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The response to the question below was authored by Marc Mitnick DPM

broke ankle 4 years ago some times very pain full still

by natalie
(oshawa ontrio canada)

I had 1200 pounds fall on me and broke my tibia and fibia in ankle got a plate and screws i think when i pulled the foot from under the machine I did more damage then what the doctors think , it sprains easy 3 x so far and today it is so sore with throbbing and aching that I cant walk, feel like using my cruches . The doctor did say I now have artharitis in my ankle . But it is so painfull that it feels broken but its not . I dont take any pills for my pain nor do I want too.I ice it and put a warm pad on it at time . I limp cause my foot will not bend forward so its like walking with my foot flat all the time and never mind walking at a fast pase or run, to top it off I now have put more weight on and finding it hard to exersice due to the ankle all most every thing involves the ankle in one way or another . Yes I will be 50 next month so that doesnt help with weight gain . Any way you can help would be a blessing.

Thanks Natalie looking forward to your remark.

RESPONSE
Hi Natalie,
Your problem unfortunately happens to be a very common one. The problem tends to be two fold. The first is the actual trauma and the subsequent amount of damage done to the ankle. Second is the skill in which the ankle was surgically fixed. These two problems are related because the greater the trauma to the ankle, the harder it is to fix the ankle in

such a manner where there is never any further pain.
Assuming the trauma broke the fibula and tibia in multiple places it would require a lot of hardware to put everything back together as that is your surgeon's primary concern. The problem is that you can be left with two major issues. The first would be irritation from the actual hardware, although in many cases some of the hardware can be removed down the road if the bones are adequately healed. The second problem becomes more problematic and that is the alignment of the actual ankle joint after the surgery.
In many cases putting the broken bones back together leaves the ankle joint mal-aligned. It would be the equivalent of an unbalanced tire on your car. What happens? The ankle joint begins to wear out. Depending on your age, weight and some other medical considerations, this could happen quickly or be a gradual deterioration of the ankle joint.
You probably need to have your ankle examined by a doctor who understands the biomechanics of the foot and ankle as sometimes we can add an insert to the shoe to create better alignment. Better alignment results in less pain and a better range of motion in the ankle.
If your ankle is beyond that then sometimes we use what is known as a foot-ankle orthothis. This is generally a customized device, although they do make pre-made one, which attempt to balance the foot relative to the leg to take strain off the ankle and to stabilize the ankle.
So....my best advice is to try and find a foot and ankle specialist in your area and see what your options are.

Marc Mitnick DPM
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ADDITIONAL REFERENCES

Mayo Clinic

Johns Hopkins Medicine

MedlinePlus

Arthritis Foundation

University of Rochester Medical Center

Harvard Health

Drugs.com

American Academy of Pediatrics

Penn State Medical Center

National Institutes of Health

Columbia University Department of Rehabilitation

ScienceDirect

Stanford Health Care

Illinois Bone and Joint Institute

Mount Sinai Hospital

Institute for Chronic Pain

University of Florida Health

American Family Physician

Cedars-Sinai

University of Maryland Medical Center

MY PRODUCT RECOMMENDATIONS(items I prescribe in the office)

Orthotics for multiple types of foot pain best buy in a pre-made orthotic click link below

Orthotics for heel and arch pain for those who must wear dress shoes click link below

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(location unknown)

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(location unknown)

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Mansfield Ctr, CT

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Unknown

Unknown location

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Unknown location

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New Zealand

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Sincerely

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Arizona

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Poland

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South Carolina

Hello! I want to thank you for such an informative website! I found you based on my ankle pain search and am happy to realize that there may be a relatively simple cause and solution....

Natalie

unknown location

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Arlington, VA

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location unknown

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location unknown

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Bre

location unknown

Dr. Mitnick, Thank you so much for your reply. I did let my physician know and they took an x-ray - all is well! Also, thank you for providing this wonderful site, it is very helpful with lots of useful information! I appreciate your gift of time! God bless.

anonymous

Dr. Mitnick, Thank you, you were 100% correct. The pain finally brought me to the ER. I spent 8 days in the hospital. The Doppler you spoke of was able to show that there was no pulse in that foot. This was an arterial clot that split and traveled throughout my leg. My leg was almost amputated. I am in rough shape but have all my parts intact!! You certainly know what you are talking about. Thank you for taking the time to answer. Yours Truly!

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Poland

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Seattle, WA

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location unknown

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New Jersey

Thanks so much for answering my question. You've been more help to me than my own Dr. has been lately. Thanks again....I hope to be able to walk without pain someday.

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location unknown

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location unknown

Thanks so much for this website Dr. Marc! It is so nice that you have this ask the doctor feature..I'm sure I'ts been helpful for alot of people. I will try what you suggested and see if it helps...thanks again!

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Evansville, IA

Dear Marc

I just want to say thank you for the quick response and the good info. I find it amazing and a super nice thing that you do here by answering medical questions at no charge.

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location unknown

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Jackie

San Diego, CA

Dr. Mitnick, Just want to say thank you so very much for your quick response and very informative reply! After reading what you had to say, I called the doctor's office and was able to get in and see him the same day as my injury. Toe was x-rayed and luckily, it is not broken or fractured. Very badly bruised and will probably lose the toe nail. And although my toe and toe nail are still very black and blue and very sore, they ARE both starting to feel a little better. So again, thank you! I am so very happy that I came across your website. The service you provide is outstanding and immeasurable!

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Albany, NY

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Jill S.

location unknown

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Jackie

Whichita, KS

thanks again, this site is very helpful.

mark

Boston, MA

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....Keep up what your doing. Your a life saver.

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Colorado

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annielou

Colorado

Wonderful advice

by: Anonymous

This is the best site for foot problem info.

Thank you for this information. This description fits my pain and inflammation behind my 2nd toe perfectly.

by: Max

location unknown

Again, I really appreciate that you responded to my inquiry, and that your mention of Parkinson's helped me to find my way to a diagnosis of this difficult to diagnose disease. Most patients see on average 16 doctors before they are diagnosed. I hope that you can help other people that ask for your expertise in the future.

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Canada

I just wanted to say that I am very greatful for this website!! I have had a fusion in my rt foot and am finally getting a little bit better......

Bonnie

location unknown

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Wisconsin

Thank you for your response. You have provided some great insight (to my question)....

Julie

location unknown

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Renae

North Carolina

Many Thanks Dr Marc!
Thank you for your response. It sounds like a good plan to me. He did not cut the wart out first ...

KG

location unknown

Thanks again doc for having this website and we STILL need qualified Podiatrists in beautiful sunny Tampa Bay (Bradenton) Florida.

Bessie Mae

Florida

Dear Dr. Mitnick, Thank you so very much for taking your time to answer my question. You have greatly relieved my anxiety related to the continual tingly I feel in my feet. I will share your response with my podiatrist next week. God bless you for having this question and answer page on your website! Most gratefully,

Lynne T.

location unknown

Your webpage is excellent, I commend you on sharing your knowledge to the public.

Robert

New Jersey

Thank you. you were more detailed than what others have told me they finally called from the last xrays and my son is now in a cast for 2 weeks he did have a fracture that was not noticeable.

a mom

location unknown

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Lenoir, NC

Thank you so much Doc for a quick and thorough response!

Rustam

Bellevue, WA

I cannot thank you enough for your response, opinion, and suggestions! I want you to know how much it means to me, and I'm sure everyone else who has ever asked you a question! I feel like you're a lifesaver and have empowered me to take a stronger role and stand up for myself and my feet!

Jodi

location unknown

broke ankle 4 years ago some times very pain full still

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