UKC

I broke my talus two years ago and now have two screws in it. Since then despite the Doctor’s initial “youl never walk again” chat I am climbing better than ever and have had some amazing experiences in the mountains.

However, Scotland this year has been difficult. I can only manage one day on the Ben then I need about 3 rest days for my ankle to loosen up. I have tried superfeet, sorbothane and two pairs of mountaineering boots which don’t seem to make much difference. Most of my aspirations in the future involve long routes in the mountains rather than sport+trad climbing or bouldering.

I have spoke to a few people who have had their ankles fused, they basically say that some range of movement is lost but all the pain is taken away. I am not looking to have my ankle fused in the next couple of years, but the thought keeps coming into my head whenever I’m in the hills.

Any thoughts on this? Will I be wasting the limited health of my current ankle for restricted movement in a pain free but less useful ankle? Im particularly interested to hear from anyone who has chosen to have their ankle fused to get out more in the hills.

Thanks

Ps. Heres my previous thread from 2007
http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=264911
http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=264911

In reply to david morse: If it's something that you think might be helped by Superfeet/Sorbothane insoles, it might be worth getting some custom-made ones. Superfeet never did anything for me, but my carbon fibre insoles are the best things ever! And I got them from the NHS! My problems were completely different but it might be worth thinking about.

In reply to cat22:

did you get a referral from your GP?

In reply to david morse:

David have you tried other things to help improve the stabilization of the ankle etc, i'm no doctor but it may well help reduce pain by stopping them from fatiguing as early.
I had/have a major muscular/nerve issue with my right lower leg around the ankle and calf, which is with me for life regardless, I often suffer excruciating pain which sometimes requires me to rest for a day (was even laid up in bed for most of a day not so long ago). I've found lots of wobble board training, one legged calf raises, and similar stuff has greatly helped to improve my lower leg, and reduced the intensity of the pain that I experience, I alread have custom carbon fibre orthotics, which are amazing, and work very well.
But they do not make it all go away, they just give my feet/legs good support, and there is still a weakness which needs to be addressed/compensated for. I have never really significantly reduced the pain until I got into these stabilization exercises, which seem to have worked wonders.
My two pence

In reply to BigJames:

Hi David,

I can't help on the 'to fuse or not to' question, and it maybe something I also have to face in the future. I'm also a Talus breaker. I was unable to winter climb for a couple of years after breaking mine, as I found that the leverage from front pointing was too great and it felt the ankle might break again.

I changed boots this year and it helped alot, I'm now using Scrapa freneys, and being shorter and lighter for the equivalent size there is less leaverage and and climb reasonably comfortably again, and have less 'hobble' the day after.

I note you've also been changing boots, so you may have also tried this.

In reply to david morse: Yeah - took a while but got referred from the GP to a podiatrist/biomechanics specialist. County Durham NHS is pretty awesome.

In reply to BigJames:

custom carbon fibre orthotics, are these insoles?

can anyone recommend me a private company that could make me some fitted insoles?

I have spent a serious amount of time on the wobble boards and using therabands, stretching etc., just doesnt seem to stop the stiffness the day after a big day in the hills. In the heat its fine, frustratingly, i have much less problems in hotter climates, but psyche is highest for the big routes which often involve the cold.

Has anyone any experience with having screws removed from joints and how much that helps?

I realise there are no right or wrong answers, Im just trying to hear from other peoples experiences, particuarly about talus injuries.

Thanks!

In reply to David morse:
I'm in a similar situation, I had septic arthritis in my right ankle joint which completely destroyed the cartilage leaving me with only a few degrees of movement in the joint and constant considerable pain, I to have pondered whether to have it fused for a number of years. The reason I have not is due to having heard of people having the op and still being left with the pain and other complications and of course no movement, though I understand that this is a rare occurrence and fusion is considered "The gold standard" for this condition I would hate to lose my ability, limited though it is, to climb and indoors and odd mountain days which give me so much pleasure. Those few degrees of movement I think do make a diffrence, even though it really does cause a lot of pain. So until the point where it really does become unbearable I’m sticking with what I have.
It is worth noting that ankle replacements are more common recently but they are aimed at older less mobile people as they are prone to wear out with the end being result in fusion, maybe as medical advances are made these replacement joints will become more robust.
Like you, I would be interested to hear from anyone who has had this procedure done and found it to be successful.

In reply to david morse:

I broke my right wrist and forearm in 26 places about 2 years ago, was taken into surgery to have it amputated but I hadn't signed a release form... another hospital put it together and I am now just starting to climb indoors. Initially fusing the wrist was discussed but my surgeon was quite adament that at 42 I was just too young to be going down that route and basically told me to bully the wrist into working and get used to shutting out pain. I have very limited wrist movement now.
I'm going into hospital next month to have 23 screws and associated plates removed from my body - totally unexpected as it was thought I'd always need them in there and removing them would cause too much nerve damage.

It seems that I've been helped by the fact I'm a decorator, my wrist is used all day every day, so stiffness doen't really set in as badly as it would for others but a long drive, say 12 hours to Scotland can really hurt. It's become a mental thing for me, just got to ignore the pain and do what I want/need to do. Diclofenic taken rarely does help too.

Barry Sheene was quoted onece as saying "It's between me and my body - and I'm going to win". It's kept me going to be honest that quote and I'll take the pain over the wrist being fused everytime.

I know it's a different injury to yours (I had my legs driven over in the same accident too but that's another issue and more pain) but mentally it sounds like you're in the same place - best of luck chap.

I broke my leg and ankle almost 15 years ago now. I was also advised at the time to have it fused (and save the NHS the expense of doing it later). I was only 20 at the time so decided to wait and see, you can always have it done later. It sounds like you are in pretty much the same situation I am in. Basically after any long days i am in pain afterwards and it take a lot of time the next day to loosen it off so I can walk sort of normally. The definition of a long day is getting shorter and shorter nowadays. But you learn what will make it worse (long walks on uneven terrain, carrying heavy loads), and make the judgment of what is worth the pain, and how you can reduce it. I also am more interested in the big days out in the mountains, and suffer accordingly, but avoid long unessesary walks where I can, cycle if possible, I can't snowboard, but can ski etc etc.

after any joint injury (and invasive surgery) you are liable to develop osteo arthritis in the joint. basically the joint surfaces are not as smooth as they used to be and increased friction in the joint leads to inflammation, and bony growths. i don't think having the screws removed will help much. some people recommend going in an cleaning out the joint capsule, but i think that at best will be a temporary improvement, and can also carry some risk.

I use copious amounts of Ibuprofen and paracetemol to reduce the inflammation and pain, taken before and during as well as after the pains has kicked in. Some people recommend supplements like Glucosamine and Chondroitin, which are some of the basic nutients of joint cartiledge and there is some evidence that they are effective in improving joint pain. Although the last meta-analysis i read (basically summary of all the published research) it didn't show any positive effect. I don't think it will do any harm though, and if there is a slight chance it will slow the decline i am willing to give it a go.

I don't know how much insoles are actually going to help. It depends on the cause of your problems. I think a lot of people use insoles like homeopathy and other such quack medicine(but hey if it doresn't harm them). I have quite reduced range of movement in my ankle (it doesn't bend beyond 90deg) and that leg is also slightly shorter after the accident. Therefore i find using orthotic insoles helps give me a more normal walking gait, and stops me hyperextending my knee joint.
Basically people get a lot of problems (in other unaffected such as back/hip/knee) from having abnormal walking gaits, and I think it is important to try to have as normal a gait as possible. This is part of the problem with fusing the ankle joint, that you end up getting problems in the other foot joints and the rest of the leg and back.

i don't think joint replacements are no-where near good enough for young people yet. i have yet to meet a consultant who would recommend one. the ankle is very complicated, and the bones that they are attatched to are small, and they have to carry the full body weight and more. i hope someone develops a good one soon. but in the mean time i am considering getting my ankle fused, when the pain becomes to great and is really stopping me doing the things i want. but it does seem like such a big and permanent step. i hope i have not been holding off unessesarily! anyone have any experience of fused ankles? which position is it fused in? any regrets?

In reply to david morse:

Okay, possibly silly point, but have you tried stretching.

I don't mean once, I mean every 20mins from when you come off the hill til you go to bed (and the longer that is for the better) So that it never gets the chance to tighten up as you are always pushing it through it's range of movement.

doh! why didn't i think of that!

after a long day it is already inflammed hurting, and i wake up with it stiff!

In reply to david morse:

Yes they replace your inner soles in your shoes, mine are made of a combination of carbon fibre, and some really tough rubber/PU for the heel (they call it the post).

I used a really good private consultant in Central London, he came highly recommended to me by another doctor.
My situation is different in that I had a leg length difference brought about my an injury as a passenger in a car crash, combined with this major issue in my right leg which created a bad walking gait an imbalance between the two legs, which made it difficult to put power down through my right leg, which then contributed towards me having a biased towards my left leg resulting in a weird loss of hip flexibility for a while.
I will email you his number, I remember the first time I did sports etc with these in my shoes it was great, such a huge difference.

In reply to david morse:
Hi David

I fell climbing a few years ago, and broke my calcaneus and disrupted the talus joint surface. I was left with reasonable flexion/extension in my ankle, but my pronation/supination movement was almost non-existent, and very painful.

I was like you - able to do many of the activities I enjoy, but with considerable stiffness in the ankle the next day (would limp out of bed, but it would generally get better as the day wore on). The biggest problem was I would occasionally catch my ankle (often on next-to-nothing) and the resulting pain was simply excruciating.

I kept in contact with my orthopaedic consultant, and finally I decided to have a sub-talar fusion. The joint surface between calcaneus and talus was cut away, packed with grafted bone from my hip and immobilised with a single screw. I was non-weight bearing for approx 6-8 weeks, then weight-bearing in a removable cast for a further 8 weeks.

I am very happy with the end result. The pain has gone, and there is no appreciable difference in the amount of movement I have in the ankle, although this may be due to the type of fusion I had.

It's hard to know what to advise, as everyone is different. Chronic pain is very debilitating, but I had a reasonably simple decision to make, and I've not regreted it. I am certainly more active now than I was prior to the fusion, and I have more confidence in what my ankle can handle.

Just keep asking questions, and don't be afraid to seek 2nd, 3rd or 4th opinions from the medics. They're only human, and they have their favourites like the rest of us - it may be your doc is a fan of fusions!

In reply to david morse: If you have your ankles fused isn't it like trying to walk with your shoe laces tied together?

On a serious note, consider any surgery really carefully, and bear in mind that when a surgeon describes a procedure as "straightforward" or similar, it means for them, not for you! That's my experience anyway.

In reply to david morse: Obviously the idea is that the joint space becomes bone and where there is only bone there is no pain. In reality it takes time for it to heal, you might have pain in it for a year afterwards when you press on it and there is a small risk that it actually doesn't fuse.

How did you fracture the bone? Did it fracture through one of the joints? Go and get a referral to an orthopod that is specialised in foot and ankle surgery and see what he says.

In reply to david morse:

DOnt do it

I smashed my ankle up really bad 20 years ago, very nearly had my leg amputated.

I can't run and a full day on the Ben has a similar effect on me. However I can rock climb as well as ever, cycle (competively badly) and ski. I doubt I could do any of these as well if my ankle had been fused

In reply to david morse: I broke my ankle in an ice climbing fall 16 years ago. The talus was punched up throught the joint, snapping the bottom off the tibia and crushing the joint surface. After a bone graft to rebuild the surface and pins and a plate inserted, the bone healed fine (but is much thicker than it used to be).

My problem is that the cartiledge was damaged so I now have arthritis and may well need fusion soon.

I have been able to climb since the accident although I didn't winter climbing for 2 years, however the joint carried on improving for about 3 years before stabilising for another 4 or 5 and then deteriorating since then.
The climbing itself isn't the problem, but walking in/out, especially long days in winter or the Alps, likewise it stiffens up terribly the next day.

I find trekking poles help, as does wearing approach shoes rather than boots (when possible) as well as taking lots of ibuprofen, but there are issues with stomach ulcers with their long term use.
I also had a steroid injection last year which made a huge improvement but it only lasted 2 months and as you can only have a limited number of them I can't have another.

If you have cartiledge/arthritis problems hyalgon injections (also called ostenil) may help. It contains a substance found naturally in the synovial fluid of cartiledges. You need 3 to 5 injections initially and then a top up every 6 months or so. I believe its only NICE accredited for knees but I know some consultants use it in ankles although you may have to go private and that would be about £150 to £200 per injection.
Unfortunately by the time I heard about hyalgon the consultant said it was too late for me as there wasn't enough cartiledge left to inject into. However you are younger and your injury is more recent so I'd check it out while time is on your side.

Personally I'm putting off fusion as long as possible as I'm concerned about the long term knock on effects on my knee, hip and back caused by walking with a limp, plus general hassle like not being able to use the accelerator properly while driving etc. Until they can regrow cartiledge tissue (stem cells perhaps?) all treatments are just buying time.

I had my plate and screws taken out after 2 years but it didn't make any difference, unless they come loose they're not a problem.
Don't know if yours was a crush injury like mine (see post above) but some dust left over from the initial injury slowly coalesced into loose bone fragments within the joint which caused great pain when I compressed the joint (rocking forward onto that foot whilst walking). Having these removed made a huge difference, in fact it was only after their removal that I was able to get much benefit from the physio.

In reply to david morse:

David, you need to see a good Orthotist, not a podiatrist as they just play at this subject and it is pure luck if you get a good one.

There are only about 400 Orthotists in the country and only some of them are actually expert in what you need.

Where are you in the UK? I may be able to suggest someone who could help you.

Andrew

In reply to Andrew Lodge:

Im moving to north wales soon, can you recommend me one in that area?

Thanks for all the posts, its really interesting to hear from other people with similar problems. I think for the next few years im going to avoid the fusion and see what happens. It is something I think will have to happen in the near future, but i understand it is a big step that cannot be reversed. No easy answers here!

Im still interested to hear about anyone who has a fused ankle, particuarly caused by injuries to the talus. I shattered mine and dislocated the joint(hawkins type II if i remember), Ive now got two screws holding the talus together. Im 26 this year so im unsure if the NHS would be keen to fuse for a while anyways, I think i will go and see what they say and try and get some free insoles out of them.

Thanks again, really helpful thread!

In reply to Andrew Lodge:

rubbish. and what do you say to those whom outline that orthotists are only prescriptive healthcare professionals and that podiatrists are diagnositc and prescriptive?

most ignorant and biased comment i've read in years.

In reply to david morse:I've had a blast reading all these postings and threads about knackered ankles. I did mine in feb 1979, usual stuff, neck of talus,dislocation and broken leg. The bad news was that the back end of the talus did some pirouettes as I fell and crawled to rescue, severing anything around it. This, and 3 days at Bangor C & A ensured dying bone and lots of pain!
The ankle was set properly in Aberystwyth and I wore a caliper on my leg for 5 years supposedly while the bone healed enough to fuse the ankle. I never did have the op as the joint seemed ok for the next 5 or 10 years. I climbed, skiied and did some minor fell running, but ice proved too painful to bear.
30 years after the injury I still climb regularly and ski reasonably. The ankle is virtually solid with arthritis, a recent x-ray showed no sign of an ankle joint at all. If you do decide to fuse the joint do it soon while youth is on your side and the joints in the foot can take up some of the movement lost. Wait too long and that won't happen. Whatever you decide, think about how lucky we all are to be alive and live your life to the full. My greatest aspiration now is to climb till I can't, then get really old!

In reply to philmorris:

i respect your attitude fella. since I got off my crutches ive been able to do everything I have wanted to do, a good attitude is incredibly important. Not being able to climb 2 days on the ben this winter has been the first time i have genuinely had to accept that my foot has limitations. Frustrating!

Are there any others who agree that fusing at a younger age is better for the ankle in the long run?

In reply to david morse:

I had 9 screws and 2 plates in my ankle, told I would never run again etc. Coped ok but ankle would bleed from wearing boots, (pushing against screw heads) hurt more when winter climbing in Scotland etc. Someone talked to me about fusing it which I wasn't too keen on. In the end I just asked to kept them taken out again (3 years after my initial accident) as they had served their purpose of holding everything together while it was healing. The difference was incredible and although I have the odd bit of pain (it was a fuc*ed up break) it is so much better. Whether you can do this I don't know but that was my experience.

In reply to philmorris: Interesting post, particularly as you're injury is quite a bit older than mine, (so I know what I've got to look forward to!).


Whilst I get a lot of pain from day to day use, I can rock climb and ski (again with pain) but its winter climbing and Alpinism thats really a problem. The climbing itself isn't too bad but long days on my feet, make it too stiff and painful. I find on the walkout I'm using my trekking poles as crutches. I think I've reached the end of the road as far as these activities are concerned.

What I've got to decide is do I stop doing them and get what life is left in my ankle from other things or get it fused to remove the pain and hopefully be able to carry on doing them.
On recent winter days out (short ones in the Lakes!) I've been thinking how easy would it be to do this with a totally inflexible ankle? My conclusion was not very easy at all, so I'm concerned that if I do get it fused I might not be able to do them anyway.

You say you can't ice climb, was that because the joint itself was too painful or the difficulty of crossing uneven ground or steep slopes with a totally inflexible ankle?

Like yours, my ankle bones are really thickend now, the body's way of reducing mobility as a response to arthritis I believe. Now that yours has virtually fused itself has that reduced the pain or would fusion have been better (as far as you know). Also, has having an inlexible joint had any knock on effects to your knees, hip or back?

Any answers greatfully recieved, thanks.

In reply to david morse:

Hi David.

I'm in a very similar situation to yours. I shattered my ankle really badly, it was too bad for screws and plates so I had an Ilizarov frame for 6 months to save my leg from amputation. My doc advised fusion but I decided against it and some days I feel it was the right decision, but sometimes not. I can climb well, but after a long (sometimes short) day walking and being on my leg I'm in a lot of pain. I think about having my ankle fused a lot, but being a fireman by profession this might not be a good idea. I broke my leg and ankle 20 months ago and I think it is still getting better but very slowly. I would be interested to hear peoples opinions if I will always be in pain or will it get stronger/better? My range of movement is 50% so I can't run very well and my gait is quite pronounced. I do wear an orthotic and this helps me walk as it keeps my ankle in a better position.

Graham

In reply to pec:
I have lived with my ankle for 15 years, it's nearly complety fused by it's self with only a few degrees of movement due to the lack of cartilage in the joint, the medical fusion is supposed to stop the pain but I can assure the natural way does not. As for effect on other joints I find my hips are stiffer and my oppsite knee is giving me problems as a result of favouring that side. I can climb ok...I have problems with rock overs and power moves of that side but the walk in and walk out are murder, usualy result with a day or two on the pethidine, but no pain no gain right?

In reply to Graham Westbrook: I broke mine 15 years ago, badly but not as bad as yours by the sound of it. Like you, I can climb but the walking is the problem.
I gave up any running altogether to spare what cartiledge I had left which I think was a wise decision. My ankle continued to improve for 3 or 4 years before stabilising for about 5 and then deteriorating. Over the last 8ish years I have become increasingly dependant on Ibuprofen to do things to the extent that I'm now on full dose all the time.

Since your ankle was shattered read my earlier post about floating bone fragments if you haven't already, especially if you get a sharp pain when the joint is compressed. My earlier comments on Hyalgon injections may also be worth bearing in mind.
Good luck.

In reply to pec:
Ironically, when I broke my ankle it was while trying to get fit for the Alps. Blew that for sure. As for ice climbing, that seemed to put a lot of strain on the joint which worried me knowing what a mess it was in anyway. To be honest I always found winter climbing a bit cold and miserable anyway. After the accident I focused on sea cliffs, Spain and crags with short walks (less than an hour, these days much less!) The reason I never had it fused was that I got much fitter and more able in my 30s, the real problems only coming as 40 flew by. Now at 56 I've reached a plateau again, at a much lower level, but climbing at your limit is where it's at whatever that limit may be.
Skiing seems to cause no major problems at the level we perform at. The consultant who saw my x-rays last year couldn't believe it possible to ski on a lump of arthritis! Walking on snow and sand are killers and I do put more strain on the better (no longer good) leg. If I do overdo it, say walking up Half Dome, I write off the next day totally. It's a small price to pay for the last 31 years, a family, and everything I wouldn't have done if I'd landed on my head. Every day is a gift.
Although I do suffer some pain, I know what causes it and avoid those things if possible. Walking round M&S is far worse than any day climbing, or ascending a via feratta and I have managed to avoid the copious amounts of pain killers talked of by others.
Good luck with your ankle! Phil

In reply to david morse: Hi David

As you will see from this thread, you are certainly not alone.

I broke my heel bone in half in a fall 12 years ago. It was a bad break and I had it pinned and plated. Like you, the break damaged the ankle joint as well which has left me with no lateral movement and slightly reduced up and down movement. I also struggle to do two days out in a row, however the best way to recover is to keep the foot/ankle moving.

Over the last 3 years I have developed increased stiffness and more regular discomfort so, 18 months ago, I discussed my condition with an orthopedic surgeon in leeds. I was fortunate to benefit from private health insurance at the time. We decided to take the metal-work out, but not fuse. You wouldn't be able to take the screws out AND fuse under a single procedure. So my advice is to look at this as a two stage process. Take the screws out, live with it and see if it brings any improvement (unfortunately in my case it has not brought improvement). If problems persist or increase as you get older (which is highly likely as arthritis will become more of an issue) you can then consider fusing the joint to relieve pressure on the ankle and mid/fore foot in particular.

In the past I have been absolutely fine rock climbing. But I now find that winter climbing is a tad easier due to the additional support of the boots. Walk-ins to crags/mountains in summer are becoming more of a problem due to greater flex in the light-weight approach/climbing footwear.

I also take Glycosomine with Chondrotin (1000mg), MSM and cod-liver oil.

A good pair of supportive and CUSHIONING insoles are a must.

I now use walking poles and really find these a big help on uneven ground to a) improve my balance (my left ankle doesn't "roll" with the terrain and b) take some of the weight off.

I hope some of these ramblings prove useful!

Jim

In reply to jameshiggins:

Absolutely! My alarming cricket-ball lump of ossified gristle that passes for my left ankle (of 36 years vintage) didn't stop me doing the Yorks 3 Peaks last October in 9ish hours. I find I'm OK for one good long day and then have to give it a rest. I've also been taking advantage of the remarkable winter conditions in the Lakes.

Carpe diem.

In reply to david morse:

Thanks to all contributors to this thread. I broke talus and calcaneous in a fall in July. Only diagnosed in November (non-displaced hairline fractures). Subtalar joint has been very stiff and I had MUA and cortisone injection on Friday. Consultant and physio suspect damage to joint surface as fracture was in that area.

I have been quite worried about where this might lead and what options might be in the future. I have not climbed since July and was at that stage of wondering whether I would be able to do anything at all unless I went down the rather radical route of fusion. (Some web browsing turned up all sorts of horror stories.) As an impatient newcomer to osteoarthritis I'm really very grateful for those who have shared their stories here.

Has anyone found arthroscopy much use?

I'm due to have it done on April 27th so I should know a few weeks after that. Email me in late May if you want to find out.
From what the consultant said I don't hold out much hope but I couldn't bring myself to get it fused just yet.

In reply to pec: Thanks: I've got a follow up with mine about that time. Good luck.

In reply to FrJ:

FrJ, looking at this thread I notice that most of the talus breakers, endured a slow recovery. Like you my talus neck break was undetected for 9 weeks, and the full extent of the talus shattering and the breakage of the adajacent navicular not identified for over a year. It took the best part of nine months not to walk with a limp, and over a year and a half before I could walk smoothly the next morning after moderate excercise.

You might feel like your in limbo at the moment, not knowing what direction to take i.e. hold out for for a return to climbing, or enjoy or life in other ways. Compared to many on this thread your still at a relatively early stage of recovery so don't give up hope.

But in the meantime enjoy life in as many other ways as you can, and if/when your ankle improves, enjoy the climbing.

In reply to david morse:

Hi Dave

Sounds like you’re having a harder time of it than me (if I remember correctly we had very similar injuries, mine about a year earlier than yours)

My injury does play up and I often find myself limping after a day in the hills but I’ve only once (last summer in the Alps) failed to recover in time for the next day’s sport in the hills. I should say that I am a lot less ambitious about what I want to do than you seem to be so that could be a factor. However, I do still go out and am happy than my ankle can tackle any terrain and I only really pause to think on scree slopes. Nowadays I very rarely use trekking poles but I used them all the time for about 12-18 months after my injury

One thing I am very careful to do when I’m away from the hills is to do a lot of exercise that stretches the ankle but is non-load bearing (swimming or heading to the gym to use the cross-trainer and rowing machine)...maybe that helps me?

Good luck!

In reply to Removed User:

aright mate, i think you emailed me with loads of information when i initially broke it, thanks again for that it was very helpful! I think my ankle is still improving over time, this august will be 3 years. at the moment i can do one day on the ben, two days in the northern corries, and 3 long days in the hills in summer. a year ago i could just about manage one day in Snechda. this summer i did a 20 hour car to car round trip up the badile, and i can also carry a haul bag down off el cap. for me a warm climate makes a HUGE differance, and i wear running trainers everywhere. the mountaineering boots are a massive ballache, this is where my problems start. this is a nightmare as i love the winter climbing! i wear a pair of montrail highlanders when im in the hills, i rarely wear boots, and even these cause me a fair bit of hassle. trainers all the way. i have been told to swim as regularly as possible, which i dont really do. i should really try and start going more regularly. I cannot run at all, which is a hassle but i can kind of limp at a fairly fast pace if i need to cross a road quickly or run for a bus. a doctor friend of mine told me to never start smoking and stay fit (to avoid diabetes) as these two things impede bloodflow to the legs in general. interesting advice! i can play 5 a side football for about half an hour but i have to hit the ball with the side of my foot, and it can hurt if someone steps on it. i do have to run on the ball of my foot though, which makes me look like an oddball. Hope some of this rambling may be of use to someone, again a positive attitude is key!

John35, it looks from your photos that you are getting out in the hills loads, some of your photos are very impressive! keep up the good work fella

In reply to david morse:
David,

Thanks for the note about still improving after 3 years. Encouraging.

My physio has given me some hydrotherapy exercises (balancing and ankle stabilty exercises which are pool based and therefore partially weight bearing). I've not been down for a week or so, but these really help me.

In reply to david morse:

I broke my talus about 5 years ago, but perhaps not as badly as you - didn't need any screws. For 2 years after I was like you - day on the Ben would leave me in pain and limping for 2 days afterwards, with no movement in the joint - which is pretty much was what I was told to expect.
Anyway,after 2 years of this I was persuaded to go and see a highly recommended private physio - she cured it in the space of about 8 weeks (through stretching my back, bizarrely), despite the NHS saying they couldn't do any more. Can now do 3 or 4 big days in the row with only a faint twinge now and again. So I'd say go and get some second opinions before you even think of getting it fused. It might not work, but it can't do any harm.

In reply to JamesA:

James, blimey thats good going. It will be 4 years in a weeks time for me, and I think I'm still improving.

I did the Cuillin ridge last summer (I first did it 15 years before, and have been to skye several times a year since then). Thought I'd never do it again in day, and it was a breeze. I took it slowly 12hrs top to top, and placed every foot carefully and it wasn't till the walkout that I had problems. Really enjoyed myself sauntering along, rather than 'champing at the bit'.

David, don't know how you play football, I'd be unconcious with pain after the first tackle!

I find that if I cycle to and from work everyday in the week, the w/e's are easier and the monday hobble reduced.

The other thing I did this winter was buy a flipping expensive head torch to reduce the stumbling around in the dark. Every penny well spent.

In reply to JamesA:

Through stretching your back? could you give a few more details?

Cheers