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Broken Talus bone / crushed sub-talar joint 2-Apr-2008 At 11:12:01 PM shmicko

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Breezy, i feel for you.

In May 2005 I had a very similar fall, breaking my talus straight across the 'neck'.

I'm telling you mate the next while aint pretty for you. Make the most of your time in traction - here's my story...

I didn't deck out, but landed with my right foot to the wall which took most of the force and the left took the rest. With no one around but me and my climbing buddy - i spent an hour getting back to the trail...stuck my leg up and waited for the medics. They didn't feel the need to bring a stretcher?? so we made one with our rope and 8 SES crew from Kyneton hauled my ass out. A week in the Royal Melbourne ensued, along with an operation (2 screws) and a shitload of morph.

Q1. This is much shorter than in my own experience. I was on crutches for 8 months. 2.5 months full cast no pressure on foot
3 months flexi boot, progressive pressure on foot (25%, then 50% etc)
1.5 months both crutches with 75% - 100% pressure
1 month and a single crutch for the remaining with full pressure.

A full year of physio after and I've only just started climbing again. I can't run. I wen't on a 24km bushwalk a month ago and had to stay indoors the next due to arthritic like pain in my right foot/ankle.

Like someone said above, daily pain is an issue. Get onto the Glucosamine and Fish Oil as soon as you can. Glucosamine for the joint repair (as any walking creates wear and tear, especially now that the joint has changed - my phisio said once - "your joint is like a smashed Pavlova") and the Fish Oil acts as a lubricant to aid flexibility.

I can climb, cycle, walk (up to about 10km's before arthritic pain) and pretty much everything else. Stay in there, do as much training as you can...but try not to push your body further than what its ready for. Your foot will be mega stiff when it gets out of the cast, do what your physio says but initially when i got out of the cast i spent ages each day doing stretches to loosen the joint - which i think did me well in the long run. I now have almost complete motion.

Best of luck, and for any others reading this...take care out there