Help with friend's ankle surgery?

2blonde · ‎03-10-2010

I have a friend who severely broke her ankle 1 year ago. She had to have surgery with metal screws, plate, etc. Anyway, after a year she still gets swelling and fluid buildup at the site of the surgery. She'll be OK for awhile, walking normally and exercising, then it flares up and she can barely walk at all. We at work have been after her to go back to the surgeon. I understand she has been afraid to go because she thinks they may want to have more surgery. We think she may have an allergy to the metal (she did have a similar reaction to pierced earrings long ago and couldn't wear them). She is suffering again now, and we have finally convinced her to see the surgeon, but her appt isn't until next Wednesday 10/25. Is anyone familiar with this? Do you know anyone with a similar experience, and how did it turn out?

Laura loves cats!

CLHS68 · ‎03-23-2010

I had a severe break in my ankle and have a plate screws & wire. Mine still swells everyday but goes down overnight. Never had trouble walking or pain from it. I think she should have it checked. They told me the metal would stay in unless it gave me problems. Maybe she is one to have a reaction to the metal. That said everyone I know that has had a broken ankle has had swelling in that ankle afterward.

Buckeye815 · ‎07-26-2011

I had my ankle reconstructed three years ago. It was broken in three places and I have screws, pins, and a plate still. It was still painful a year out from the surgery, and I had regular swelling still at that point. My left leg/ankle is still noticibly larger than my right, but the swelling is not as intense or frequent.

I worried that I was having a reaction to the metal too, because six months out, I was still having rash at the surgical sites (on both sides of my leg/ankle). Turned out that I was just having a reaction to the internal sutures, which have since dissolved. I treated it with cortisone cream, and more or less gutted it out. The ankle is still sometimes painful. It can depend on the level of activity, or even cold weather. I ice it still a few times a month and after strenuous excercise. It's been a life-changer, for sure. She can go have it checked, but I can tell you that at 46, it was a long road to feeling back to myself, and still I have days when it's very uncomfortable. I don't blame her a bit for not wanting to go through surgery again, it was a nightmare for me. As long as she has had the screws removed so she can stand up (that second surgery was so much easier than the first because it was just removal of one screw).

The best thing to do (if her doctor will allow) is try and regain strength in the ankle. It is very very difficult, and easy to just want to give up. Physical Therapy only does so much. And my insurance only paid for 12 sessions. So, after that was over and I was still not confident, I hired a trainer to work with me twice a week at a gym for about six months. It was cheaper than physical therapy and more effective for overall strength and flexibilty. Working with the trainer truly made a difference, rather than physical therapy where they only cared about if I was minimally mobile-and how many sessions my insurance paid for. BTW, I'm not a trainer or even close to being an expert, this is just what worked for me. I still have to excercise and walk regularly, keep it flexible, and ice it after excercise. She will get there! You're a good friend to help!

2blonde · ‎03-10-2010

@Buckeye815 @CLHS68 Thank you so much for your thoughtful replies. It sounds like what she is experiencing is not out of the ordinary. I'm going to pass the info on to her today. Thanks again!

Laura loves cats!

chrystaltree · ‎05-10-2010

Please refrain from giving your friend medical, you won't help by giving her horror stories and wild guesses. It could be anyone of 100 things but it certainly is NOT an allergy to the hardware. It isn't at all uncommon for people to experience pain and welling from the hardware after an ortho surgery. They keep the hardware in unless the patient (like your friend) has symptoms and if the fracture has heeled, they remove the hardware. She can take tylenol or motrin and ice the ankle until she sees her doctor. But if the pain is unbearable or if she has a fever or if the pain is so bad that she cannot walk....she should go to the ER.

MUNCHIE · ‎12-07-2011

I had surgery on my right foot in 2009. Finally had to go back in several years later due to swelling, extreme pain pressure inside the foot. Although I was told the metal used was titanium, as I am allergic (pierced ears to most everything so have given that up), , my foot was swelling on the inside when the weather got warm to hot, and I would literally have to pull over into a turnout , on the way home , take my shoe off , rub my foot, etc etc. The pain was excrusiating . I had seven screws removed , just before I retired and no more pain. I at first though my shoes were too tight,,socks were too thick,,etc, after a checkup was told otherwise. Removal only took 20 m minutes, hardly any pain from surgery, could walk normally in a week.

My body does not tolerate metal screws no matter what they are made of.

The screws were inserted primarily to hold the joint in place while it healed and were not meant to be in there for a lifetime. Some people could just leave them in and they would not bother them, me --they HAD to come out.

I also carried a picture of my xray in case I ever set off an alarm at the airport etc. haha

Big Sister · ‎05-15-2010

I broke my ankle badly ten years ago and had surgery on both sides of the ankle to repair it. I was not able to put weight on it at all for about four to five months. There are seven screws and two plates total in the ankle.

Every once in a while I get a "kink" in that ankle and have to walk gingerly because of a little bit of pain. It eventually works itself out and then there is no pain, until the next time I get a "kink."

Both of my ankles swell, but they have for many years, so I don't blame the metal in my ankle for the swelling. I guess it could account for some swelling, but after so many years, it is just something I live with.

Apparently, I am not allergic to the metal so have no plans to have another surgery to remove the pieces. If I did have an allergy to the metal, I think I would have it removed.

sfnative · ‎03-10-2010

@2blonde

Worked in Ortho for some years, so will add this.

Though rare, it has been known to occur. There are two types of screws used with plates: locking and unlocking. In nearly all cases, locking screws are used to permanently fix a plate in place. If a plate is to be fixed in place, but unlocking screws are used, these screws can loosen over time, causing pain and irritation in some to the extreme. These require removal and replacement with locking screws.

wagirl · ‎03-09-2010

I do have sympathy for your friend and her broken bone. I endured a broken wrist this last January and it was sheer H#LL, so I do know what she is going thru. Was possibly the worst thing ever for me and I had breast cancer with all the trimmings. However........it drives me completely INSANE when I hear of the very thing you are describing. What is wrong with these people!!! She needs to go back to her surgeon and figure all this out. I'd be dragging her kicking and screaming---- my SIL is the same way and when she hurt her knee, she let it go for almost a year then had to have knee replacement and has been battleing back/hip issues now as a result. These things don't just effect the obvious part but your whole body eventually and sometimes that is worse. Does she enjoy suffering? Sorry if this seems harse but come on.

hckynut · ‎03-10-2010

@wagirl wrote:
I do have sympathy for your friend and her broken bone. I endured a broken wrist this last January and it was sheer H#LL, so I do know what she is going thru. Was possibly the worst thing ever for me and I had breast cancer with all the trimmings. However........it drives me completely INSANE when I hear of the very thing you are describing. What is wrong with these people!!! She needs to go back to her surgeon and figure all this out. I'd be dragging her kicking and screaming---- my SIL is the same way and when she hurt her knee, she let it go for almost a year then had to have knee replacement and has been battleing back/hip issues now as a result. These things don't just effect the obvious part but your whole body eventually and sometimes that is worse. Does she enjoy suffering? Sorry if this seems harse but come on.

@wagirl,

In the running world this is called a secondary injury. When a muscle or a joint is injured, most unconsciously shift their weight to the uninjured part of the body. Many many times the secondary injury ends up much worse than the original injury.

That's why it is very unwise to let an injury go without being looked at buy a doctor.The longer a person does this the more chances of having a secondary injury that not only will prevent you from healing quickly, but also many times can create a whole new problem on a different part of the body.

If this happens to be a weight bearing joint then a person can have major major problems. I would suggest your friend that the sooner she gets this looked at the better off you will be.

hckynut

hckynut(john)