Unfortunately, the boot keeps my foot in one place and because of the difference between a normal left shoe and a right boot it hurts my back incredibly to walk much distance. Posttraumatic arthritis is a type of arthritis that develops after an injury. If your job involves manual labor, you will typically need 4 to 6 months of rehabilitation before going back to full duty at work. Change ). When will I be able to start putting weight on my leg? Thus, we determined the clinical effects of routine hardware removal irrespective of the degree of hardware-related pain, especially in the perspective of patients’ daily activities. In some cases (those luckier than me) the cartilage survives enough t allow pain-free walking and much normal use of the ankle. Check to see if you can move your toes and feel things throughout your foot. Minor infections can be treated with antibiotics and dressing changes. Hello Natalie my name’s Robert and on April 17th my life changed after falling of ladders resulting in pilon fracture,1 month in hospital 3 plates and 2 screws in both legs.9 months in I’m able to walk a fair distance with 2 crutches, reducing to 1 crutch as we speak.swelling has gone down,both ankles look like they should.but still in pain,mainly with the circular bone on the left side of each ankle,but obviously there’s the emotional side to this injury, trying to keep your chin up!! Sunsets are just as pretty post pilon fracture, In fact…I’m glad to be alive. For this reason, as the swelling in your ankle decreases, you may need frequent cast changes. I think this injury is worse babying and coming back onto full weight-bearing as slowly as possible and lots of physical therapy. The term "pilon" comes from the French word for pestle. In some cases, nerves may be injured at the same time that the bone is broken. Specific exercises will help improve the range of motion in your ankle. I feel I’m getting too shelf care. Once the swelling and blisters have gone away, your doctor will perform a second surgery. In this article, we are going to learn about each step of the physiotherapy after fracture … By 4 months after surgery, most patients no longer need a walking aid. The injury to the surrounding soft tissues, such as muscle, tendons, and skin, Inability to bear weight on the injured leg, Deformity—your ankle may look angled or crooked. With pilon fractures, there can be total cartilage death after 6 months. 7 Months Post Op and 3 Months of “Walking”, An Update, It has been 5 and a half months after my pilon fracture surgery, 7 Months Post Op and 3 Months of “Walking”, An Update, Ankle dorsiflexion limited after 6 months post injury at 2 degrees, Dorsiflexion through anterior ankle impingement, https://www.strava.com/activities/413271549/embed/ddf196e6cd9d52343e4c9b9651d9dd63ba126def, //pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js, Follow Pilon Fractures Suck! It is very common to have ankle stiffness after a pilon fracture. This information is provided as an educational service and is not intended to serve as medical advice. In summary, this study does not demonstrate a clinical benefit in patients with gait derangements after pilon fracture at walking speeds. Even when your bones heal normally, the cartilage protecting the bones can be damaged, leading to pain and stiffness over time. It usually occurs following a significant force to the foot, such as a fall from a height or motor vehicle accident (MVA). Long healing or worsening is one of possible fracture symptoms. ( Log Out /  It is very common to have difficulty bending your ankle as far back as you were able to before your injury. For example, it may be difficult to bend it the same way, go up and down stairs, or climb a ladder. Depending on the severity of your pilon fracture, your recovery time may vary. About Tibial Pilon Fractures; Pilon Blog. While air bags enable more people to survive high-speed car crashes, they do not protect the legs—so many of the survivors wind up with pilon fractures and other leg injuries. I am 14 weeks post surgery that resulted in 2 plates and 18 screws. Fracture is the first thing to be ruled out. Says too early to tell on cartilage, but my injury was mostly above the ankle joint so he doesn’t think I’ll be as bad off as some pilon fractures that “explode” the ankle joint. If I have to have surgery, what are the benefits and risks? 1 Patients frequently have pain, impaired ankle function, and decreased general health status. Talk to your doctor if your pain has not begun to improve within a few days of your surgery. Although some studies analyzed QOL after pilon fractures [1, 5,6], they included a mixed of fracture types. Fractures involving the joint surface called pilon fractures have a more conservative care plan after surgery. Some fractures only need rest and protection, while others require surgery and weeks of rehabilitation. if so what degree and how did that effect you? If your fibula is also broken, your doctor might first perform surgery to fix the fibular fracture and get your ankle back into place—and then apply an external fixator to hold your pilon fracture in place. The bone of the lower part of the ankle joint (talus) is driven into the top of the ankle joint, causing a fracture to the weight bearing portion of t… Medications are often prescribed for short-term pain relief after surgery. If you have significant swelling or blisters, your doctor will delay your surgery until the swelling goes down. Well… my surgeon walked in the room after I got out of x-ray and didn’t look very excited to see me. Many pilon fractures require surgery but, rarely, some stable fractures can be treated nonsurgically. All material on this website is protected by copyright. Further x rays showed that it STILL wasn't healed so the final resort was a synthetic bone-like cement injected into the fracture site. Monitoring. You may be able to bear weight between two to three months. Most patients are not able to put all of their weight on their injured ankle for 2 to 3 months. It is important to use opioids only as directed by your doctor. Results. To fully evaluate your fracture, your doctor may recommend an x-ray (left), a CT scan (center), or a three-dimensional CT scan (right). Some patients with posttraumatic arthritis may need further surgery to relieve symptoms. A broken ankle can severely limit your ability to perform basic functional tasks like running and walking. X-rays provide images of dense structures, such as bone. Wow I hope that your impact was light and you have good cartilage survival. However, for some patients, there is little pain and no need for further surgery. The lower ends of these bones make up part of the ankle. I am hopeful that I find some good news. I’m one month out of pilon fracture surgery myself and just discovered your blog. In many pilon fractures, the bone may be crushed or split into several pieces due to the high-energy impact that caused the injury. The severity of the injury depends on several factors, including: If the bone breaks in such a way that bone fragments stick out through the skin or a wound penetrates down to the broken bone, the fracture is called an "open" or compound fracture. You may have significant pain after your procedure, but pain medicines may help to relieve the pain. on WordPress.com. Right after the injury, you may or may not be able to walk or place weight on the ankle. Ankle stiffness is very common after a pilon fracture. The swelling is still very pronounced, and I am still am icing. Pilon fractures are often severe injuries that can permanently affect the ankle joint. Your doctor may apply an external fixator to hold your pilon fracture in place and stabilize your ankle until your second surgery can take place. Time have you been able to start moving your ankle after 2 to 3 months of “ walking,... Also help your doctor see the Surgeons this week and I have to follow proper tibia fracture. 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