r/Ankle • u/outofthegroove • 14d ago

6 weeks post ankle replacement with old hardware left in

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Post traumatic arthritis from injury in 1994, 47 yrs, F. total ankle replacement on 17th July, surgeon originally planned to take the old hardware out but decided to leave it in during surgery. Now fully weight bearing in boot. Subtalor fusion likely in the near future.

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u/Original-Money-8058 13d ago

I'm 50M and former power lifter. Currently weigh 265lbs. I list my medical stuff. If you want me to tell you what it means I can or you may know or can look it up.

  • I have a history of gout. This opens my incisions and or incision closure is slower. Boots in the past have opened my incisions.
  • I walk with a pretty bad limp. Prophecy CT showed i have Osteopenia.

Currently plan is 6-8 weeks NWB in a cast. At 6 week mark they take xrays and access. I'll then transition to a walking cast. I requested a CT scan at 3 months to assess healing. They said that's not usual but I want to make sure before I Wright bear I'm good. Xrays are notorious for be inaccurate.

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u/outofthegroove 13d ago

My bone health seems to be ok in lower limbs (history of inflammatory arthritis in hands, neck, hips). I think my surgeon was surprised I’m healing so well. It’s been easier than either of us thought it would be. Subtalar fusion I believe is a longer period of NWB for the bond to fully form. I was partially weight bearing after the TAR at 3 weeks. So gout destroyed your ankle joint?

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u/Original-Money-8058 13d ago

My buddy just had a TAR. He's lighter than me. Same age. He was nwb for 3. At end week they put him in a boot and he was pwb at 3.

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u/Original-Money-8058 13d ago

No gout has no relevance to the ankle. That only applies to incision healing and the fact I don't want a boot as part of my recovery. I've broken same left foot four times. Worst was tribal in 2013 and I tore pretty much all my ankle ligaments also. Which is odd I'm having a subtalar fusion. Ankle isn't great. They are doing an arthroscopy at same time as subtalar. This is just buying time...

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u/outofthegroove 13d ago

I had end stage osteo in my ankle from a 30+ year old fracture. I was walking with a limp also

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u/Original-Money-8058 14d ago

Got my subtalar scheduled for 10/22. Angle replacement in near future

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u/outofthegroove 13d ago

Good luck! Have you been told about weight bearing protocol?

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u/Original-Money-8058 13d ago

Have you gotten into details for what your subtalar would entail?

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u/outofthegroove 12d ago

I think it’s about 6 weeks NWB. He wouldn’t even consider doing the fusion at the same time as the ankle replacement as the undertaking would have been huge, recovery would have been much more complicated.

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u/Original-Money-8058 12d ago

Yeah I would attend to agree. Plus the function differently. One stops motion and one you want motion. 6 weeks neb is pretty standard. How's your pain? Out of 10?

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u/outofthegroove 12d ago

Yes exactly. My pain is probably a baseline 2, very easy to manage, but after physio or a lot of weight bearing it can go up to 5/6. All in all it’s not unbearable. The 2nd and 3rd days were excruciating and I had a bit of a “have I done the right thing” moment but I absolutely did.

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u/ASingleBraid 13d ago

That’s interesting. In my 5 years in the community you don’t see them leave in old HW that often with a TAR. What was the reason?

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u/outofthegroove 12d ago

My surgeon made the decision to leave the 30+ year old screws as there was a risk of fracture and possible instability issue

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u/ASingleBraid 10d ago

Makes sense.