Recovering from shattered ankle

[megpan]

I was in the rock gym on April 28th, slipped coming down, missed the bouldering pad, and shattered my ankle.  I fracture my fibula, my tibia split up the middle, and just about all the bones in my shattered.  I was in an external fix. for two weeks, followed by a surgery in which two plates, several pins, and a bone graft was inserted.  That was about a month ago. My pain has been very minimal these past few weeks but lately, my left ankle (the broken one) has felt numbness, tingling, and shooting pains. Is this normal?  Is it because I crutch a lot, and often forget to elevate my ankle?  I am just curious and want to make sure my healing process is going well.
I am 21 years old and in excellent health.

[dr_simran]

Hello Dear,
The fracture healing time is dependent in the type and the extent of injury.
Usually it would take about 3-6 months for healing of fracture provided there are no complications. The numbness, tingling, and shooting pains may be due to some nerve involvement or injury to some nerve.It might take some time for the nerve to heal.
All the best

[a88ie]

Yes this is normal, i shattered my ankle in 2003 and took me the best of 6 months to walk and had a limp for about 2 years, the shooting pains should go away, just out of curiosity, did you loose leg legnth too?

[Beckumtwin]

Hey..I shattered my ankle as well..It was in July 13th 2016 and now its April 26 2017..I've been walking and everything..But is it normal to have your ankle feel tiredness or limp for this time?Will I be able to withstand standing for a longer period of time?And is it normal to also have this feeling in the ankle where I shattered it stiff in the mornings?Will all of this go away in time?

[brittanyarian]

I shatter my anckle I have two screws now its almost been a month now n dr said in 2 more months till I walk again iam going be able to walk the same I'm very young I'm 22 n healthy I hope I dnt walk funny do u think I will

[ShenaB86]

I was recently in a really bad car accident. I tore my tibia/fibia and shattered all of my ankle bones on April 11th, 2015. I had my 1st Surgery on April 13th and my second on April 27th. A total of 5wks bed rest. On May12th I was released off bed rest and put in a cast for 4wks and NWB until t'is removed. I've also started experiencing pains shooting up my leg and numbness. I can move all my toes we'll except my big toe. I'm 29yrs old! Normally I just keep my leg elevated as much as I can and when I'm out and about I put my leg on the dash board or if I'm in a restaurant or at a friends house I always elevate my leg. Elevation is the key to a speedy recovery. Hope this helps.

[jezibel]

My brother shattered his entire leg in a motorcycle accident  last September. He's still recovering. He is experiencing the exact same transitional sequence of pain. it's getting harder for him to walk and he loses balance. His pain is constant. It's awful.
His orthopedic surgeon said that his shattered tibia/fibula over grew during healing and all his ankle bones fused together. They are heading toward zero mobility.
He was making progress he didn't understand why it was hurting more and more, instead of less and less. Now we know why.

He is going in for surgery next week to have his bones broken and sliced off. :( He's been through so much already. I don't understand how a hip /trochanter can be replaced but the other end of the leg can't be capped off with Tephlon implants or ceramic or 3D printed new bone joints that prevent bone fusion.

[Teenerds]

Hi... in recent events i was also in a motorcycle accident. Is there any updates in your brothers recovery. I believe your brother and i have the same injury. Thank you

[Kazz2829]

I shattered half my ankle 20 years ago still have problems I'm 30 years old and I was 10 when it happened had the rest of my ankle removed I try to keep fit although I am currently feeling like I am going to lose my foot from the crushing pain. I’ve had problems with my hip and back due to this. The pain doesn't complete go but I was ok with it until 2 years and when my foot started to twist out of proportion. Will be going to see what else they can do these days.

[gimp1500]

I shattered my ankle when I was 15 from a fall.  Had two surgeries, first was to put it all back together, second was to pull a few pins and screws out.  I spent roughly 18 months on crutches and several years with a noticeable limp.  I am 53 now and really don't have any issues other then some stiffness and soreness now and then.   But it doesn't stop me from hiking, biking, golfing, and even skiing.  Later in life I was having pretty severe back problems, would wake up in the morning and couldn't stand up straight etc.   After numerous doctor appointments and them telling me I had scoliosis I went to a spine specialist.   They took several x-rays and basically told me I damaged my growth plate in my ankle when I broke it.  Which caused one leg to be 1/4 inch shorter than the other and over time messed with my spine alignment.  They set me up with some shoe inserts and literally within a few months of religiously having the inserts in my shoes, all the back issues went away.