. How was your other ankle feeling?

[ean 0]

holy crap...talk about bad luck...good luck recovering man.