Ankle fusion vs total ankle replacement?

I thought I'd share my successes and struggles with my TAR journey. I'm currently 15 weeks post op. I've resumed outdoor rock climbing and I'm my new right ankle is performing better at rock climbing than it has in years. I just repeated a 5.12 route I red pointed a few days before my surgery and my right ankle could not have felt better. I even used a full weight wearing knee bar and hung upside down on my TAR ankle. I'm very happy with my range of motion in my new TAR ankle. I've attached a few photos of me climbing the vertical tuff at Smith in Oregon this past weekend. You will notice that I'm wearing a compression sock on my TAR ankle (right ankle) which I imagine will continue for the foreseeable future. The sun was warm and welcome after a cold and wet winter here in the Pacific Northwest.Hiking for more than 2 miles at a time is the biggest issue I currently have due to lateral malleolus pain that increases after a few miles of walking/hiking. I'm hoping that over the coming months, I'll be able to progress to longer hikes and I'll be able to backpack this summer in the mountains... but only time will tell and I know I'll have to continue to practice patience as my TAR ankle continues to heal.

Cheers,

Cam

I get my cast off next week and then the boot and weight bearing a bit at a time. 

Haha Cam Brown - what are the odds - I am also currently climbing at smith rock and recovering from a TAR - I’m 4.5 months post op.

I’m in a similar boat as you recovery wise (although I’m only 35) - still recovering and having that same lateral malleus pain with too much walking.  Hiking into smith rock is fine, but I’d have trouble approaching longer crags.

Back to climbing hard though - getting close to climbing 5.14 again at smith rock.

@TB What TAR hardware did you have installed?

I have a wright infinity.  Got it from Dr Conklin from Panorama Orthopedics in Golden, CO.

Mine is a Zimmer biomed device. Know about the Wright but my doctor , based on my ankle decided the Zimmer was a better choice. Everybody is different. I had Daniel Moon in Denver do mine. Make sure any doctor you use has done a lot of them.

All the casts are off and starting weight bearing 6 weeks after surgery. Doctor says everything looks good but I can barely stand to look at it with all the incisions and still swollen parts.

Hey folks - figured id give an update (i.e. SPRAY!) - last night I redpointed Chemical Ali, 5.14a at Smith Rock, right at 6 months post my TAR op (Oct 30th).  I believe this is probably the first 5.14 ascent with an ankle replacement. 

My ankle is still def not amazing, but if anyone is wondering whether hard sport climbing is possible post TAR (I know I was) its definetly possible, and my ankle is not the limiting factor - its my elbows haha. But if anyone knows smith rock - its a demanding place for hard footwork and the ankle is holding up fine to that.

 

My tar is right at 3 months and full body weight bearing and now progressing into a regular shoe. Slow and steady recovery. My goal is to be pain free and be able to do whatever I can. The ankle was so bad I had to give up most climbing and 5.14 was never in the picture for me.

I'm a little over 5 months post operation from my right ankle TAR (Nov. 25th, 2024) and my TAR ankle is continuing to improve in every way. I just red pointed another 5.12 outdoors at my local crag (my 2nd 5.12 outside with my TAR) and I've been walking or hiking at least 2-3 miles a few times a week. I've red pointed six 5.12s at my local gym (Portland Rock Gym) in the last month as well. A few days ago I hiked 4.5 miles on a nearby nature trail and my TAR ankle had zero issues or complaints during or after the hike. My ROM has continued to improve and I've have started to do a little bit of bouldering on systems boards. I feel safe jumping onto the mats from the top of the 35 degree system boards and taking lead falls on vertical terrain. Over all, I'm stoked on my climbing and I'm hoping to return to longer distance approaches to alpine objectives in the coming season.

My range of motion has been real bad since the original break and fixator in 2003 so when my doctor and physical therapist said you may not get much more range of motion than you had I just said hell any range of motion without pain is a win for me.