Broken ankle stories

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Bojingles

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Following on from the stirrups for broken ankle post, what are your stories of a broken ankle? What happened, how did it happen, did you have surgery and what has your recovery been like?

I broke mine last March. I have very steep, narrow, winding stairs which I'm forever falling down. On this particular evening, I slipped as I often do, grabbed the handrail but after new plastering it just fell away and I smashed with full force, both feet first, into a kitchen cabinet. I looked down and saw my foot parallel to the floor and a bone poking out and let out a bellow. My phone was flat, I could hardly move so I shuffled over to my laptop and got a friend to call 999.

I thought I'd be in overnight, get a cast and come home, be sorted in 6 weeks. Instead I had a "major trauma" break, stayed in hospital for weeks, had 2 surgeries and was totally incapacitated for months.

After the agony of a cast, I pleaded with my surgeon to let me have a boot instead and she agreed. I was so glad of this as it allowed my to do minor physio every day from very early on and I'm sure this helped. For a while I had 2 boots, as I had also snapped the tendons in the other ankle. They told me I wouldn't ride for a year but I got on after 5 weeks.

It still hurts most days and I can "feel" it every day but it's still improving.

What are your broken ankle stories?
 
I broke mine twice and didn't know..... I thought it was just sprained. Last time I sprained it I thought I had broken it and that's when they told me about the previous breaks!
It aches and I have to be careful as it sprains with a puff of air!
 
Had a Pott's fracture of my ankle (broken through on both sides) coupled with multiple breaks tib and fib. Happened after a silly fall xc. Operated on with plates and screws and then put in a cast two weeks later for six weeks with another operation after that to remove the compression screw. This was many years ago and now have some restrict toon in the movement in my ankle but no problem riding.
 
Jeez Bojingles, having read your post (and what an horrendous post it was too :eek:) I'm extremely pleased to say, I've never broken my ankle and I'm now praying to all the Gods I never do :) Hoping your improvement is complete as soon as.
 
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Way back when the Vikings were here when I was 17 or 18, I had an accident when riding, fell off a horse while doing bareback cavelleti. Horse then trod on my ankle breaking it badly (should point out that this was the first day of a riding holiday). Got taken to hospital, ankle put into a plaster cast then a couple of hours later taken back to the riding centre. Spent the rest of the weeks holiday riding a shitland with my feet almost touching the ground, lots of painkillers though.
 
Broke the same one 3 times. First time I don't know when or where, but it was picked up when I broke it the second time after Joe sent me for a flying lesson.
Again, assumed it was just pulled and actually went to A&E with an extremely painful neck as mum was concerned (I did insist on showering and washing my hair first haha). Neck was severe whiplash but they noticed me limping a bit and xrayed me and sure enough my ankle was broken. X-ray then showed an old break. Cast for 4 weeks, then boot for 2. Follow up xray showed it had set broken. I could either have it operated and reset or leave it. I left it. Six months later, he lobbed me off again and re-broke the same one. I could tell by the pain and the bruising, but I didn't bother going to get it seen to and just sort of hopped about for 6 weeks.

It hurts when I ride, particularly during long periods of walk when it's relatively still. Also seems to click and get stuck randomly every now and then.
 
Did mine whilst riding..... didn't even fall off!

New Irish youngster, went to take him round the 20 min hacking block I use for youngsters.
Thought I ought to yank my stirrups up a couple of holes but then as I was on board, they'd be fine for the planned walk out.
Fine till half way, pony in adjacent field takes off with a fart, my lad pops a small leap in, I leave the saddle by an inch or so....
BUT when we land, my ankle turns hard as my foot goes down on the stirrup and 'snap.
Bless him, he stood whilst I sqwarked and screeched, then puked down his neck.
Have to hack on round to yard as am half way, phoning a friend and husband as I went....

It wasn't fun sliding off 16.2 when I got back, but I did, and just sat on the yard holding horse till help arrived.

I have v bad mobility now, cannot run, staving off op for fusion as consultant has suggested replacement joint (still being pioneered in uk)
 
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I broke my ankle in January this year....walking across the yard to the haybarn I turned my ankle on a stone and crack..I made more noise than when in childbirth! I hobbled to fill nets...hobbled to sit on the box outside my stable and thought I ll just take my boot off and the swelling was awful. At this point though I though I thought flat shoes, painkillers and volterol gel would enable me to drive home. (hollow laugh). I was convinced to get OH to collect me and I was taken to A&E...still convinced Id "just" done my tendons. Only when the nurse brought out the boot and said I needed to attend a clinic at the "big" hospital did I cry with panic because of the my need to get horses looked after and work sorted. Its fair to say I wasn't the best patient and only wore my boot for half the time they told me to and was back driving at 7 weeks ..riding at 10 weeks. I have swelling that doesn't go away and increases during the day but its quite mobile. I don't think I ll be wearing high heels much now (specially whilst researching gins).
 
Tore all the ligaments in my ankle at school playing tennis landed up in plaster for 3 weeks. Several years later broke a small bone in my ankle falling down the stairs. Again plaster for a few weeks, more difficult that time as I was away at college, couldn't drive and had to rely on friends to help whilst on crutches. Didn't affect my horsey life at the time as was out of things anyway. but for a good 10 years after my ankle would ache in certain weather conditions or when I was really tired.
 
Ooh, some interesting stories! It's a horrible injury, that's for sure. Mine too often gets stuck and needs a good click to free it - I hate that feeling! Thanks chillipup, it was fairly horrendous but once I got on the morphine life quickly got better ;). The weeks at home stuck in my bed were the worst - I could just about get to the bathroom with a zimmer frame but that was about it.
 
First x-ray



This was a bit of a low point!



How it looks now



Anyone got any pics? (Can you tell I'm slightly obsessed with broken ankles ;) )
 
I broke mine falling down steps 2 years ago, never did anything about it, vet rapped it for support to ride and okay now accept when swimming but i dont let that stop me.
 
I had a bad break 5 years ago.

Had never ridden before. Stupidly took someones advice and got on a 17.2 rising 6 green tb x hanovarian x sec D x warmblood.
Decided to be a buckaroo, I somehow rode about 5 bucks before flying up into the air. Came down onto the school (November, hadn't been raked, so was frozen solid) and landed on my right foot. My ankle dislocated and both bones snapped clean in half. Ligaments and tendons were also snapped clean in half. My foot was facing backwards and just dangling there, only attached by skin.
I was in hospital for a week, pinned and screwed back together. In a cast for 3 months. Another 3 months of physio. Lost over 6 months of work. I can now walk pretty much fine and got back into riding, this time at a riding school.
However, due to the severity of the break, I lost 4mm of height to my right leg, which has meant my pelvis has twisted and dropped to the right, so I suffer a lot of back and hip pain, and my ankle is in pain most of the time.
I have seen a specialist and was given special insoles to wear in my shoes to help my pelvis, but they don't do a great deal, and the only way to fix it would be to re-break the leg and set it in the correct position, as apparently it was not set correctly the first time.
 
HorseyTee said:
I had a bad break 5 years ago.

Had never ridden before. Stupidly took someones advice and got on a 17.2 rising 6 green tb x hanovarian x sec D x warmblood.
Decided to be a buckaroo, I somehow rode about 5 bucks before flying up into the air. Came down onto the school (November, hadn't been raked, so was frozen solid) and landed on my right foot. My ankle dislocated and both bones snapped clean in half. Ligaments and tendons were also snapped clean in half. My foot was facing backwards and just dangling there, only attached by skin.
I was in hospital for a week, pinned and screwed back together. In a cast for 3 months. Another 3 months of physio. Lost over 6 months of work. I can now walk pretty much fine and got back into riding, this time at a riding school.
However, due to the severity of the break, I lost 4mm of height to my right leg, which has meant my pelvis has twisted and dropped to the right, so I suffer a lot of back and hip pain, and my ankle is in pain most of the time.
I have seen a specialist and was given special insoles to wear in my shoes to help my pelvis, but they don't do a great deal, and the only way to fix it would be to re-break the leg and set it in the correct position, as apparently it was not set correctly the first time.
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Ouch horseytee, sounds a lot like mine! Do you think you'll get it reset?
 
Broke mine December 2015. Was walking the dogs whilst wearing muck boots with worn out tread and slipped down a bank. Heard and felt it snap. No phone signal so I walked back across 2 fields to the car. Threw up! Swore a lot at myself for not chucking the boots out - I'd fallen down the same bank the week before. Was a clean break and the only pain was in the first week. I went to work and sat with my leg propped up and it all healed nicely. No pain or swelling since. The offending muck boot was cut off at the hospital and my main memories are of being embarrased at being in A&E in scruffy jods and hi viz jacket!
 
Came off my tb at a gallop (he bolted due to a misunderstanding between us) and landed on my feet. Broke and dislocated both ankles tearing lots of ligaments in the process. Had one surgery to fix them, spent 3 months in a wheel chair and 3 months on crutches. Within about 2 years I had significant arthritis and required fusion surgery on one side, the other side ended up ebing fused a couple years later.
I have some problems with arthritis starting in my feet but otherwise I have very restricted movement but the only thing I can't do is run. I can ride (and have jsut completed 56km over 2 days). I do have ongoing pain and am restricted in how much walking I can cope with
 
Aged 14 and the first Monday of the school summer holidays. The horse had worn shoes and it was a very hot day. As we walked along the road his hind leg slipped from under him and we both ended up laid in the middle of the road. The stirrup iron had a right angle bend in it and I was broken. 10 weeks in a cast and on crutches. It took a few years but now there is no evidence apart from on x-ray.
 
mynutmeg said:
Came off my tb at a gallop (he bolted due to a misunderstanding between us) and landed on my feet. Broke and dislocated both ankles tearing lots of ligaments in the process. Had one surgery to fix them, spent 3 months in a wheel chair and 3 months on crutches. Within about 2 years I had significant arthritis and required fusion surgery on one side, the other side ended up ebing fused a couple years later.
I have some problems with arthritis starting in my feet but otherwise I have very restricted movement but the only thing I can't do is run. I can ride (and have jsut completed 56km over 2 days). I do have ongoing pain and am restricted in how much walking I can cope with
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OMG, breaking both! You poor thing! I worry about arthritis but I don't think there's much I can do to prevent it so I try not to think about it. When i had my final x-ray the doctor said to avoid contact sports like rugby (ha!) but that I could go running. I thought I've never been running in my entire life and I'm certainly not going to start now!

rabatsa said:
Aged 14 and the first Monday of the school summer holidays. The horse had worn shoes and it was a very hot day. As we walked along the road his hind leg slipped from under him and we both ended up laid in the middle of the road. The stirrup iron had a right angle bend in it and I was broken. 10 weeks in a cast and on crutches. It took a few years but now there is no evidence apart from on x-ray.
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Ooh blimey, not a good start to the holidays! Glad it's ok now though.
 
Bojingles said:
OMG, breaking both! You poor thing! I worry about arthritis but I don't think there's much I can do to prevent it so I try not to think about it. When i had my final x-ray the doctor said to avoid contact sports like rugby (ha!) but that I could go running. I thought I've never been running in my entire life and I'm certainly not going to start now!
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Might as well do it in style if you're gonna :D
Part of the reason I went arthritic so quickly is because the original fixation wasn't the best on one side as well as it being an intrarticular fracture and on the otherside I completly removed the talus from the joint so cause a lot of damage (I did it properly). Most people do get a lot longer before it goes that way, it also depends on what you broke specifically - if it involved the joint lines then at some point it will likely go that way, if not and there wasn't significant joint disruption then should be good.
Almost all ankle arthritis is due to injury - almost none are 'primary' - however if/when it happens there are good managements for it :-)
 
I knew I should have stayed away from this thread...Ive b*ggered up my ankle again tonight doing a favour and helping bring in a pony. I went over on the ankle on a soft verge..think Ive stretched all the ligaments..really hurts and is swollen. I'm back hobbling and eating handfuls of painkillers and another bag of peas has been commandeered from the freezer. I'm a bit fed up.
 
Midlifecrisis said:
I knew I should have stayed away from this thread...Ive b*ggered up my ankle again tonight doing a favour and helping bring in a pony. I went over on the ankle on a soft verge..think Ive stretched all the ligaments..really hurts and is swollen. I'm back hobbling and eating handfuls of painkillers and another bag of peas has been commandeered from the freezer. I'm a bit fed up.
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Sounds like you're doing the right things - assuming you can weight bear more than 4 steps and were able to immediately after the injury happened then rest for a couple of days with regular ibuprofen and ice is the best thing. If it's not starting to settle in a couple of days then go and have it checked. So long as it is settling then gentle exercise is the best thing for torn tendons - speeds up recovery and gives a better result.
 
Thank you mynutmeg I can stand on it which made me think it wasn't bone again...it feels like the tendon running down the outside of my lower leg over the pointy bit and into the foot has been stretched. Typically Ive got family visiting tomorrow and need to be buzzing about...and was due to practice my horsey homework for a lesson Friday...guess I ll see how things are in the morning.
 
Midlifecrisis said:
Thank you mynutmeg I can stand on it which made me think it wasn't bone again...it feels like the tendon running down the outside of my lower leg over the pointy bit and into the foot has been stretched. Typically Ive got family visiting tomorrow and need to be buzzing about...and was due to practice my horsey homework for a lesson Friday...guess I ll see how things are in the morning.
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Oh no! I think foot up with ice is the best thing you can do.
 
Morning..Im about to properly start the day...I woke up at 4 am with aching (cat might have been lying on my foot..not sure) and it took a while to nod off again. Up at 7 to make OH lunch and get coffee and now I almost daren't admit that I must do a little bit of ironing and do the floors before going to the horses and being back at home to welcome parents this afternoon. Then I ll ice and put my feet up. I think a lesson this Friday is not going to be possible so I d better contact my trainer...I feel irrationally upset about the set back. Thank goodness daughter is on school holidays and can help out with things. Apologies I'm moaning and a little bit concerned...I ll go give myself a shake!
 
Midlifecrisis said:
Morning..Im about to properly start the day...I woke up at 4 am with aching (cat might have been lying on my foot..not sure) and it took a while to nod off again. Up at 7 to make OH lunch and get coffee and now I almost daren't admit that I must do a little bit of ironing and do the floors before going to the horses and being back at home to welcome parents this afternoon. Then I ll ice and put my feet up. I think a lesson this Friday is not going to be possible so I d better contact my trainer...I feel irrationally upset about the set back. Thank goodness daughter is on school holidays and can help out with things. Apologies I'm moaning and a little bit concerned...I ll go give myself a shake!
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I think you'd be right to cancel the lesson. Have you seen a doctor? Might be worth putting your mind at rest. When I had mine I got these gel ice packs which you insert in a strap and put round your leg. They were great.
 
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