Foot fractures and getting back to riding

[sweetsalute]

I’d like to think my age and fitness levels definitely played a part in quick healing, and regaining strength and mobility very quickly too.

I’ve had zero swelling since about 3 days after the accident. Nearly 4 weeks out of the moonboot now and I’d say its 95% back to where it was preinjury. The only thing that hurts at all is if it gets a good twisting wrench. I’m back lifting my usual weights in the gym with the exception of calf raises, and those are getting there. 5km hikes with the dog in hilly terrain are fine now too. I’m allowed high impact activities as of this weekend, not that I run much anyway but I might go for one just to see how it feels!

About the only thing it’s really protested about was wearing stilettos to dinner a couple weeks ago…after about two hours it was quite unhappy (I probably shouldn’t have worn the heels…but it was a fancy place!)

[Bristol_Bay]

Late to the party here, but I broke my foot last January (all better now, thank you) and the ensuing thread yielded some pretty choice x-rays.

Glad you’re better too!

https://forum.chronofhorse.com/t/anyone-else-ever-have-a-broken-foot/755524

[Live_Wire]

Also late to the party. I shattered my heel in an emergency dismount gone wrong. 10/10 DO NOT recommend. I tried to tough it out with liquid courage, but ended up going to the ER later in the night because I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to go into work (hello ammy life) the next day and needed a doctor’s note. It required surgery. They said I’d be off my feet for six months. That was in October, still was able to get to Aiken to ride for a hot minute in February.

[Martina]

Well, I’ll also add some late-to-the-party comments because this is a good post and knowing others’ experiences is helpful. I had a similar set of fractures, lisfranc sprain (confirmed with MRI-LF ligament not ruptured), and lots of soft tissue injuries. Ortho called it a crush injury.

My timeline is similar to the posters regarding the non-weightbearing period and the boot, etc. I got around the house using a knee scooter but would have also liked to have the i-walk so you can walk around with your hands free.

The day I was allowed partial weightbearing without the boot I started riding. Just walking in the beginning. I started out in my tall riding boots with the back zipper. Trotting was harder. I eventually rode in the moon boot and was more comfortable doing that.

[sweetsalute]

It certainly does sound like I got away with a very mild injury! I’m 3 months on and the only things now that can cause pain is either a really good, twisting yank on it and a very high impact landing, which is only momentary pain. Running is perfectly fine.

[Bluey]

@sweetsalute

It certainly does sound like I got away with a very mild injury! I’m 3 months on and the only things now that can cause pain is either a really good, twisting yank on it and a very high impact landing, which is only momentary pain. Running is perfectly fine.

Thanks for the update, your story will give hope to others in similar situations while things heal.

[bingbingbing]

So glad you are are doing well. Foot injuries can be hard to heal. I had a poorly managed crushed foot (all five metatarsals in the proximal joint and a butterfly fracture of my ankle) which is finally doing ok.
As a lisfranc injury was my surgeon’s biggest concern. This is not quite accurate: [quote=“Scribbler, post:9, topic:760615”]
I had a fracture in the lisfranc area but did not have a lisfranc injury per se (named after Napoleon’s army doctor in charge of soldiers who dropped cannon balls on their feet).
[/quote]

“The Lisfranc injury derives its name from the French surgeon Jacques Lisfranc de St. Martin who saw and treated injury to the midfoot region often among soldiers who fell off their horse with the foot stuck in the stirrup during his days with the Napoleonic army.”

[Libby2563]

I’m almost 5 months out from my fibula fracture and back to riding normally. I posted above about my demoralizing first ride in jumping-length stirrups, but the second ride was already much much easier! I still have a ways to go fitness-wise though.

I also don’t have 100% of my previous range of motion in the ankle. I learned at a follow-up in August that this is because I have a small bone spur in the joint. It was probably there before the injury but is noticeable now due to the persistent edema in the area plus joint space compression from being in the stupid moonboot for so long. My PT taught me how to do some mild traction-type exercises to try to open stuff back up.

The DVT I developed from the injury is also persistent, with a repeat ultrasound showing that the clots were still “mostly occlusive” after 3 months on blood thinners. So I get to be on those for another 3 months until my next recheck.

It’s weird how relatively minor injuries can snowball.

On the plus side here’s a pretty pic of my boy and me competing a few weeks ago, which makes me SO happy because I thought I had lost two full show seasons in a row to freak accidents!