Recovering from broken leg

[ktang 34]

I was going to add to the "hockey injuries" series, but I had some specific questions.

I broke my ankle playing hockey on Sunday (28 Nov 2004). The operation to put in a rod and some screws was Monday (29 Nov 2004). 6 weeks of cast time is coming up.

My questions:

(i) Should I have the second operation to remove the rod and screws? I am worried that I would not be able to tighten my skates without rubbing the inside of the flesh against the rod and screws.

(ii) What can I do to speed the recovery? Would I be able to get back in time for playoffs (March)?

(iii) I am also coaching my son's Atom team. When would I be able to get back on skates? In other words, how much rehab time after I get out of the cast?

Unrelated to this; X-rays taken in the ER showed a second break on the inside ankle knob. When the surgeon sliced open the inside flesh to take a look and repair it, he saw that this was actually an old break that had healed. I think that it was from blocking a shot in playoffs last year; at the time I thought that it was only a bruise and kept playing. If I had known that the bone had been broken I might have fixed it properly at the time.

[Lilleman 0]

Ktang,

Sorry to hear about your misfortune.

First off, broken ankles are something to take very seriuosly. In really bad cases if the fracture have occured in joint of the foot, it can handicap you for life. i.e. makes you start limping. That's normally NOT the case, but for comparison a broken fibula/tibula is a "walk in the park" from the orto surgeons point of view. What I'm trying to say in a roundabout way, your first priority ought to be, to get back to walking before starting worrying about hockey IMHO.

As for your first question, I never have heard that rods/screws/mesh are removed from broken legs, like a fractures on tibula/fibula. But ankles could could be a different story. But removing them is that really an option seen strictly from the orto surgeons POV? In other words, is it safe and a productive move? There will be a cavity for while were the removed screw(s) were. You have to discuss this more closely with your surgeon.

Regarding your second question, I strongly suggest that you contact a physotherapist that have experience of sport related injuries, if you haven't done so already. It's impossible, trough the web, to give exact instructions on rehab exercises, for rather obvious reason. See also last paragraph/links.

As for comparison to your third question, I was in cast for 13 weeks, with a change of cast in week 7 from "b*lls to toe" cast to a lower leg one. If this is your first broken leg experience, you will be quite astonished on how quick the muscles deterioates!!!! after 6 - 7 weeks. The tendon also get/got very stiff within that period of time. All in all, it took me about a full year from from fracture date, to get back to normal.

And even if my fracture were "just" a kicked off leg, which can't be compared to ankle fractures, I think it can be wise to start to think in a longer period of time regarding the rehab process, in order to set realistic dead lines for your come back. But to give you a more "exact" estimate of the recovery time I can't providfe beacuse;

A. Were all individuals

B. I haven't suffered any broken ankles myself

C. A fractured ankle "A" is not similar to "B"

Finally I've found over the years, that's its very helpful to know as much as possible about a specific injury. It gives you the power to talk about it, with the docs and physiotherapist on their level. It proves to them, that you're not just one of the "cure me so I don't have do anything myself" ilk, when you start to ask the right kind of questions. Heres a couple of some good sports medicine links that I posted in another forum. These two sites, have a very good search engines, with a lot's of free material, so you can learn more, for instance the results of procedure "XYZ" according to the latest studies and so on.

http://www.sportsmed.org/

And

http://bjsm.bmjjournals.com/

I'll check back tomorrow to see if there's a follow up question, I might have an opion on

All the best, and a speedy and full recovery :)

Cheers

Lilleman

[ktang 34]

Lilleman:

Thanks for your reply. I think we have discussed a few things on the CCM forum recently.

I will look at the web sites you suggested. I have also received a lot of advice from others who have had this kind of break and operation:

(i) this kind of injury is very similar to the "ski boot" type injury in which the fibula / tibia are broken, but the ankle knob and ligaments are left uninjured;

(ii) because the ankle itself is not injured, this kind of injury has an easier rehab than a severely sprained or broken ankle;

(iii) sports physiotherapy has taken tremendous strides in this area, so I should find a modern one (with balance boards etc.) to help with the rehab; and

(iv) don't rush things trying to get back on the ice, or I could be left with longer-term problems.

- Kevin

[Lilleman 0]

Kevin,

By reading the your first post, I got the impression that your ankle itself was broken. Also "ankle" translated into Swedish mostly refers to the joint between the lower leg and foot. Good to hear that, that wasn't the case.

I hope the provided links will be of some assistance.

Once again, I wish you a speedy recovery :)

Cheers

Lilleman