lmc1972
30-07-2007, 03:47 AM
Hello All
I live in the UK and suffered a full dislocation and triple fracture to my right ankle after tripping on a wobbly paving slab in August 2005. It was pinned and plated and in cast for 12 weeks and then in a walking boot for a few months after, unfortunately I lost alot of movement and have been in pain ever since.
Last year I has an Arthroscopy where I had a considerable amount of scar tissue removed but was told by my Consultant that the joints were worse than they suspected and there was hardly any cartilidge left, therefore making it severely arthritic.
Ive had lots of different kinds of treatment both on the NHS and some privately but had no improvement in my Subtalar joint, there is hardly any movement to this joint and when it does move it feels like a red hot knife stabbing my Achilles! The consulant now feels there is nothing more to try, my MRI scan showed the joints are in a bad way, I now feel my only option is fusion, due to the trauma the accident caused I am not a candidate for replacement. My consultant agrees my only option to be pain free is fusion, however he is reluctant to perform it due to my age (34), I feel this is unfair as I am in alot of pain and my age should not come into it, there are lots of people younger than me that have had fusions and I feel my age should be an advantage, surely being pain free will allow me to get on with my life rather than being as restricted as I am now?!
After kicking up a bit of a stink my consultant said he is going to book me in to inject my joints with Iodine which will show via an x-ray how badly damaged they are, he will then decide which joints to fuse, he agrees its looking very likely that the Subtalar joint will need to be fused but is not sure about the main joint, he says I may have to wait a few years and go through it all again to fuse this one! Am I unreasonable to ask that they are done together? They both cause alot of pain, waking me at night and effect my work considerably. Has anyone else had this injection? What can I do if my consultant says no? I can not afford to go private and the NHS rarely let you go to other hospitals to see someone else. Id appreciate any advice.
I live in the UK and suffered a full dislocation and triple fracture to my right ankle after tripping on a wobbly paving slab in August 2005. It was pinned and plated and in cast for 12 weeks and then in a walking boot for a few months after, unfortunately I lost alot of movement and have been in pain ever since.
Last year I has an Arthroscopy where I had a considerable amount of scar tissue removed but was told by my Consultant that the joints were worse than they suspected and there was hardly any cartilidge left, therefore making it severely arthritic.
Ive had lots of different kinds of treatment both on the NHS and some privately but had no improvement in my Subtalar joint, there is hardly any movement to this joint and when it does move it feels like a red hot knife stabbing my Achilles! The consulant now feels there is nothing more to try, my MRI scan showed the joints are in a bad way, I now feel my only option is fusion, due to the trauma the accident caused I am not a candidate for replacement. My consultant agrees my only option to be pain free is fusion, however he is reluctant to perform it due to my age (34), I feel this is unfair as I am in alot of pain and my age should not come into it, there are lots of people younger than me that have had fusions and I feel my age should be an advantage, surely being pain free will allow me to get on with my life rather than being as restricted as I am now?!
After kicking up a bit of a stink my consultant said he is going to book me in to inject my joints with Iodine which will show via an x-ray how badly damaged they are, he will then decide which joints to fuse, he agrees its looking very likely that the Subtalar joint will need to be fused but is not sure about the main joint, he says I may have to wait a few years and go through it all again to fuse this one! Am I unreasonable to ask that they are done together? They both cause alot of pain, waking me at night and effect my work considerably. Has anyone else had this injection? What can I do if my consultant says no? I can not afford to go private and the NHS rarely let you go to other hospitals to see someone else. Id appreciate any advice.