Richard Haynes PTA/CPT - 9/12/2009

Question
I was in a car accident and broke tib fib and crushed left ankle . I had no insurence so i was put in a cast for 8 months and nothing to follow.Three years later i still have pain at the break site , and was told to live with it. I was told it would always cause me problems.I guess what i am asking is what can i do about it? I am currently seeking help for it but i dont know what to ask the doctor to do.

Thanks so much Steve

Answer
Hi Steve,

These can be difficult fracture when it comes to the healing process due to the weight bearing through the ankle and it is not unusual for them to bother patients for extended periods of time.

I would see an orthopedic surgeon have them X-ray it of course and see if you have a case of traumatic arthritis now developing in the ankle. This happens whenever a joint is involved in trauma and it speeds up the development of arthritis. This alone will cause you pain in that area.

Right now other then heat and some range of motion exercises there is not much you can do until someone can take a look  at the film of the ankle, then make a more intelligent recommendation.
From there you can get some more information on how to proceed. But have them X-ray it to see what degenerative changes may have taken place since the original injury.

You never know you may be a candidate for an ankle replacement down the road.

Regards

Richard Haynes PTA/CPT
Punta Gorda, Florida
www.richardhaynes.com