20 years after 2 broken ankles

[Taylor]

My partner of 16 years broke both his ankles after a fall from scaffolding over 20 years ago. Resulting in pins and emergency surgery. He loves his sport and broke the left ankle again playing basketball some years ago. The left ankle is bone on bone and causes him extreme daily pain. He gets very frustrated at not being able to play with ours two kids, even finding it difficuly kicking a soccer ball around. We have tried all the natural products, tablets, powders, creams etc without any effect. He is on daily Diclohexal tablets and has been on many others. I want him to get his life back. I have read about a new surgery of placing a frame on the joint to actually stretch the joint apart to give room for new cartiledge to grow. The frame is on for approx 4 months. Is this performed here in Australia? Because he walks with a large limp and can not bend his ankle it has put his back out and he walks lopsided- all this at 42 years old. He is often at the chiropractor and sometimes is unable to move at all because he is so "out of wack". It is heartbreaking to watch. If anyone can shed light on any new techniques, ideas etc please inform us.

[Nicholas]

I think your partner should have that ankle surgery. I am not sure if it is performed here in Australia but I still do think he should have that ankle operation.

[kjwilkin]

Hi there,

I'd recommend your husband go and see Mark Blackney, an ankle surgeon in Melbourne. He specialises in the foot and ankle. Meant to be the best in the business.

I was referred to him by my sports physician and was really able to help me. No-one was really sure what to do, but my sports physician thought he could help me. I had a chronically unstable ankle after spraining it about 10 years ago and kept happening. Also had a subluxating peroneal tendon. I had surgery at the end of January which included an ankle reconstruction and peroneal reconstruction. My ankle is now really stable and able to walk a lot more now, which is just great.

It may be worth going to see a sports physician at Olympic Park Sports Medicine Centre that can refer your husband onto Mark Blackney. Some good sports physicians at Olympic Park are Chris Bradshaw, Andrew Jowett and Paul Blackman. They are all involved with AFL teams and think use Mark Blackney when one of their player's requires foot or ankle surgery. Contact number at Olympic Park is 9427 0366.

Good luck !

[Elham Rostom]

Hello there, please let me know what your partner did with his ankle, I have the same exact situation, I was envolved in a car accident 1985, and I had double fracture , I have 2 pins on both sides of my ankle and one lone pin in reach to the midle of my leg, I am a pharmacist and my job requires long standing, i live in USA, for the last 2-3 years the condition getting worse by the day, I am in so much pain almost 24 hours a day, I can't go for long walkes I used to do for years, I went to 4 diffrent orthopedic surgoens here in USA, all of them insists that freezing the ankle is the only option I have, i really do not want any more pins in my leg, I am not sure what I do, please let me know what kind of treatment he is getting , may be we can help each other , thanks a million.

[Lynnne]

Hi There..I have heard about this procedure of joint distraction told by one of the private consultants i had seen....yes they leave space for new cartillage to grow BUT....if it doesn't work ur husband will be left with a very very noticeable limp......possibly one leg an inch shorter and might end up wearing speacial shoes...on that foot so as to compensate for the lost inches...i just thot i would let u know......as this was exactly what he said to me.....as it still is a new procedure...God bless :)


My partner of 16 years broke both his ankles after a fall from scaffolding over 20 years ago. Resulting in pins and emergency surgery. He loves his sport and broke the left ankle again playing basketball some years ago. The left ankle is bone on bone and causes him extreme daily pain. He gets very frustrated at not being able to play with ours two kids, even finding it difficuly kicking a soccer ball around. We have tried all the natural products, tablets, powders, creams etc without any effect. He is on daily Diclohexal tablets and has been on many others. I want him to get his life back. I have read about a new surgery of placing a frame on the joint to actually stretch the joint apart to give room for new cartiledge to grow. The frame is on for approx 4 months. Is this performed here in Australia? Because he walks with a large limp and can not bend his ankle it has put his back out and he walks lopsided- all this at 42 years old. He is often at the chiropractor and sometimes is unable to move at all because he is so "out of wack". It is heartbreaking to watch. If anyone can shed light on any new techniques, ideas etc please inform us.