ijust found out this past summer that i had been running in three different varsity sports for two years with an osteochondral defect. so i went through surgery and they removed the floating bone (which had died due to lack of blood flow) and now im back to sports. it took three months of healing, but now im slowly getting back into my basketball games.
I Had a n osteochondral lesion surgically removed in Dec 07. I had been trying to lose weight, and so was walking sometimes up to 10 kgs per day. Eventually I had to stop because of the pain, which meant that I also put back the weight I’d lost (22.5kg).
It has been just over three months recovery, and the pain is worse than ever. Dr says he may have been too conservative, and may need to do a bone graft. I have lost a little weight, but I really want to walk!
I just had bone graft surgery done 5-28-08 on my left talus. I twisted my ankle at work very badly. The break to my talus was diagnosed as a sprain. i ended up working on the broken ankle for six months. After some bone death a stage V cystic lesion formed in the talus. I had to have my ankle drilled and bone placed into the place where the lesion was. As of now 7-18-08 I am on my second month of three times a week at physical therapy. Just lost my first crutch and soon will be walking unasisted.It has been a rough road,but if it works out well worth it.Anyone out there going through the same thing, good luck with your recovery.Stay positive and willing to work through the pain and you will be on your feet in no time.
I am scheduled to have surgery on September 19, 2008. I too have a very large cystic lesion on my left talus. My doctor said that I should expect to be off my feet at least 12 weeks, which seems to be an impossibly long time. I am very nervous about having this surgery, which I know I need; my ankle is quite painful, even at rest and has affected my ability to walk. Please tell me what I should expect during the recovery process? I know I will be on crutches for a while, but will it help to have a wheelchair as well? How severe should I expect the pain to be and for how long?
I know that this is too late for Gwen, but for anyone else that is inteested…I just had the talus bone graft surgery on May 4, 2009. Today is June 1, 2009, and I have to wear a cast until July 1, 2009. The first week after the surgery, I wore a plaster cast until I after my first post-op doctor’s exam. After that, I wore a fiberglass cast for two weeks, until after my second post-op exam, at which time I got my my 2nd fiberglass cast. I am on crutches. My upper body strnegth has greatly improved. My doctor wrote an order for a temporary handicap parking placard. I use a wheelchair cart while shopping, but for the most part I use my crutches. Do not be ashamed to use the electric buggies for shopping. My husband,, the lawyer, said that if you slip and fall in a store while on crutches, it is your fault; not the store’s.
One last tip… I have a walk in shower in my master bedroom with a hand held shower head. Before I put on the waterproof cast cover that the ortho techs gave me, I wrap my leg in Glad Press and Seal. It works great. Then I put on the cast cover; then put my leg in a trash bag. I then lower myself to the shower floor and bathe myself. My husband is usually there to help me up and down.
I was just curious about the results people have experienced after about six months following this surgery. I am scheduled for this surgery on 9/17/09 and am trying to find a way out of it. I have had 16 previous surguries from a broken back to a shoulder rebuild. The thought of another procedure is daunting.
I had a type II Talus fracture from a motorcycle accident back in July 2008 when me and my bike crashed into a wall. They flew me in to Huntington Memoria hospital in Pasadena, CA where I had two surgeries and finally put on an external fixator for 2 months. I had my fixator removed and then went on physical therapy. My insurance made me go to a different doctor to follow up after the ER visit because the ER doctor was non-contracted. My follow up doctor (Dr. Charles Alexandar) did a terrible job in diagnosing a partially healed talus. He did not perform an MRI or a CT scan. After a simple X-Ray, the fracture was still visible but he put me on weight bearing and physical therapy anyway. After another 6 months of painful so to speak recovery phase, I gave up on this doctor and changed my Medical Group to Pacific IPA. These doctors were of no help either, no one was willing to do an extensive diagnosis. I then switched to UCLA Medical Group. These guys are the greatest in Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Surgery! My Primary Care Physician put me through a series of tests including X-rays, MRI and CT scan. He found out that I had not formed AVN but discovered a non-union at the bone fracture site. He immediately referred me to Dr. Nelson Soohoo. He suggested a bone graft surgery. I had my surgery on October 21, 2009 and am currently in a cast. My cast comes off next week. I am hopeful that this worked and the non-union was finally fused. The bone-graft donor site hurts like hell for a few days after the surgery but it’s worth it. Just think that you had to donate to yourself so that you can walk again and you will make it through. I hope everything best of luck! Anyone who comes accross this with a similar issue, remember, you HAVE to find the right doctor, who cares, will do the right diagnosis and treatment. Even with a good prognosis, the doctor can seriously F it up for you and prolong your recovery or completely jeopardize it…
I suffered a severe ankle sprain when I landed on someone’s foot during basketball. I did not know how serious the injury was until a year later when I had an MRI. MRI showed two large lesions on both medial and lateral talus bone.
I’ve gone to a few doctors and done quite a bit of research. First I will say that if you need a support group, I started one for OCD lesion sufferers and patients. This is at osteochondraldefect.net forum.
I started this group because the original forum I was at (healthboards.net) wouldn’t let me post articles, links, or even mention doctors. It was overly restrictive and I couldn’t talk freely about this devastating injury with others as I liked.
Second, this injury is S-E-R-I-O-U-S. In many cases the lesion does NOT heal itself. I’m not a medical expert but long story short, cartilage does not regenerate itself so if you have damaged or lost cartilage, it simply won’t grow back even with all the rest in the world. We have to band together and discuss options for working through this together. Again, check out my forum I am an OCD sufferer like all of you, since April ‘06.
im in cronic pain and have a lesion in the ankle and broke my toe also have had a cast for four weeks and used a cain walker….im in cronic pain and also have a heel spur…i also got diagoinsed with rsd sever pain pls help
i am about to have bone grafting done on my talus i have no enjury, iam in alot of pain been unable to work sence feb 09i have been in the boot sence then i had worked on this for mounts not know why i was so much pain .. here we are this many mo later fixing to have this done ,, i am scared and worryed this wount work the dr said i had a 60/40 chance …60 to the good but i cant help but worry .. the pain is bad now but what will it be likew after wards?
Hi Kelly. I’m not sure if I understand, there seems to be a language barrier here. So, you have no idea what’s wrong with your ankle? Do you have arthirits, fracture or sprain?
Anyway, bone grafts are usually highly successful. Try to get it done by a physician who had a lot of experience. Maximize your healing by supplementing with Vitamin C, Calcium and anti-oxidants. Keep a positive attitude and always hope for the best. You have no idea how important staying postive is during recovery. I really believe that you can WILL yourself to recovery if you concentrate on it and treat yourself right. Your best friend is yourself, don’t depend or rely on anyone to do the right thing because only you can know and do what’s right for yourself. Hope you got better!
I suffered a pretty bad basketball injury about 3 years ago, I went for xrays four months ago and it showed a pretty large area of the talus had died. I was told by one Orthopedic surgeon to get a mosaicplasty but another said that the chances of me recovering with 12 weeks of immobilization is about 50/50. But what I really want to know is what happens to that dead piece of bone floating around in there if I don’t get surgery? Does it dissolve or what?
No it doesn’t disolve. It can do MORE damage as a free floating bone. Having lost its blood supply it dies and needs to be removed. Thats my understanding.
If AVN is left alone, your bone will die and become brittle and your body weight will eventually crush the bone into pieces and you will collapse. The bone will NOT dissolve. Depending on the seriousness of AVN, you are looking at the treatment options listed in the above website most likely total ankle replacement or ankle fusion. I’d personally insist on an ankle replacement if your have a healthy enough base to sit the replacement on, otherwise, fusion is your answer. Once fused, you will have a stiff foot for the rest of your life but I heard that the pain virtually disappears. You will walk with a limp but you can stand for a longer period of time and can walk longer than you would on a arthritic ankle.
Good luck Craig.
ijust found out this past summer that i had been running in three different varsity sports for two years with an osteochondral defect. so i went through surgery and they removed the floating bone (which had died due to lack of blood flow) and now im back to sports. it took three months of healing, but now im slowly getting back into my basketball games.
kristi
December 18, 2007 at 2:10 pm
I Had a n osteochondral lesion surgically removed in Dec 07. I had been trying to lose weight, and so was walking sometimes up to 10 kgs per day. Eventually I had to stop because of the pain, which meant that I also put back the weight I’d lost (22.5kg).
It has been just over three months recovery, and the pain is worse than ever. Dr says he may have been too conservative, and may need to do a bone graft. I have lost a little weight, but I really want to walk!
Sandi
April 10, 2008 at 5:09 pm
I just had bone graft surgery done 5-28-08 on my left talus. I twisted my ankle at work very badly. The break to my talus was diagnosed as a sprain. i ended up working on the broken ankle for six months. After some bone death a stage V cystic lesion formed in the talus. I had to have my ankle drilled and bone placed into the place where the lesion was. As of now 7-18-08 I am on my second month of three times a week at physical therapy. Just lost my first crutch and soon will be walking unasisted.It has been a rough road,but if it works out well worth it.Anyone out there going through the same thing, good luck with your recovery.Stay positive and willing to work through the pain and you will be on your feet in no time.
james
July 17, 2008 at 4:33 pm
I am scheduled to have surgery on September 19, 2008. I too have a very large cystic lesion on my left talus. My doctor said that I should expect to be off my feet at least 12 weeks, which seems to be an impossibly long time. I am very nervous about having this surgery, which I know I need; my ankle is quite painful, even at rest and has affected my ability to walk. Please tell me what I should expect during the recovery process? I know I will be on crutches for a while, but will it help to have a wheelchair as well? How severe should I expect the pain to be and for how long?
Gwen
September 7, 2008 at 7:46 pm
I know that this is too late for Gwen, but for anyone else that is inteested…I just had the talus bone graft surgery on May 4, 2009. Today is June 1, 2009, and I have to wear a cast until July 1, 2009. The first week after the surgery, I wore a plaster cast until I after my first post-op doctor’s exam. After that, I wore a fiberglass cast for two weeks, until after my second post-op exam, at which time I got my my 2nd fiberglass cast. I am on crutches. My upper body strnegth has greatly improved. My doctor wrote an order for a temporary handicap parking placard. I use a wheelchair cart while shopping, but for the most part I use my crutches. Do not be ashamed to use the electric buggies for shopping. My husband,, the lawyer, said that if you slip and fall in a store while on crutches, it is your fault; not the store’s.
One last tip… I have a walk in shower in my master bedroom with a hand held shower head. Before I put on the waterproof cast cover that the ortho techs gave me, I wrap my leg in Glad Press and Seal. It works great. Then I put on the cast cover; then put my leg in a trash bag. I then lower myself to the shower floor and bathe myself. My husband is usually there to help me up and down.
I hope that this was helpful.
Lynn
June 1, 2009 at 7:57 am
I was just curious about the results people have experienced after about six months following this surgery. I am scheduled for this surgery on 9/17/09 and am trying to find a way out of it. I have had 16 previous surguries from a broken back to a shoulder rebuild. The thought of another procedure is daunting.
Stephanie
September 2, 2009 at 9:16 pm
I had a type II Talus fracture from a motorcycle accident back in July 2008 when me and my bike crashed into a wall. They flew me in to Huntington Memoria hospital in Pasadena, CA where I had two surgeries and finally put on an external fixator for 2 months. I had my fixator removed and then went on physical therapy. My insurance made me go to a different doctor to follow up after the ER visit because the ER doctor was non-contracted. My follow up doctor (Dr. Charles Alexandar) did a terrible job in diagnosing a partially healed talus. He did not perform an MRI or a CT scan. After a simple X-Ray, the fracture was still visible but he put me on weight bearing and physical therapy anyway. After another 6 months of painful so to speak recovery phase, I gave up on this doctor and changed my Medical Group to Pacific IPA. These doctors were of no help either, no one was willing to do an extensive diagnosis. I then switched to UCLA Medical Group. These guys are the greatest in Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Surgery! My Primary Care Physician put me through a series of tests including X-rays, MRI and CT scan. He found out that I had not formed AVN but discovered a non-union at the bone fracture site. He immediately referred me to Dr. Nelson Soohoo. He suggested a bone graft surgery. I had my surgery on October 21, 2009 and am currently in a cast. My cast comes off next week. I am hopeful that this worked and the non-union was finally fused. The bone-graft donor site hurts like hell for a few days after the surgery but it’s worth it. Just think that you had to donate to yourself so that you can walk again and you will make it through. I hope everything best of luck! Anyone who comes accross this with a similar issue, remember, you HAVE to find the right doctor, who cares, will do the right diagnosis and treatment. Even with a good prognosis, the doctor can seriously F it up for you and prolong your recovery or completely jeopardize it…
Rashid
December 8, 2009 at 5:12 am
I suffered a severe ankle sprain when I landed on someone’s foot during basketball. I did not know how serious the injury was until a year later when I had an MRI. MRI showed two large lesions on both medial and lateral talus bone.
I’ve gone to a few doctors and done quite a bit of research. First I will say that if you need a support group, I started one for OCD lesion sufferers and patients. This is at osteochondraldefect.net forum.
I started this group because the original forum I was at (healthboards.net) wouldn’t let me post articles, links, or even mention doctors. It was overly restrictive and I couldn’t talk freely about this devastating injury with others as I liked.
Second, this injury is S-E-R-I-O-U-S. In many cases the lesion does NOT heal itself. I’m not a medical expert but long story short, cartilage does not regenerate itself so if you have damaged or lost cartilage, it simply won’t grow back even with all the rest in the world. We have to band together and discuss options for working through this together. Again, check out my forum I am an OCD sufferer like all of you, since April ‘06.
aj
February 27, 2009 at 8:42 pm
im in cronic pain and have a lesion in the ankle and broke my toe also have had a cast for four weeks and used a cain walker….im in cronic pain and also have a heel spur…i also got diagoinsed with rsd sever pain pls help
roe
April 16, 2009 at 1:54 pm
i am about to have bone grafting done on my talus i have no enjury, iam in alot of pain been unable to work sence feb 09i have been in the boot sence then i had worked on this for mounts not know why i was so much pain .. here we are this many mo later fixing to have this done ,, i am scared and worryed this wount work the dr said i had a 60/40 chance …60 to the good but i cant help but worry .. the pain is bad now but what will it be likew after wards?
kelly
June 8, 2009 at 10:17 pm
Hi Kelly. I’m not sure if I understand, there seems to be a language barrier here. So, you have no idea what’s wrong with your ankle? Do you have arthirits, fracture or sprain?
Anyway, bone grafts are usually highly successful. Try to get it done by a physician who had a lot of experience. Maximize your healing by supplementing with Vitamin C, Calcium and anti-oxidants. Keep a positive attitude and always hope for the best. You have no idea how important staying postive is during recovery. I really believe that you can WILL yourself to recovery if you concentrate on it and treat yourself right. Your best friend is yourself, don’t depend or rely on anyone to do the right thing because only you can know and do what’s right for yourself. Hope you got better!
Rashid
December 8, 2009 at 5:24 am
I suffered a pretty bad basketball injury about 3 years ago, I went for xrays four months ago and it showed a pretty large area of the talus had died. I was told by one Orthopedic surgeon to get a mosaicplasty but another said that the chances of me recovering with 12 weeks of immobilization is about 50/50. But what I really want to know is what happens to that dead piece of bone floating around in there if I don’t get surgery? Does it dissolve or what?
craig
August 18, 2009 at 1:35 am
No it doesn’t disolve. It can do MORE damage as a free floating bone. Having lost its blood supply it dies and needs to be removed. Thats my understanding.
Stephanie
September 3, 2009 at 7:46 pm
Check out this website. It talks about the options you have for AVN treatment.
http://footandankle.mdmercy.com/conditions/trauma/fractures_talus.html
If AVN is left alone, your bone will die and become brittle and your body weight will eventually crush the bone into pieces and you will collapse. The bone will NOT dissolve. Depending on the seriousness of AVN, you are looking at the treatment options listed in the above website most likely total ankle replacement or ankle fusion. I’d personally insist on an ankle replacement if your have a healthy enough base to sit the replacement on, otherwise, fusion is your answer. Once fused, you will have a stiff foot for the rest of your life but I heard that the pain virtually disappears. You will walk with a limp but you can stand for a longer period of time and can walk longer than you would on a arthritic ankle.
Good luck Craig.
Rashid
December 8, 2009 at 5:20 am