Broke my ankle (Fibula) yesterday and was wondering how long it would take before I can walk on it? Also how long will it take for it to heal?

I was just starting to get my fitness back.

Didn't ask your doctor then?

Depends on how bad the break was.

i broke mine 20yrs ago, the hospital found it years after and its not healed ,just rounded off. it swells up if i ride through long grass nowdays 🙂

is it cast?

I have to go to the fracture clinic on Monday…The nurses didn't say while I was there…

From the X-rays the break looked pretty bad.

I feel for you – I was in the same position.
I had to have an op and I was in backslab (pre / post op) for about 3 weeks IIRC, then a non weight bearing cast for another 6.

When the cast comes off though it comes back pretty quickly (mobility rather than fitness).

Ask your Orthapeadic consultant or the HO who's dealing with you. They're the one's with the x-rays. Do as they say though and don't push it as the last thing you want is problems with the joint.
Then for me it's just been a case of getting the strength back and letting the ligament damage heal. (If it makes you feel better, 3 factures, split Fibula & rearward dislocation 😉 )

If it was bad I imagine they'd have done an ORIF (Pins and plates) so I wouldn't worry. Just take a list of questions with you to the fracture clinic.

Good luck with the recovery!

Has anyone had an experience with Aircasts?

Broke fib and tib (spiral fracture) was put in cast for few weeks and then plated and pinned, that was ten years ago and still gives me loads of hassle. The ankle area has now not got full flexibility, the problem I had was muscle wasteage, the muscle in my thigh and calf went to almost nowt and took me along time to build it up again. Also have a problem with spd's and twisting out with the dodgy leg.

Probaly the worst part was watching my mates going off biking and missing getting out on the bike, it makes you think about how much biking can reduce stress levels and how much you miss it when its taken away.

Saw a bloke last year riding with his foot/ankle/lower leg in a cast, he looked to be having fun…..

Ouch broken my Left Scapular about Five years back
Taken 7 to 8 weeks to repair.

>Has anyone had an experience with Aircasts?

Yup – spiral fracture of the fibula some years back – mebbe I was lucky with that, I think there's quite a bit of surface area to help it knit together. Can't remember the exact details but wasn't supposed to walk on it for 4 weeks but could put weight on after the first week or two (the tibia's weight-bearing). I think then another week or two walking with the cast on, so about 6 in total.

The ankle was a bit stiff for a while and probably took a few years to regain most of it's original flexibility.
Don't be too shocked by how skinny your calf will get, it'll soon come back up to size – I wound up riding one of the spinning class bikes one-footed for a while to help build it back up.

Drat, 6 weeks + that's a PITA. Is there anyway to speed recovery?

daffy, how did you do it mate.

This happened to my missus about 3 days before we were to head back to Italy…………7 long weeks at the inlaws!!!

anyway she had an air cast and she was pretty much in pain for 2 weeks, after the third week she was riding her bike on flat roads, about 4 weeks she went offroad.

7 weeks properly offroad.

Best thing was to put weight on it as early and as much as possible (as pain allows)

But definately get the air cast, dont take any no's for an answer.

It takes a few months to be 100% but after 2 months you are 95% there.

good luck

Daffy – Broke my right foot nearly 3 weeks ago – in a fibreglass cast until next week when I go for another x-ray to see how/if it's healing. If not it's surgery plus another 3-4 weeks in a cast 🙁

Had cast redone last week and I asked nurse how long for bones to heal – was told about 4ish weeks on average but that can vary depending upon type of break and where it is.

Feel for you though – was in same place with my fitness until this 'blip'!!

I did read an article about exercising the uninjured limb as it speeds up healing and strength by 10%.

I think the growth factors involved match the receptors of both limbs.

You could use a chair and do weights too.

Split bodyworkout etc.

Good luck and keep occupied etc

It all dpends on the break. Mine took years to heal and it'll never be as good as it was. I walked with a limp for about 4-5 months and had three operations on it. It was several years before I could run on it, still have restricted movement. Once the cast is off try and do as much physio as you can, I found what I was given to do totally useless so I did my own.

Kev

Carrying heavy thing downstairs beleive it or not. I miss-stepped and came down hard on the ankle which was fractured in the summer. Something snapped and I was down on the deck.

Broke mine 12 years ago. Really painful. Regulation 6 weeks in plaster and then physio 3 times a week. I was back at work when the plaster was removed(self-employed window cleaner). I pushed myself hard and was back riding in Enduros(motorbike) 10 weeks after my accident.
I was lucky,a clean break and my wet and cold Alpine Stars held everything in place as I completed the 30 mile loop in agony.
Good luck with your recovery.

If you're anywhere nr Ipswich, this bloke's supposed to be pretty good at getting things healing quickly – I believe a lot of motorcycle racers use him:
http://www.physioclinic.net/index.html

Mine was a really silly incident. I was riding between the bottom of a DH course in Les Gets and the pavement – just some grassy runoff, a bit off camber. Feathering the back brake – breaks away, slides over the camber. I let go of bike, SPD doesn't release. Arse.

That afternoon while I'm sitting on the cafe nursing my (thinking sprained, but swelling) ankle, mate borrows the bike (I'd hired it). I sit watching him and 4 others descending 4x course…his helmet disappears – he'd got over a double and hit the second. Bust collarbone!
Fortunately this was on the sat, flying home the following day…
I'm walking in 6 weeks, 5 or 6 months later my mate has to have his collarbone pinned 'cos it ain't knitting, unlucky bugger 🙁
(By comparison, I bust a collar bone some years before and was cycling to the physio by the third week)