Calcaneus Surgery ORIF Success Stories?

Lance Armstrong wrote: Hi
Im new to this thread and your amazing site.
I shattered my right calcaneus in 2015 after falling 16 feet in the "standing" position on to that one leg on concrete paving slabs.
The ortho surgeon said it looked like someone had hit an egg with a claw hammer, the peices were all over the place and to top it all the Achilles tendon had been ruptured and displaced.
Because i was 36 at the time and very active he spent a long time in theatre piecing it all together with plates and screws.
True to their NHS reputation the surgical metalwork began collapsing and moving and all the screws have now broken in only just over 4 years.

I have a consultation with same ortho surgeon in a days time in which he will explain his plans to remove all the metalwork and fuse the subtalar with a rod/rods.
I know it makes sense as it will save the trauma i am currently going through with all the metal collapsing into the tendons with unbelievable pain. I am not however looking forward to losing that movement in my foot which currently allows me to run over uneven rough Scottish Forrest flores and over hill tops and round lochs.

My one and only other option is have him remove all the metal then just close it up?. Is there anyone here who has gone down that route instead of fusion?.

Lance in Dumfriesshire, Scotland.

I would personally be against fusion. I've heard it can be very painful for everyday life, with no movement.. especially if your an active person. Unsure of your situation as to how much range of movement you have now and how active you've been within the 4 years?? I also 'cookie crumbled' my right calcaneous in 12 pieced and split my left from a 20ft fall onto concrete landing on my feet. Going onto 5 years now. Luckily I had a small amount of movement in some of the screws and got approved to remove the hardware 2 years in.  I have almost zero side to side movement and about 80% front to back. My surgeon did mention fusion but felt it should be done as a last resort.

I’m 7 months post op and am so grateful for this group!  I’m ready to wake up in the morning and not think about my foot but I will have to say that I’m not limping nearly as much.  I’m averaging around 11k to 12k steps a day and am making myself walk when I don’t feel like it because I’m noticing that the more I do it the better and looser it feels.  All the ligaments and tendons are still so tight.  I could go for an hour massage and just have them do my foot!!  I’ve been trying to do lunges and still can’t do them quite as effortlessly as I once could, but I’m so happy with the progress!!  I ran today, not super far, maybe a quart mile, it hurt like hell, but the whole time I kept thinking ‘ they said I would never run again and here I am!’  I didn’t go far but so much of this for me has been mental, it’s nice to know if someone was ever chasing me, I could at least give them a little challenge

I went for a pretty solid five hour hike in rugged terrain with my Five Ten Freeriders. Wish I'd brought my hiking boots because my achilles is sore as hell today. I didn't expect to get much out of the boots other than some minimal ankle support but now I realize how much they help on longer hikes. I wore them on another hike recently that was much more strenuous and my ankle didn't bother me nearly as much. I'm not a fan of scrambling around in clunky hiking boots (I much prefer approach shoes) but I'll be wearing them on future scrambles and longer hikes. I think hiking poles are a good idea too and I'll start bringing them along. Overall I think hiking on uneven terrain has been helpful for recovery and joint mobility.

Hi! How is everyone during this trying time? Hope everyone is doing well.

I sustained my injury back on January 10th after falling from a window. I had my ORIF surgery of my calcanues done on January 14th. Yesterday made 12 weeks post my surgery and today I was cleared for full weight bearing.

Things seemed very gloomy when I first sustained my injury. But I finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

To the newbies, things will get better. Stay safe. 

All:
It’s Pfails. Update. I turned 6 months post op on 3/13. Same day of Trump’s COVID-19 proclamation I think. So I’ve been home bound like you likely are.

The report: expect stiffness, strange nerve numbness, and really appreciating your favorite shoes. I recommend intense orthotics in flat vans one size bigger than before and Birkenstocks with a cushy spenco. Ride bike. Stay strong. Wash hands. 

Hi all.  I suffered severe double calcaneous multiple fractures in July 2017 falling 25 feet from a building in a remote greek island onto concrete at night.  Also broke wrist and badly bruised  hip as I landed and rolled.   Lucky not to hurt something more precious e.g head or spine!!  Below is detail of my recovery...it was not easy...but after 6 months I was snowboarding, and a year later i was running, jumping etc.  3 years on now I'm as fit and nimble as ever.  So if you're reading this, as I was from a Greek hospital bed pre operations wondering how bad it was going to be, don't despair and the answer is you can recover 100% but you need to take it super serious in recovery and work really hard to rehab.

After airlift to Athens and a few days in hospital there deciding to have surgery there, or take the risk of flying back to NYC where i lived, I decided for the latter.  This was the first good decision as recuperating at home after surgery was obviously the best remedy, not to  mention the high level of care in NYC (Hospital for Special Surgery).

Two surgeons operated simultaneously on each heel bone.  Left hell was in 5 pieces, right heel in 3 pieces.  4 hours later and multiple screws plus L shaped plates and I was finished.  4 days in hospital, then home by ambulance carried into my room.  Couple things: get off the opioids as quick as possible...they are horrible for digestion and mental health.   From the beginning eat quality nutritious food...your body is fighting to heal itself so give it every chance it can get.

You won't touch the ground with your feet for 3 months while the bones heel.  After that, they are 'good' and you'll start gradual weightbearing over many weeks to get to 100% weightbearing then walking.  DO NOT TOUCH THE GROUND ahead of schedule as if you displace the healing bones you'll be back to square one.

Bones and rather simple: they are broken, they heal, then they are good again.   The tricky part is the soft tissue, muscles and ligaments around your ankles and lower legs.  They will atrophy and getting them back to normal is painful and tiresome.  You'll only be able to do simple, non-weightbearing exercises with your legs and ankles (toe circles, for example).  They seem pointless but do them religiously as the more you arrest the atrophy and stimulate the soft tissue then the easier you'll recover.

Once the wounds have healed, getting into a pool and swimming is a HUGE help.  Not only for the rest of your body, but you'll also be able to play around with feeling very gentle movement on your feet and lower limbs.  Really tricky getting in and our of pool...hard concrete, steps, etc.  I used some combination of foam flutter boards and builders knee pads to get up down steps.  Also in addition to wheelchair around the house I transitioned to a mechanized wheelchair/buggy thing to go around the neighborhood to pool, get a coffee etc.  Be careful: one fall where you bang those heels and you're back to square one.

Once I took my first steps: about 4 months after surgery, I was able to  progress quite quickly...pushing myself a couple times a day to work the leg muscles and do the many physio exercises to re-engage, stretch and rehab the soft tissues.  The amount of clicking of ankle tendons, painful tweaks etc as i did this was quite intense but with a lot of STRETCHING in particular, they got slowly better.  Below are a couple routines that I did which were excellent to getting me back to the point where i was doing quite intense hopping and agility ladder routines...which is late in your rehab and quite advanced.  I still do those agility hopping routines today as they really are beneficial not just as a challenge to the muscles and coordination, but also to the fine-motor and brain/body connection.  

You need a goal.  Mine was being able to attend a planned snowboarding trip 6 mths later.  I envisaged that every day of my rehab of motivation.  And I made it.  I was tentative and nervous, but surprised myself with how I was able to do it.  I of course took it slowly, and my soft tissue and muscles were of course very challenged, but that in and of itself was excellent for my rehab.  The boots were supprtive, the board flat, (i certainly wasn't getting any air) and the effort/wrenching etc of turning progressed my rehab.

So there, you go.  It's doable to get back to 100%.  but you'll need a good surgeon to ensure  the fractures on the joints are skillfully realigned (to avoid joint pain and arthritis) ad then you've got a journey/challenge to rehab back to  100%  Good luck and feel free to contact me if you want further info jonty@fantailventures.com.

Jonty Kelt wrote: Hi all.  I suffered severe double calcaneous multiple fractures in July 2017 falling 25 feet from a building in a remote greek island onto concrete at night.  Also broke wrist and badly bruised  hip as I landed and rolled.   Lucky not to hurt something more precious e.g head or spine!!  Below is detail of my recovery...it was not easy...but after 6 months I was snowboarding, and a year later i was running, jumping etc.  3 years on now I'm as fit and nimble as ever.  So if you're reading this, as I was from a Greek hospital bed pre operations wondering how bad it was going to be, don't despair and the answer is you can recover 100% but you need to take it super serious in recovery and work really hard to rehab.

After airlift to Athens and a few days in hospital there deciding to have surgery there, or take the risk of flying back to NYC where i lived, I decided for the latter.  This was the first good decision as recuperating at home after surgery was obviously the best remedy, not to  mention the high level of care in NYC (Hospital for Special Surgery).

Two surgeons operated simultaneously on each heel bone.  Left hell was in 5 pieces, right heel in 3 pieces.  4 hours later and multiple screws plus L shaped plates and I was finished.  4 days in hospital, then home by ambulance carried into my room.  Couple things: get off the opioids as quick as possible...they are horrible for digestion and mental health.   From the beginning eat quality nutritious food...your body is fighting to heal itself so give it every chance it can get.

You won't touch the ground with your feet for 3 months while the bones heel.  After that, they are 'good' and you'll start gradual weightbearing over many weeks to get to 100% weightbearing then walking.  DO NOT TOUCH THE GROUND ahead of schedule as if you displace the healing bones you'll be back to square one.

Bones and rather simple: they are broken, they heal, then they are good again.   The tricky part is the soft tissue, muscles and ligaments around your ankles and lower legs.  They will atrophy and getting them back to normal is painful and tiresome.  You'll only be able to do simple, non-weightbearing exercises with your legs and ankles (toe circles, for example).  They seem pointless but do them religiously as the more you arrest the atrophy and stimulate the soft tissue then the easier you'll recover.

Once the wounds have healed, getting into a pool and swimming is a HUGE help.  Not only for the rest of your body, but you'll also be able to play around with feeling very gentle movement on your feet and lower limbs.  Really tricky getting in and our of pool...hard concrete, steps, etc.  I used some combination of foam flutter boards and builders knee pads to get up down steps.  Also in addition to wheelchair around the house I transitioned to a mechanized wheelchair/buggy thing to go around the neighborhood to pool, get a coffee etc.  Be careful: one fall where you bang those heels and you're back to square one.

Once I took my first steps: about 4 months after surgery, I was able to  progress quite quickly...pushing myself a couple times a day to work the leg muscles and do the many physio exercises to re-engage, stretch and rehab the soft tissues.  The amount of clicking of ankle tendons, painful tweaks etc as i did this was quite intense but with a lot of STRETCHING in particular, they got slowly better.  Below are a couple routines that I did which were excellent to getting me back to the point where i was doing quite intense hopping and agility ladder routines...which is late in your rehab and quite advanced.  I still do those agility hopping routines today as they really are beneficial not just as a challenge to the muscles and coordination, but also to the fine-motor and brain/body connection.  

You need a goal.  Mine was being able to attend a planned snowboarding trip 6 mths later.  I envisaged that every day of my rehab of motivation.  And I made it.  I was tentative and nervous, but surprised myself with how I was able to do it.  I of course took it slowly, and my soft tissue and muscles were of course very challenged, but that in and of itself was excellent for my rehab.  The boots were supprtive, the board flat, (i certainly wasn't getting any air) and the effort/wrenching etc of turning progressed my rehab.

So there, you go.  It's doable to get back to 100%.  but you'll need a good surgeon to ensure  the fractures on the joints are skillfully realigned (to avoid joint pain and arthritis) ad then you've got a journey/challenge to rehab back to  100%  Good luck and feel free to contact me if you want further info jonty@fantailventures.com.

hey Jonty - thanks for sharing your story and I'm so happy to hear you are back to as nimble as ever.  Couple questions for you.  Was your subtalar joint damaged, if so, how bad and did you deal with subtalar pain post op? How much did you improve between 12 and 24 months post surgery?

Hey Everyone,

• You can read my personal recovery story from bi-lateral calcaneal fractures here - https://fracturedheelsrecoverystories.com/
• I'm working to create a collection of injury stories on another website of mine to help those with similar injuries.  Would love to have all of you share your unique story!  
  • https://fracturedheelsrecoverystories.com/
• Join our extremely active Fractured Heels Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/FracturedHeelsFighters/

Keep Fighting!

Kenny Panco - Fractured Heels Fighters

Hi guys! I was suppose to start PT last week but due to COVID, I can’t start. Can you guys share in home exercises you guys do?
thanks. 

here are the exercises I did - https://www.fracturedheels.com/physicaltherapy

Keep Fighting!

Kenny - Fractured Heels Fighters

Hello fellow heel healers :) When I broke my left calcaneus in July of 2018, I scoured the internet for success stories which were few and far between. This forum was the ONLY outlet (aside from a few Instagram pages) that provided me with the daily reassurance I so desperately needed during a time filled with such uncertainty. I just wanted to follow up and provide anyone who has reached this forum with a beacon of hope. I think a lot of people post the struggles, heal, and forget to come back and share the success. This forum is the one exception I’ve found, so I would like to contribute. For reference, I am a female. I am currently 29 (27 at the time of injury).

4. Eat healthy. Drink water. Avoid excess sugar. Avoid alcohol completely. You will be very thankful you did! It will speed up your recovery time and will make you feel better about yourself throughout the process. Plus, if you are a control freak like me, it allows you to have a sense of control over your health. Healthy mind. Healthy body. Happy soul.

5. STOP comparing your injury or recovery to other people’s. We are all different ages and genders with different doctors, bodies, lifestyles, and injuries. Comparission is tempting, but when you focus on being YOUR best, you cannot fail.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out. I’m definitely not medically qualified, but if experiences alone could earn degrees, I think we would all be surgeons, and podiatrists, and physical therapists :)

“One day you will tell your story, and the darkest chapters will become part of someone else’s survival guide.”

Thanks for posting Danni! 

Smashers!
I owe a shout out. 9/13/19 surgery. 7 pins. Subtalarusis-thingy smashed to bits. You will crush this, pun intended.

My update: Stiff as F#<€...BUT, I surfed (preCOVId); I ride road/gravel; I hike. I go, starts and fits. I am getting better each day. I get setbacks. I get streaks. I still got a ways. But you are all inspiration to me.

Stay strong. Be safe. 

Had my calcaneus surgery 4/15 then 3 wks later a debridement. Have spent 7 weeks trying to management my pain  Just started physical therapy
1- what was anyone’s good pain management regimen? Don’t like narcotics but what else is effective
2-would like to purchase elevated shoe/work boot so my legs are even as I attempt to weight bear. Any recommendation?
3-what passive foot exercises to make weight bearing less excruciating?

Hi All,        CapeTown, South Africa
I broke my heel Dec 2018(righ calcaneus fracture) I have 3screws and a plate...I fell ourside a 5meter high swimming pool. Lost my balance and landed on my right foot... On my first day i was in a lot of pain.. After that no pain. Im a dancer and gym fanatic..I was in shock when the doc toldme that my heel got squashed during the accident. They were a bit worried because i hurt my foot before during my contempory dancing practice in 2017 .. 5days before my surgery i went to a church. After praise and worship a lady came forward with a painting. Saying that God told her to paint a picture of a lady thats dancing. This lady got injured. But God is saying he will heal her and she will dance again. She asked if there is a lady in the audience.. That got hurt and is a dancer.. Wow.. i cried like a baby because i needed a word from God and i got it.. The ministry team prayed for me.. For healing. I went for the ops.. Experienced pain after surgery.. The day after that up until now... I never ever experienced any pain.. Just mild spasms now and then but no pain. My recovery was very quick within 2/3 months i started walking.. On my foot... Everything just started falling into place.. I could wear my high heels again. And i started dancing again. What i am today is because of God's grace. If he can do it for me, he will surely do it for you. If you trust him.Anything is possible. If you believe.. Big hugz Megan

Before I spray recovery beta I just have to say this community is a guiding light in the internet. The fact that climbers and non-climbers alike have found solace in this forum shows how valuable this thread is. So grateful for this space and for all the people who've come.

My ORIF was 14 months ago and my recover is going well. I can run, climb, and snowboard all within reason, and this is enough to feel positive about my recover long-term.

I want to share two things that have helped me tremendously and I hope it can help you too.

1) After surgery for the entire time you are non-weight bearing, keep it elevated and iced constantly. This will drastically reduce the swelling. Swelling is something you must manage pro-actively and becomes harder to manage ones the wounds have healed. I was literally on the sofa for 3 months with my leg propped up the entire time while icing 2x a day. Now, there is almost no swelling as the scar tissue has mellowed out.

2) Months long being in a cast causes severe plantar fasciitis and stiffiness along the calf and achilles. 14 months post surgery, I can say majority of my pain is related to this area. As you work to regain strength after months of muscular atrophy, something that's been exceptionally effective is using a massage gun. Now you don't have to buy those $500 ones. I use a $50 black and decker jigsaw and use attachments bought from Amazon, about $10. It's way more powerful with variable speed and a longer battery life, albeit loud. No kidding though, the massage gun is a life saver when it comes to breaking up stiff muscles from all the inactivity.

That's all for now. Best of luck to everyone. Hang in there! 

Hi everyone from Melbourne, Australia! 
Thank you so much for your stories, they have given me some hope.
I am 30, 12 weeks post injury (fractured L calcaneus), fell from a tree whilst playing with my 6 yo boy, (can I just say - most painful thing ever - ordered an uber within 1 minute of it happening - worse than drug-free childbirth!), no cast just pressure banadages first 4 weeks, no surgery (yet, they are saying I may need a joint fusion in the future), am weight bearing with a CAM boot and occasionally a crutch. Can partially WB barefoot with crutches. Some swelling still evident. And the foot and calf look just alien to me. Some numbness and tingling outside and underneath foot and little toe. I am a nurse and havent been able to work the past 3 months. I am terrified that I'll never be back to full function. Surfing, dancing, hiking, swimming, cycling, yoga, double shifts. My Physio/physical therapy has all been virtual due to COVID and I have had maybe 3 sessions. I am doing to exercises as I know that this is major in recovery but I cant help but feel this is the slowest recovery ever. I cant parent the way I want to (sole parent) or get the housework/cooking/shopping all done. Am also studying my post-grad full-time online and sitting for several hours while writing papers and studying is so uncomfotable and painful! I have been approved for 2 x 6hr shifts/ week (deskwork only) for work but I am not sure if my ward can find that for me. I only started nursing 18 months ago and I had so so many plans and dreams of my career and I feel like they have been shattered.

I dont know what I am looking for. Are there any fulltime nurses out there who managed to go back to pre-injury work on the floor?

Does anyone else have really severe pain getting up in the morning and after resting foot? It sets me back hours in the afternoon sometimes.
Trying to keep morale up but its bloody hard sometimes to keep positive when I think of all I havent done yet 

Hi all - I’m exactly 6 months post ORIF surgery. My surgeon mentioned a screw was a wee bit too long and she wants to do hardware removal while elective surgeries are being allowed during the summer. Have scoured on here but didn’t really see details on healing timeline for hardware removal. Any experiences? How bad / long was there swelling, and getting back to where you were progress wise before surgery #2, and did you feel the removal surgery was worth it? Thanks in advance!

I've had hardware removal for the large (4 inch) screw right behind the heel bone. It was sticking out and rubbing against my shoe! Recovery from the 1hr surgery was quick and fully recovered within two weeks. If post surgery ORIF surgery was a 10 then post surgery after hardware removal is a 1. Virtually no swelling as it was just a small square incision directly behind the heel.

I still have a plate and 12 screws in my foot. I could possibly have them removed in the future, but I don't think it will be necessary. I would say my foot is 80% back to normal 14 months post surgery.

If you are still experiencing pain and swelling be sure to ice and elevate multiple times a day. As for a slow recovery...get ready for one. The bones will heal in 3 months time and you should be cleared for WB. After that, the real recovery begins.