Bad ankle

etc1981

Hi all. I suffered a pretty nasty injury to my ankle at the end of last year and although I am snow till up and about, I am still a long way off recovering full functionality and have been told to expect severe arthritis in later life (they had to insert a whole bunch of metal into my ankle to fix it). Anyway, just wanted to introduce myself. I'm here to learn what I can before the inevitable sets in. Cheers.

etc1981

Thanks for the info Sharon. Much appreciated.

dreamdaisy

Hello, it's nice to meet you, I am sorry that you have felt the need to find us before any form of arthritis has begun but I understand you must be unsettled by this news.

When you were warned that severe arthritis would set in was any particular kind mentioned? Osteo can result after joint trauma (and your ankle definitely fits that category) whereas the auto-immune versions can begin at any age with our without joint trauma. In this modern, hurried world we forget that the human body has its own timetable for healing (and it's a long one). The natural tendency is to think that because the scar is closed the rest is too but healing takes place on a much deeper basis and takes longer than may be 'convenient'. Fleshy areas heal faster because there's more tissue around the area to 'help' but bonier areas don't have that resource; ankles are bony.

I have an auto-immune and the joint damage that caused has led to OA in both knees and both ankles (and OA has spread to my hips which were not affected). My shoulders were unaffected until I broke my upper left humerus in January 2014 so OA has moved in to make sure I remember that event. There are around ten million arthritics in the UK and the majority have OA. GPs deal with it, the treatment is pain relief, maybe an anti-inflammatory med and physio. The latter is the most important, it has to be done on a regular basis, it won't reverse joint damage but it does help to keep the muscles surrounding the affected joint as strong as possible so they better support it. I am now 57, I began my troubles aged 37 so I have put in the hard yards

Everyone on here has some form or two of arthritis but how we are affected varies from person to person: my PsA and OA is different to another's combo and so it goes on. The best advice I can offer is along the lines of Corporal Jones' immortal lines: 'Don't panic, don't panic!' Please don't, concentrate on your recovery, do your current exercises as best you can but bear us in mind if things do change.

I wish you very well. DD

etc1981

dreamdaisy wrote:

Hello, it's nice to meet you, I am sorry that you have felt the need to find us before any form of arthritis has begun but I understand you must be unsettled by this news.

When you were warned that severe arthritis would set in was any particular kind mentioned? Osteo can result after joint trauma (and your ankle definitely fits that category) whereas the auto-immune versions can begin at any age with our without joint trauma. In this modern, hurried world we forget that the human body has its own timetable for healing (and it's a long one). The natural tendency is to think that because the scar is closed the rest is too but healing takes place on a much deeper basis and takes longer than may be 'convenient'. Fleshy areas heal faster because there's more tissue around the area to 'help' but bonier areas don't have that resource; ankles are bony.

I have an auto-immune and the joint damage that caused has led to OA in both knees and both ankles (and OA has spread to my hips which were not affected). My shoulders were unaffected until I broke my upper left humerus in January 2014 so OA has moved in to make sure I remember that event. There are around ten million arthritics in the UK and the majority have OA. GPs deal with it, the treatment is pain relief, maybe an anti-inflammatory med and physio. The latter is the most important, it has to be done on a regular basis, it won't reverse joint damage but it does help to keep the muscles surrounding the affected joint as strong as possible so they better support it. I am now 57, I began my troubles aged 37 so I have put in the hard yards

Everyone on here has some form or two of arthritis but how we are affected varies from person to person: my PsA and OA is different to another's combo and so it goes on. The best advice I can offer is along the lines of Corporal Jones' immortal lines: 'Don't panic, don't panic!' Please don't, concentrate on your recovery, do your current exercises as best you can but bear us in mind if things do change.

I wish you very well. DD

Thanks for the reassurance dreamdaisy. The consultant wasn't specific about the arthritis. He was focused more on my immediate recovery at the time. I should really get back in touch with him to ask exactly what he meant. He was a very nice chap as it happened. I must say I received excellent service from the NHS. Thanks again and I will let you now what i find out.