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AKCrash

Anyone with ORIF?

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I know that landing injuries are quite common in our sport. I remember the injury stories everybody was telling me when I rolled to the DZ on a wheel chair.

I broke my right ankle twice due to landing accidents. First one was worse because I haven’t had any metal in my leg at the time. I had an Open Reduction Internal Fixation done. 7 screws were installed (three major ones in the place of the injury and the rest were to position the Fibia inline. Second injury occurred to the same leg at the same location. The only difference is that there was no dislocation just broke the fibia right above the hardware installed from the previous surgery. The hardware was moved and bent as well..

My orthopedic told me that I would be cleared to skydive after the first injury in 12 weeks from the date of the operation. Sure enough, I was able to walk after 12 weeks, but I was in pain and walked funny at the time. Regardless of the situation, I went back to skydiving. I wasn’t able to run my landings. So I was sliding down all my landings.

After the second incident, my orthopedic grounded me for life. However, he cleared me for full activities without restrictions. He told me that everything should get back to normal.

What’s concerning is that I don’t feel any better as far as pain goes. I am still limping. And I still can’t run. I have talked to my orthopedic again and he said this could be normal as people react to things differently.

I am a big guy and active. I am an EMT/Chemist. So I lift heavy patients and stand for hours in the lab. I have no problems doing simple activities, but still can’t run and have pain in my ankle.

Has anyone gone through this? I guess asking people with experience is better than asking doctors coz apparently they don’t have very good idea about recovery process.

It’s been very hard staying away from skydiving. I was very close to go jumping regardless of my situation, but I didn’t want to make stupid mistakes again.
"Those who would give up Essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety" Franklin

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Being a skydiver, sort of (I've also been "grounded for life" by my orthodoc), and a physician myself, I'd agree that people don't follow any predetetmined guideline for when they'll be back to 100%. The variability is huge.

I had an ORIF of my right ankle back in '95. I was skydiving 8 weeks later, but it was painful. Being too eager to return to the sport too soon, I made a bunch of butt landings, which was stupid. Don't do it. Did you dislocate your ankle or something the second time???? That could be his reasoning for "no more skydiving ever."

I'd recommend listening to your orthopod instead of looking for a different answer here. Taking medical advice from a bunch of skydivers about whether your orthopod is right or wrong is kinda stupid, imho. My orthopod has never discouraged skydiving until now. He's listened and paid attention to what I have to say about physical risks, and he's guided me appropriately based on his knowledge of my orthopaedic problems. Now he says, no more. But then he says....well, after a few more years, if you're doing well and we can see how this is going, then "maybe." I'll listen to him. Even though he's not a skydiver, he listens. His knowledge of what my bones, joints, and impending metal can withstand is better than mine.

Listen to your doctor.

:)
linz
--
A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail

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Thanks of the advice. I am not looking for an advice from skydivers to compare it against what the doctor has to say. However, I am looking to hear from their experience to see if their recovery process was similar or not.

My doctor told me that I should be completely normal after six week from the injury. It’s been 18 weeks since the injury and I have hard time getting up after sitting on the ground. So I was wondering if someone had an injury similar to mine experienced the same thing for the same period of time, or am I specifically not recovering the way I am supposed to.

I didn’t dislocate it again. Hardware kept everything intact, according to my orthopedic.

He made it clear for me that I can not skydive anymore regardless of the circumstances. However, he had no problem with me playing football or rugby (for instance) which I asked about specifically in different occasions.
"Those who would give up Essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety" Franklin

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How much pain did you expeirence? 0-10? when resting and when active?

Also, has this pain ever go away? if yes, how long did it take?

Do you have any movement limitations? if not, when did you start walking normally?
"Those who would give up Essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety" Franklin

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I do have limited motion in my right ankle, and it took a while to be pain free. Heck, I'm still not ENTIRELY pain free in that ankle and it's been 13 years. It was long enough ago, though, that I can't remember how many weeks it took to be able to run, jump from any height at all without a pretty significant amount of pain, or walk without a limp. I CAN say that I jumped WAY before I could do those other things.

The problem now is different, unrelated to that ankle fracture. This time I'm educated enough to listen to my orthopod. When I disagree with him, I'm comfortable enough with him to ask him "why?" My bet is that if you ask him specific questions, he'll answer you the best he can. If not...heck, then you're in a pickle.

linz
--
A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail

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No way in hell would you be "completely normal" 6 weeks after a fractured ankle. Even if the bones have healed well, if you broke your ankle, you also damaged tendons and muscles- I'd say it has to be impossible to break the bones near your ankle without significant soft tissue damage as well. That heals at its own time and pace. My last ankle injury took months to heal to the point where I could walk normally and mostly pain free. Running took a while after that. And to be honest, I wasn't even close to 100% until I had all the hardware removed.

Give yourself time, let your body heal and if your still experiencing a lot of pain and limited motion, go back to the ortho and have him take another look. PT should also help a lot! Good luck!

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Quote

Quote

I had an Open Reduction Internal Fixation done.



Did you expect everyone to understand what ORIF stood for in your subject title?

A title like "Ankle Injuries" might have drawn you more attention.


john I would think if you had one of those procedures done, it is something that you would not soon forget

thus he would have struck his target audience.

;)
if you want a friend feed any animal
Perry Farrell

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I broke my ankle (tri-mal fracture and linear tibial fracture) on 1/1/08. Had my first ORIF on 1/2/08 and then the second on 1/17/08 .

Even now... the ankle still gets a little stiff in the mornings and a little tired by night. But overall, life has gotten back into full swing. I haven't jumped on it yet, but my ortho knows that I'm planning on it (after November - waiting til then cuz I have a MAJOR hurdle to cross at that point)

I have ran on it, but it wasn't "enjoyable". . . . not that running was ever "enjoyable." Swimming is completely back to "normal."

Each person is different. Healing varies depending on how your body responds to the surgery done, how you followed through with your PT, how you perceive "pain"

My advice - Listen to your doctor, but most importantly.... listen to your body.

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