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pcfcclmbr
Sep 20, 2008, 11:07 PM
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I was wondering if there is anyone out there who has had an ankle fusion and has continued to climb and what problems they have encountered. I'm currently recovering from a fusion 10 weeks ago.
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sungam
Sep 20, 2008, 11:37 PM
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Sorry, no advice here, just come in to say...
Ouch, best of luck!
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AlexCV
Sep 21, 2008, 12:33 AM
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pcfcclmbr wrote: I was wondering if there is anyone out there who has had an ankle fusion and has continued to climb and what problems they have encountered. I'm currently recovering from a fusion 10 weeks ago.
I think Malcom Daly (maldaly) has had one of his ankle fused after an accident in AK.
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sungam
Sep 21, 2008, 12:43 AM
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AlexCV wrote: pcfcclmbr wrote: I was wondering if there is anyone out there who has had an ankle fusion and has continued to climb and what problems they have encountered. I'm currently recovering from a fusion 10 weeks ago. I think Malcom Daly (maldaly) has had one of his ankle fused after an accident in AK.
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onceahardman
Sep 21, 2008, 12:56 PM
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I've treated them, but never in a climber. You should be able to climb again, but repeated grounfalls (i.e. bouldering) may not be the best idea.
There will,of couse, be some loss of function.
I found this:
http://www.eorthopod.com/...64/ankle_fusion.html
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pcfcclmbr
Sep 21, 2008, 6:45 PM
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Thanks, I'm familiar with that link. Bouldering is definatley out which my bum knee and back should be thankful for. I searched the forums for fused ankle and found a couple threads but if anyone has something to add have at it. Thanks
(This post was edited by pcfcclmbr on Sep 22, 2008, 1:26 AM)
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antigravity
Sep 27, 2008, 12:53 AM
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Doctors talked about fusing mine, but they didn't have to.
GOOD LUCK!
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olderic
Sep 27, 2008, 10:26 PM
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Four years ago I was strongly encouraged to have an ankle fusion by one of the area's leading sport orthopods. The background was that I had broken my right ankle 3 times in the past 20 years - the last one was a whopper. There wasn't much cartilege left He assured me that I'd be able to climb again - "People can even climb mountains after having this done". Further dialogue more or less proved that he didn't have a clue about what high end rock climbing requires. Also I wouldn't be able to run normally and other joints in the left leg and right foot would take a beating while compensating. Despite the fact that I was limping all over the place I decided to wait and see - not doing something irrevolkable.
So four years later it still continues to improve. I am still not close to running and extended hiking, especially with a load, is still an issue, but I believe I am infinitely better off then I would have been with the fusion. I can climb normally. There has been some fall off but it is mostly age related (I'm 59). I recently did the Cathedral Traverse in the Tetons in a (long) day and although I was limping at the end and for several days there after it was worth it. My hope is to hold out until an effective artificial ankle joint is perfected (and hold out longer until insurance will pay for it or we get some decent health care in this country - whoops don't go there).
So my advice is don't do anything rash until its clear it is your only option. Improvement may take years.
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drm1st
Sep 28, 2008, 12:20 AM
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Sungam.....are you just trying to get your posts past 9000? You are everywhere I read, dude it's creepin me out....Just jokin. You know I have to harrass ya.
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drm1st
Sep 28, 2008, 12:24 AM
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Can i ask you what exactly you did to have to get your ankle fused? I'm just curious because I have cracked both of mine in the past, and on one occasion broke some sort of stablizing bone on the side or something the doctor said...blah blah snore....Anyways I know my ankles are screwed basically if I do anything else to them, I would just like to try to avoid any type of fusion.
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sungam
Sep 28, 2008, 1:04 AM
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drm1st wrote: Sungam.....are you just trying to get your posts past 9000? You are everywhere I read, dude it's creepin me out....Just jokin. You know I have to harrass ya.
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drm1st
Sep 28, 2008, 1:07 AM
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I understand. I work for myself in the real estate market. Needless to say it's slow which gives me a lot of time like you. But I'm not as ambitious.
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sungam
Sep 28, 2008, 1:11 AM
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drm1st wrote: I understand. I work for myself in the real estate market. Needless to say it's slow which gives me a lot of time like you. But I'm not as ambitious.
Sometimes I play starcraft, but that's getting old.
Anyways, enough thread drifts. (iz not as much fun without Stinky, anyways. We always did get the best drifts going...)
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pcfcclmbr
Sep 29, 2008, 6:06 PM
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My wasn't improving , it was getting worse each day to the point I could hardly walk. I tore ligaments in my ankle when I was a kid and have been plagued my multiple sprains my entire life(I'm 53 now). My ankle was very unstable which also meant the joint was grinding down on itself. I really didn't have any pain until about 3 years ago. This coincided with the grinding noise(bone on bone) coming from my ankle. Beleive me, I tried EVERYTHING. This ankle was only getting worse...not better. Time just ran out.
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olderic
Sep 29, 2008, 6:36 PM
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How about a Synvisc type of injection?
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pcfcclmbr
Sep 29, 2008, 11:52 PM
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Synvisc injections are for the knees. There's nothing like that for ankles.
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olderic
Sep 30, 2008, 12:59 AM
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pcfcclmbr wrote: Synvisc injections are for the knees. There's nothing like that for ankles.
bzzz - wrong there dude. Synvisc will work on any joint. You may need to fight to get an ootho to do it in your ankle (mine was) and your insurance to pay for it (mine wasn't). it's not a perment cure. For ankles or knees.
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pcfcclmbr
Sep 30, 2008, 3:48 PM
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I'm happy for you. Unfortunately as I stated, mine was getting worse, not better. I'm not interested in treatments at this time and as I stated in my original post I was 10(now 11 ) weeks post fusion. I got back on the wall this week and except for a few modifications in technique, things went remarkably well. Anyway thanks for the input.
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olderic
Sep 30, 2008, 3:58 PM
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PM sent
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lrossi
Sep 30, 2008, 5:44 PM
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pcfcclmbr wrote: My wasn't improving , it was getting worse each day to the point I could hardly walk. I tore ligaments in my ankle when I was a kid and have been plagued my multiple sprains my entire life(I'm 53 now). My ankle was very unstable which also meant the joint was grinding down on itself. I really didn't have any pain until about 3 years ago. This coincided with the grinding noise(bone on bone) coming from my ankle. Beleive me, I tried EVERYTHING. This ankle was only getting worse...not better. Time just ran out.
That really, really sucks. I wish you the best.
At the risk of hijacking your thread, do you have any advice for those of us who might be headed the same way? In other words, those who have unstable ankles now from multiple sprains and want to do something proactive before that grinding noise starts?
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pcfcclmbr
Oct 1, 2008, 12:42 AM
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See a good orthopedic MD who specializes in ankles if possible. If you don't like what they tell you, get a second opinion. That's the best advice you're going to get. I don't know your age but if you're having chronic sprains you really should look into it. I wish I had!
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