ankle won't heal.

[jennifer_9_2_7]

I have had two surgeries on my ankle. i am 16 years old. I first injured my ankle when i was in 8th grade. i was at basketball practice and i was dribbling the ball i tripped over my friend who was playing against me. i rolled my ankle in, which i have been told is uncommon. i was always told it was sprained. i was in a lot of pain and it increased. when i went to a specialist he found in the mri i had torn a tendon. i had tibial tendonitis. so the first surgery consisted of repairing the tendon which had been torn and flattened and putting in a screw to hold it. they also lengthened a muscle in my calf to get more movement in my ankle. to do this they had to move my sural nerve. after the first surgery my nerve damage wasnt healing. and when i jumped one day before a marching band evet,. and landed and a had a terrible burning and tingly feeling. i could barely walk and couldnt march that day. apparently a had shattered a bone and the nerve was pretty deep in scar tissue. so then i had a second surgery to release the nerve and fix my talus bone..i had physical therapy again and felt like my ankle pain was getting worse. my doctor thinks i tore a capsule that holds my ankle joint together...he gave me a cortisone shot and it was really painful and now it is still pretty sore and i feel a lot of pressure when i try to move it up or down or even walk...when i walk i feel like its going to give. i see the doctor on tuesday, but what should i do until then and why is it like this?

[jennifer_9_2_7]

my doctor thinks i have osteochondral defect. the mri didnt really show much and is never usually much help to me... the mri is going to be reviewed by another specialist and himself personally... then i will be sent to that doctor for another opinion. if it is osteochondral defect then if he does surgery to correct it wat is recovery time usually for that?

[jennifer_9_2_7]

i have heard fusion is a very long process and doesnt always work well when you have nerve issues...i want to be healed by may but its not looking so good. i want to be drum major in my band at school which involves marching. can i avoid a long healing process?

[jennifer_9_2_7]

i just had an MRI done thanks for the info it helped me think about what will happen next i will post my MRI report when i get it
Thanks!

[Yena H Do, DPM]

i would get another MRI to ***** the ankle joint and see what is torn and still intact.
if your foot flattens when you stand and the ankle joint turns inward when you stand, that suggests tht the posterior tibial tendon is not supporting your arch.  if this is the case, you will need to have a procedure to realign the heel bone under the ankle.  this involves cutting the calcaneus bone and shifting it over.  then, a flexor tendon transfer may be needed to support the arch and aid the posterior tibialis tendon.  if the ankle is weak and the films show that the lateral ankle ligaments are torn, you may need to have a tendon graft anchored into the fibula and talus to tighten the area.  if the talus was fractured and you have joint pain, you may need a fusion.  sorry about being vague,,,but without reports, i don't know what needs fixed.