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Lis Franc Question

Last April I injured my right foot tumbling. I was a college cheerleader at the time. My doctor diagnosed me with a lis franc fracture. We tried to not have surgery at first, but after 3 months of pain my doctor decided that he needed to do surgery. I decided to have screws put in and then taken out months after the surgery. It was a long 4 months but I managed through.Within 6 months I was released to begin walking in a boot and then released to walk in regular shoes by Chritmas. In January my family and I went to Disney World for a week and I decided that I did not need to bring my walking boot because I had not had much trouble with my foot and the boot seemed to be a hassle. Unfortunately walking 14-16 hours a day at all the parks reaggrevated my injury and I have not seemed to have much relief. After being in my walking boot for about a month now my doctor has brought up the idea of going in and fusing the bones and joints that are giving me problems. I am only 22 and I am not sure I want to do such a permenant procedure at my age. My question is How much relief will the fusion actually give me and what is the chance that I might have to have more joints fused in the future?
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Avatar universal
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hello!

The Lisfranc fracture is a fracture or dislocation of the joints in your mid foot, here some small bones forms an arch on top of the foot between your ankle joint and toes.

I would suggest you to go for a second opinion and try to delay fusion and if possible go for a second surgery. If there is no scope for healing after a second opinion and recent scans then you are left with option for fusion as this will stabilize your foot.

Continued chronic pain with instable joint can be best treated with fusion of the first, second and third tarso metatarsal joints in an anatomically correct position. With realignment and stabilization of the medial side joints, lateral complications and pain subsides in most cases.

Take care!
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Avatar universal
Would the second surgery you are refering to be putting more screws in and eventually taking them out again?
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Avatar universal
Get the fusion. My daughter who is 18, had a lisfranc sprain/dislocation that we first tried to treat conservatively for 6 months. After much research and lots of specialist ortho's opinions, she had a fusion with two screws. She is almost one year post surgery. She is a gymnast on a top ten college team and although it has been a long road of rehab she can run and tumble now! Walking is easy! No pain. She still has some discomfort after a lot of high impact but the fusion has definitely not limited her normal daily life. She trains for 4 hours 5 days a week! I hope you are getting a second opinion and going for the fusion if you are still in pain. The lisfranc will not heal on its own. Best of luck.
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Avatar universal
Screws are not a fusion.  A fusion is when they use bone or something else to immobilize the joint.  The pain goes away because of the joint immobility...  Go to another Dr.  The first mistake was delaying surgery... it was already "too late" when you had the first one.  Your day at Disney World didnt re-injure the joint, it just sped up the inevitable due to your first Dr.'s incompetence.  Fusion should be a last resort due to unbearable pain.  Good luck. (You need to look at success in regards to a lisfranc in a new perspective.... you will NOT get back to "normal"... your "success" needs to be adjusted accordingly)
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