Went to see the quack to see if he could do anything new to my ankle. Apparently it is now ‘proper ****’ and needs fusing. Another 3 months in a boot and 3 months recovery to look forward to. At least this time I can choose when I have the work done so I will wait until after the summer and the BBB.

Anyway, 1st X-Ray shortly after the injury before they took out the big boltsand 2nd from this morning.

Notice the clean clear line between the leg bone and the ankle and also the clear area towards the front of the ankle in the first picture. Not there in the second.

The six million dollar man!

It’s a shame they were Zimbabwean dollars.

what mobility will you have after fusing?

Given that the screws are not in the same place is that definitely your x-ray?

screw movement is because what is left of the ankle bone is moving around a bit

Movement after op is ??? Zero in the ankle but hopefully the foot will allow some movement

screw movement is because what is left of the ankle bone is moving around a bit AND A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT ANGLE X RAY

Slightly different x-ray? I’ve tried visualising the difference in position but for the lifr of me cant do it.

1st x-ray is side on
2nd x-ray has the toe pointing slightly towards the camera.

If you look at the heel bone, that hasn’t changed much but appears shorter because it goes back into the screen a bit rather than just across it if that makes sense

1st x-ray

2nd

I get that, but the screws are pointing in a totally different direction and in a different part of the bone. The bone seems reasonably good quality so I doubt that they’d have moved that far hence my is it definitely your x-ray question.

Have your ladders been confiscated yet?

Have all of your ladders worldly goods with any sharp corners been confiscated yet?

FTFY 😉

This one shows it from the front. The screws are quite angled so more affected by the change in perspective. Also 18 months since the first one and major collapse in bone structure meaning things really have moved about

Sh!t sorry to hear that – thought when I was down in the summer things were “looking up” (I know it is all relative) and you were looking to avoid this?

“Looking up” might have me being a bit optimistic. More like “they hadn’t decided it needing fusing yet”

Anyway, it’s my birthday today so I am happy.

You know that the Xray is 2D so moving round it to take a different picture doesn’t then mean it is then taken from the front???

Happy Birthday ya daft bugger

2 different x-reys!

Happy Birthday 😀

Enjoy a few beers

I’ve had my ankle fused which was great after 15 years of pain. Plenty of mobility because the foot still flexes but you do use your ankles as shock absorbers so I gave up rock climbing as falling off wasn’t great.
Walking up steep hills results in me leaning forward at the waist to stop me toppling over backwards.
I do lurch about a bit sometimes because you can’t just flex the ankle to regain balance like you would normally.
Biking is great though. Jumping pathetic as no push from the lower leg. Need clip pedals as I can’t drop my heels on droppy stuff.
Hope things work out for you; on the plus side, they will give you Diamorphine when you get the opp! 😀

Happy Birthday WCA!

Don’t lean too close to the candles when you make your birthday wish!

chickenman – Thanks for the heads up. I am never sure if some of my injuries aren’t self inflicted just to get the cheap drugs – you have got to love that ice cool feeling as the morphine kicks in.

Glad to hear the pain goes, only 18 months so far for me but it gets wearing even with daily dihydrocodiene.

Any negative impact for your knees and hips? At the moment my knee gets bent backwards when I walk which really hurts and the hip gets twisted because I twist my foot to walk more easily. I am hoping these will go after the op.

Happy birthday, WCA. Go get some beer darn yer.

Don’t lean too close to the candles when you make your birthday wish!

Good advice there

Your injuries make my stomach shrink.
Your attitude however makes me humble.

BOL

Drink more Beer

Drink more Beer = Kind of clashes with the last thread I started : http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/benefits-of-not-drinking

Apparently losing 40lb will help the ankle too… 🙁

Happy Birthday.

Remember, from now on only kick small planets. 🙂

Ah-harrr you have a womans foot. I’ll wager those feet have never been sawn clean off by a falling sail and swept into the sea before your very eyes

Quite appropriate that the subject almost reads as WCAnkle 😆

DezB – WCAnkle – You fused the words together – very clever. Now you have reminded me about you I wilkl be chasing for a deposit for the BBB lodge 😉

I’ll wager those feet have never been sawn clean off by a falling sail and swept into the sea before your very eyes

Wanna bet?

That was the first time I did the ankle 😉

Happy birthday chap. As a relative newcomer, what happened in the first place to get the screws?

I have an aunt with a fused ankle, doesn’t seem to affect her very much but she isn’t a mountain biker so perhaps it is relative.

Good luck either way.

Chase me! chase me! You’ll never catch me with that leg!

hooli – Bottom of page 2 & 3 give pictures from when I first did it

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/wca-in-hospital

what mobility scooter will you have after fusing?

FIFY…

(but heal quick.. see what I did there ? )…

what mobility scooter will you have after fusing?

This one was fun on the Gravity Track at Avon Tyrrell

They let you on that? With your reputation?

Did no one think of the [potential] consequences?

Happy birthday though!

Anyway, it’s my birthday today so I am happy

In that case happy birthday – have another 6 million Zimbabwean dollars on me. Paypal gift or wheelbarrow?

Loosing 40lbs is just careless 😆

WCA: If your knees are hurting it’ll be because you’re walking weirdly to take the weight off your ankle. My right ankle was fused in the dead straight ahead position which required relearning to walk as I naturally walk slightly duck footed. My left ACL (ligament below knee) was hurting as my left foot was pointing at 11 O’clock whilst the right stayed straight ahead. Had to learn to rotate my left knee all the way clockwise to get both feet parallel. Supportive insoles good too.

Chickenman – I am naturally splay footed. Heels together and toes pointing outwards. As a kid I could point both feet backwards i and walk if I wanted to but my hips aren’t that flexible now. The consultant said that this would be a big focus of the post op rehab, teaching my good leg to behave like the one he operates on.

The reason my knee hurts at the moment is that my foot won’t currently bend to 90 degrees so unless I lean back at about 85 degrees as I walk my knee gets bent 5 degrees past fully straight with every step. If you sit down, rest your heel on a low table and then get someone to sit on your unsupported knee you will see why it hurts.

Please keep sharing hints, tips and experiences as you are the only other person I know who has been through this. Feel free to email direct if you don’t want to post.

Probably not having the op until after the Big Bike Bash in August so plenty of time

Thanks

Nick

Try some shoes with a rockered sole – I used to sell MBT’s & a couple of people with fused ankles literally came in on crutches & walked out. It’s not a great look, but should help your knee/hip/low back considerably.

Happy birthday, sorry about the ankle.

Buggy at Avon Tyrell looks a laugh, can’t believe they let you carry the sticks like that.