Ankle Strengthening Following Broken Ankle
Ashley in England asks:
"I recently had an operation after breaking part of my Tibia in the ankle. I have had two pins placed into the bone. The injury was to the inside of my ankle and I have now had a cast on for 3 weeks. I am due to have another cast put on next week. I understand it is normal for a cast to stay on for about 8 weeks depending on how well the bone fuses. The doctor said the best physio would be to move my foot around myself and get the joint functional again. As a keen footballer I just wanted to know whether you have dealt with cases like this before and the time scale involved in building my ankle back to full strength and the best techniques for that."
David Wales, Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist responds:
"Obviously we can't give a specific reply to your injury and we recommend that you follow the advice of your orthopaedic consultant and Chartered Physiotherapist. The good news is that you should make a full recovery following this type of injury, provided you follow the advice of your treating doctor. In high level soccer players the average time out is about six months.
"Generally it takes about 3 months of immobilisation in a cast for the bone to heal adequately to do full weight bearing activities. You should wait for the go ahead to do this from your orthopaedic doctor. During the immobilisation period your ankle will get stiff and your Calf and Thigh muscles will waste. These problems can be addressed by physiotherapy treatment. To give a rough guide of the rehabilitation:
- 8 – 12 weeks in plaster and using crutches until the orthopaedic doctor is satisfied there is sufficient healing. Once your doctor is satisfied that there is a sufficient degree of bone healing he may allow you to wear a removable plastic cast , instead of a plaster cast. Once out of the plaster cast hydrotherapy (exercises in the swimming pool) will help to restore ankle range of motion and general fitness. Pool running using a bouyancy belt is an excellent non impact form of exercise. Once you have been given permission to put partial weight through the injured leg then an exercise bike can also be used for fitness work.
- 3 – 4 months. So long as there is evidence of fracture healing on x-ray, your doctor will give you permission to begin full weight bearing activities such as walking without a removable plastic cast or crutches. It is usually possible to begin strengthening and proprioception exercises.
 |
||||||||
|
|
|
||||||
|
||||||||
"Strength can be progressed using a Calf press resistance machine and Thigh strengthening should be progressed under the supervision of your physiotherapist. Muscle strength should be equal to the unaffected side before plyometric exercises (jump training) and running are resumed.
"Proprioception exercises enhance neuromuscular control around a joint and are very important if you would like to return to sporting activities.
"5 – 6 months. If range of motion, strength and proprioception are returned to pre injury levels, then functional activities can be resumed with a gradual return to sport.
"You should be guided at every stage by the orthopaedic doctor and all rehab should be done under the supervision of a Chartered Physiotherapist. Good luck with your recovery."
Article published: February 2007
Recommended Products for Broken Ankle
Faster Bone Healing
Smith & Nephew Exogen Express Bone Healing System
Our Price
£1092.49
RECOVER FASTER!Portable bone healing system that speeds up fracture healing - to 38% faster than normal bone...
Plastic Cast Walkers
Donjoy Walkabout
Our Price
£69.99 £59.99
A simple moulded plastic walker that allows early walking on sprained ankles, Tibial stress fractures and stable ankle fractures....
Donjoy NEXSTEP Shortie Walker with Air
Our Price
£89.99
A short walking brace for protected walking on foot and ankle injuries. Features inflatable air...
(1 review)
Aircast XP Walker
Our Price
£144.99 £122.99
Pneumatic walking brace for a broken shin or broken ankle. Reduces shin and ankle swelling and speeds up healing....
Aircast FP Walker
Our Price
£99.99
The Aircast FP (Foam) Walker is a removable walking brace, offering a superior alternative to a plaster cast....
Aircast SP Walker
Our Price
£104.99 £94.99
BEST SELLER!As worn by Wayne Rooney! Short pneumatic walking brace to speed up...
(2 reviews)
Ankle Supports & Braces
Vulkan Silicon Ankle Support
Our Price
£21.99 £17.99
Silicon lined ankle support for ankle injury treatment and sports use. Provides warmth and...
(1 review)
FREE Vulkan Bottle with this item on orders > £50Mueller Soccer Ankle Brace
Our Price
£29.99 £26.99
Football ankle brace with a high cut front and narrow bottom - ideal for use in your football boot or trainer. Perfect to protect...
Be seen at night!£FREE Reflective Snap Band
FREE Drinks Bottle with this item on orders > £50Aircast Sport-Stirrup Ankle Brace
Our Price
£49.99
Narrow cut functional ankle brace for treatment and prevention of a sprained ankle. It has a plastic shell for protection, with...
Home Rehabilitation Kit
Exercise Band Pack
Our Price
£12.99
Superb value, 8 x 1m length resistance bands in all 4 varying strengths, for use during rehab exercises for the shoulder, ankle,...
Inflatable Stability Disc
Our Price
£19.99
An inflatable disc, with exercise guide and pump. Level of inflation can be changed to vary the difficulty of balance & stability...
AquaJogger 100 Floatation Belt
Our Price
£39.99 £26.99
The AquaJogger 100 is a floatation belt. One particular benefit is that it allows an early return...
(1 review)
Mueller ExerBand (76cm)
Our Price
£9.99
73cm (30") loop of latex free, resistance band for rehab and training exercises. Use for specific strengthening of muscle groups...
Be seen at night!£FREE Reflective Snap Band
FREE Drinks Bottle with this item on orders > £50Massage Oil
Mentholatum Deep Relief Gel
Our Price
£5.99 £4.99
Deep Relief dual action gel with ibuprofen is a clear, non-sticky and non-greasy gel with a mild,...
(1 review)
Related Articles
Injury A to Z
Injury By Sport
Our Credentials
Information
& Expertise
You Can Trust
All medical information at PhysioRoom.com is provided by Chartered Physiotherapists, who specialise in sports medicine.
Why Shop With Us?
100% Secure
Shopping
Shopping
Money Back
Guarantee
Guarantee
£FREE Delivery
Orders Over £65
Orders Over £65
NEXT DAY Delivery
Order By 2pm
Order By 2pm
FREE Guides
Expert Injury Help
Expert Injury Help
Newsletter
Receive our latest news and offers.
Safe Shopping
We use full 128-bit encryption technology to keep your order and payment details safe.
© Copyright PhysioRoom.com 2001-2009. All rights reserved. Sitemap.
IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTICE
The articles on this web site are provided for general information only and should not be used as a basis for diagnosis or treatment. All exercises and information featured on this web site should only be practised under the supervision of a qualified healthcare professional.
We accept the following payment methods
PhysioRoom.com Limited, Unit 1 & 2 Dawson Court, Billington Road, Burnley, Lancashire BB11 5UB, England
- Sitemaps
- Sitemap,
- Product Sitemap,
- XML Sitemap
- Advertise on PhysioRoom.com
- Download our Media Pack (250KB PDF File)
- Product Categories
- Supports & Braces, Hot & Cold Therapy, First Aid, Taping & Strapping, Foot Care, Rehab & Fitness, Massage, Back & Neck Care, Sports Clothing & Accessories
Sports Injury & Physiotherapy Search Marketing by Epiphany.
0.31
Your Shopping Basket