Talus fracture - pain on day three of partially wright bearing 6 weeks post fracture - normal?

Hey guys,

I fractured my talus (non displaced) just over 6 weeks ago. I got the all clear at the end of last week to start partially weight bearing and it was going all super well until tonight. Bam, stabbing pain! On the bottom of my foot about midway. Ouch. Did anyone else experience this? If so is it because you are beginning to use muscles that have not been used for that 6 weeks or is it because the fracture itself is destabilising?

Cheers,

Clare

Clare Murphy wrote:Hey guys, I fractured my talus (non displaced) just over 6 weeks ago. I got the all clear at the end of last week to start partially weight bearing and it was going all super well until tonight. Bam, stabbing pain! On the bottom of my foot about midway. Ouch. Did anyone else experience this? If so is it because you are beginning to use muscles that have not been used for that 6 weeks or is it because the fracture itself is destabilising? Cheers, Clare

Hey Clare,

I just fractured my talus bone a few days ago (waiting to see an ortho on Friday to determine the full extent/ treatment), and am freaking out about the possible down time I may be facing. I saw your post and am interested to learn more about how your healing process went. I am fairly sure my fracture fits into the non-displaced category (the ER doctor said that it looked "very minor"), and am realy hoping to avoid surgery. I would love to hear more about what you went through and how long it was before you were climbing in full form again. 

Thanks!

Chandler

Even though your talus does not appear to be shattered, folks sometimes add to those threads with their stories.

ChanVan Schaack wrote:

Chandler, talar fractures can be very, very serious with life altering consequences. If yours is minor with no displacement, then chances are you'll make a full recovery with little to no impact. I would wait to hear from the ortho before making any decisions concerning it, but if it is as minor as the ER doctor believes then it should be a relatively quick recovery. Maybe only a couple months.

I broke my talus about a year ago. I had a complex fracture of the talar body with displacement. Long story short, I've been climbing better than ever for months now. I have some swelling and pain but it's not affecting my quality of life. Running isn't really something I can do much of, but I don't have issues hiking or climbing.

Hi Alexander- Thanks for your reply. I read your posts on the other thread as well and found them very helpful. Super glad to hear that you've managed to fully recover in one year! Keeping my fingers crossed that I will be as fortunate. Out of curiosity, are you bouldering again and falling normally or mainly route climbing? 

ChanVan Schaack wrote:

Hi Alexander- Thanks for your reply. I read your posts on the other thread as well and found them very helpful. Super glad to hear that you've managed to fully recover in one year! Keeping my fingers crossed that I will be as fortunate. Out of curiosity, are you bouldering again and falling normally or mainly route climbing? 

Bouldering and route climbing. I have to be careful when falling while bouldering, but I can take pretty high falls in the gym okay. For a long time I was taking one-legged falls, but now I'm able to land with both feet, although I still favor my good side. 

ChanVan Schaack wrote:

Hey Clare,

I just fractured my talus bone a few days ago (waiting to see an ortho on Friday to determine the full extent/ treatment), and am freaking out about the possible down time I may be facing. I saw your post and am interested to learn more about how your healing process went. I am fairly sure my fracture fits into the non-displaced category (the ER doctor said that it looked "very minor"), and am realy hoping to avoid surgery. I would love to hear more about what you went through and how long it was before you were climbing in full form again. 

Thanks!

Chandler

I chipped my talus, minimally displaced, about 2 years ago. Luckily, did not require surgery. The first ortho I saw put me in a cast and wanted me non weight baring for 8 weeks, then the boot, then partial weight baring, etc....said I would have terrible arthritis and instability forever. I spent a week in the cast before realizing this was not for me. I saw another ortho who seemed to reflect my school of thought; he took me out of the cast that day and put me in the boot. Using pain as my guide, I was able to move the foot, and progressively the ankle, more and more. I was walking without crutches in 8 weeks and bouldering again (carefully) in about 3 months. I am young and otherwise healthy. I was uncomfortable with the idea of wearing a cast and immobilizing my ankle completely for 8 weeks. It did not feel right to me. I'm glad I got a second opinion as I'm sure my recovery process would have been much worse had I stuck with the original plan of cast for 8 weeks. Joints stiffen up really quickly and every day of immobilization has big consequences. I asked the second doc how his treatment varied so much from his peer; he explained that newer research is proving the benefit of early movement and that the stability of my particular fracture is really a matter of professional opinion. The cast was really annoying (itchy, difficult to shower), but also mentally hard for me to swallow. I do not like not being able to see and assess my body. With the boot, I was able to look at my ankle, see the progress as swelling decreased and movement increased, and actually touch the skin. Might sound weird, but even light touches seemed to really help. I did not do formal PT, but I did a lot of yoga. I regained my ankle mobility really quickly, so much so that my ortho was even impressed. I have zero problems with my ankle now, though there is a tiny bit of pain free swelling where the bone chip is. The doctor said I can get it removed in the future if it gives me issues, but so far I'm in the clear. I hope this story is encouraging to you. I know everyone is different and this is only my experience. Listen to your doctor, but don't be afraid to get a second opinion/advocate for yourself if something doesn't feel right. Talus fractures are usually among the worst...I remember being stuck at home reading everyone's horror stories online, so I thought I would share my positive outcome. I remember the pain anytime my ankle would be in a dependent position when I would stand, all the blood rushing down, feeling like my ankle was going to explode....that also gets better quickly. Celebrate the little victories and keep your spirits high. Also, consider getting a crutch caddy or the iWalk so you can be more independent. Good luck!

Hey folks. I'm currently in the boot from a chip fracture to the talus. I fell from a ladder at work. Luckily, I qualify for workman's comp, but had a couple questions that I should be asking my doctor, but figured I'd ask here from a patient's point of view. It's been a little over a week since I fell and at first, I was skeptical about what the doctor was seeing on my xray because I didn't see anything that looked like a chip fracture. Also, I'm not a doctor so, what do I know