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Chronic Sprained Ankle

I sprained my right ankle two years ago and it is still very painful and swollen.  Now I am getting the pain up my right leg to my knee.  Is it possible that there still could be something in the ankle and on the leg?
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Avatar universal
I feel and injured my knee and ankle, had to have surgery , was in the hospital for four months. I had a cast on my left knee and ankle.  when they removed my cast my leg and ankle was normal. but now my left leg and ankle is swollen so that i can not  walk on it without  being in tremendous pain. I am putting ice packs on them and elevating it but the swelling has not gone down. this has been for a month now. please help me with the inflammtion of my left leg and ankle.
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Avatar universal
Two weeks ago I got ankle surgery done to repair ligamnets and a fractured bone. My name is Cassie and I have been posting about my Chronic Sprained Ankle for a while to get some adivise. It really helped because I went to different doctors but they couldn't find anything, then I was referred to Orthopedics and I got a different x-ray view, a stand-up view instead of laying down on the x-ray table. It was then that there was a fracture on the right part of my right ankle. When he went over rmy MRi, he saw that some of ligaments had to be repaired and some of them has to be tighten. So then I had the surgery and had a cast on for 2 weeks and then he put me in a boot. It is still sore from the surgery, but that will go as time goes on. I wanted to keep you updated.
Cassie
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Avatar universal
I am being sent to Orthopaedics late January.  I am worried because the pain is so bad, it does feel like a fracture.  Something keeps popping and cracking in my ankle and foot and when I knee on my knee, my knee hurts so bad.  It feels like something is poking at my knee joint or something.  I have no idea what it is.
Cassie
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Avatar universal
Hi Cassie,
How are you?
What happened to your appointments? Any consultation has been done so far?
Yes, you can get a CT scan done.
Keep me informed.
Bye.
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Avatar universal
Do you think I should get a CT scan done?
Cassie
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Avatar universal
Hi Cassie,
I would like to put in other way.
Plain radiographs in 2 planes are mandatory and should include the joint above and below the injury.
CT is better than radiography at identifying fractures of the spine and showing the joint involvement in intra-articular fractures.
MRI or bone scans may be used to detect non-displaced fractures.
Keep me informed if you have any queries.
Bye.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I understand now.  Do you think a Bone Scan can pick up the hairline fracture better than an x ray?
Cassie
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi Cassie,
I am sorry I was not around for a while; hence there is a delay in reply.
What I meant by saying “It can also be that in certain angulations, your fracture would not have been visible" is that on an X-ray, thin hairline fractures if not taken properly with correct angulations, correct exposure, it is likely that a hair line fracture could be missed.
Keep me informed.
Bye.
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Avatar universal
I see Podiatry in a week.  What do you mean when you said: "It can also be in certain angulations, your fracture would not have been visible"  I don't understand what you are saying there.  Can you clear that for me, please?
Cassie
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi Cassie,
You question is relevant.
MR imaging is usually the best choice for examining the body's major joints, spine for disk disease and soft tissues of the extremities.
I always feel that it is not that X-ray and MRI has not picked up the fracture, but it is always the person who reads it would have confused it.
It can also be that in certain angulations, your fracture would not have been visible.
As you said that you stop bleeding easily after a cut says that there is no hematological concern.
When is your meeting with podiatrist and orthopaedician?
Keep me informed.
Bye.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
When I badly injured my ankle 2 years ago, it was diagnosed as a bad sprained ankle.  As the years went on, the pain has got worse and I did get an MRI done a little while ago and it showed the ligaments were swollen.  I never got an MRI done on my knee yet.  I know I probably should get an MRI for my knee.  When I injured it years ago, I could have fractured a piece of bone either on the ankle, the leg or the knee.  I want to get more tests done.  I also heard from someone that she also sprained her ankle and after six months of pain she decided to get an x ray and an MRI done and they came out normal.  Then she went to get Ankle Arthroscopy done and she found out that she had a fractured Talus.  My question is: Why didn't the x ray and MRI pick up on the fracture?  If the x ray didn't pick it up, I would think the MRI would.  I am really worried because of all the bad pain I have and I could have the same thing as her.  I do use crutches but I do bruise easy.  I think you wondering if I bruise easy or if I get hurt and don't stop bleeding.  The answer is: I do bruise easy if hit my elbow or arm on something hard, but when I get cut, I do stop bleeding.
Cassie  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi Cassie,
I think you have hurt your ankle and your knee as well.
You want to say that you have not shown to any doctor for this injury.
You are saying you have never had any imaging done for your ankle or knee, though it was paining so much.
I wonder that you have not been to doctor so far.
You said you would manage to get podiatry reference soon hence I told you get one early.
I am worried about your pain and your ankle and knee joints too.
You said you bruise easily.
Is it only on using the crutches or otherwise also if you get hurt you don’t stop bleeding?
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Avatar universal
This injury is a chronic sprained ankle that happened 2 years ago.  I am worried because the pain is getting worse and is everywhere from my ankle, up my leg, to my knee.I probably need to go the hospital if I cannot get into Podiatry sooner than my Orthopaedic appointment.  
Cassie
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Avatar universal
I don't have an appointment with Podiatry yet.  I jumped from a 5 foot fence because I was practicing soccer and I kicked the ball over the fence so I climbed it and I jumped in the air and twisted my body around to avoid the neighbor's garden and landed in a hole.  I never stopped twisting around until I landed in that hole. So that is why I think I did something to my knee also.  My ankle and leg are also very painful and when I elevate it, I feel the pain everywhere, even on my knee.  The elevation is from my knee down to my ankle.  I cannot even stand up for very long because the pain is so bad.  I try to use my crutches at times but I did get bruises on my sides from the crutches so I tend to use them here and there.    
Cassie
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi Cassie,
When is your appointment with Podiatrist? Did you take one?
It is possible that you could have hurt your knee or components of knee joint during that fall.
Why did you jump from 5 foot fence?
Can you describe the pain after elevation? Where is the maximum point of tenderness? What you do that this particular symptom is resolved?
Your pain after elevation is from knee joint down or hip joint down?
Bye.
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Avatar universal
Is the meniscus pathology of the knee joint due to the old chronic sprained ankle?  I could have done damage to the knee as well because at the the time of injury my whole body was in a twisting motion and I didn't stop twisting until I hit the hole in the ground.   Remember, I jumped from a 5 foot fence so twisting my body around and landing in a hole could of did more damage than I originally thought.  I know my ankle was bad enough and still is bad but it never occured to me at that time that my leg and knee could have been involved also.  Since the pain is getting worse (meaning all on my ankle, my leg, and knee, I do know there is still something wrong with my ankle but also something wrong with my leg and knee.  What I also don't understand is why does it hurt when i elevate it?
Cassie
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Avatar universal
Hi Casisie,
Your symptom of knee lock while sitting down and getting up suggests there might be some meniscus pathology of knee joint.
Bye.
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Avatar universal
What I don't understand is why am I feeling the pain up my leg and knee too?  My knee tends to lock up on me and I cannot move it sometimes and is very sore.  When I kneel down sometimes and I get up my knee locks up.  I think there maybe something in the leg too.
Cassie
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Avatar universal
Hi Cassie,
I feel you can schedule your drugs in following manner.  You can take Tramadol thrice a day every 8 hours apart, Advil six times a day 4 hours apart and Tylenol six times a day 4 hours apart.
Typical schedule for 1 day would be as follows.
8am- Tramadol, 9am- Advil, 11am-Tylenol,
1pm-Advil, 3pm-Tylenol, 4pm-Tramadol, 5pm-Advil,
7pm-Tylenol, 9pm-Advil, 11pm-Tylenol, 12am-Tramadol,
1am-Advil, 3am-Tylenol, 5am-Advil, 7am-Tylenol.
I think this would help you a lot.
In my previous post I meant that you should take podiatry reference as early as possible and keep orthopedics reference as scheduled.
Is it a swelling? If yes, then is it hard or soft? Is there any discharge? Do you have fever?
I think it is swelling due to inflammation around the ankle joint.
Keep me informed.
Bye.
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Avatar universal
I am taking Tramadol twice a day, once every six hours.  I take Advil every 4-6 hours and same for the Tylenol.  I think that I can get into Podiatry sooner but, I will still keep my Orthopaedic appointment.  I get worried alot because the pain is so bad.  With the pain all on my ankle and my foot and also up my leg to my knee, I have been also noticing that when I put my hand around just above my right ankle, on the left side, and where the swollen part is on the right side of my right ankle, as I press down on the bones I have alot of pain and also when I press down on the bone on my leg I have alot of pain.  All of this and including the other pain is really worrying me.  Also, do you know what the bump on top of my foot, just below the ankle, could be?  When I press on that it also hurts.
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Avatar universal
Hi Cassie,
I feel sorry that you are going through all this and the situation is helpless.
Well what we can do is try to get a podiatry reference as early as possible.
The pain in the hip is due to both limping and also due chronic ankle sprain. Your ankle sprain is making you limp and your limping is causing you to have pain in hips.
I strongly feel that you should continue Tylenol pain relief with Advil and also Tramadol.
Can you tell me at what time each of this drugs you are using?
I mean time schedule.
I wish you all the best and take care of yourself.
I think you would get a podiatry reference soon.
Bye.
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Avatar universal
I am taking prescribed medication (Tramadol) for my ankle but they are not working.  I am also taking advil and tylenol but they are not working either.  I called Orthopaedics to see if they had any earlier appointments but they said that they have no other earlier appointments.  Is the pain in the hip due to limping or the chronic ankle sprain?  I will go back to the doctor and ask him if I could possibly get a referral to Podiatry? Maybe I can get into that earlier than my Orthopaedic appointment.
Cassie
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Avatar universal
Hi Cassie,
I might not be in a position to say as how fast the pain will come to hip.
What medicines are you on?
You can use crutches as and when necessary, which will reduce the pressure exerted on hips.
Limping is bad and I think you should be evaluated as soon as possible. You can talk to orthopaedician about and take an appointment date a little bit early.
Keep me informed.
Bye.
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Avatar universal
I do limp when I am not using my crutches.  When I walk normal, the pain is awful so I try to do everything I can to keep the weight off my ankle.  I don't use my crutches all the time because I get bruises on my sides so I just limp around and use the crutches from time to time.  I do understand now how the hip would be affected.  I do have an Orthopaedic appointment a month from now but like I said the pain is so bad that I should go to the hosptial.  Do you think I will get the pain in the hip anytime now?
Cassie
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