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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Drifting through the PNW
    Posts
    855

    Touring 6 months post-op, AT rupture?

    This AT rupture experience has fucking sucked. For those of you that have been down this road, did you have issues touring and skiing 6 months post-op? Kinda worried about my boots fitting properly among other things.

    Also I am taking suggestions on creative ways to destroy the donjoy walker boot that I have been wearing for what feels like an eternity.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    E >>> W
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    3,653
    I think we might have discussed this when you first ruptured it, but my guess is the skiing part will be OK at least - it is prob other sports with less ankle support that will bother it long term. Mine never ruptured completely but I dealt with constant pain for a lot of years from scar tissue from micro tears. Once I started AT skiing it took about half the first season for it to disappear completely, even in regular footwear. My guess in discussions on this is the support given by the liner, and the overall heat buildup down by your ankle that increases blood flow to that difficult area which is key to healing. Hopefully someone with better medical background can expand upon this. I felt a twinge of return pain when trying some light trail running recently, and the prospect of another repeat of that pain was not fun. Can't wait to be in boots again.
    Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Natures peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn. - John Muir

    "How long can it last? For fuck sake this isn't heroin -
    suck it up princess" - XXX on getting off mj

    “This is infinity here,” he said. “It could be infinity. We don’t really don’t know. But it could be. It has to be something — but it could be infinity, right?” - Trump, on the vastness of space, man

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    alpha centauri
    Posts
    686
    Exercises involving eccentric muscle contractions are widely used to treat tendonitis/osis and skiing involves mostly eccentric contractions. This would be my wildass guess why skiing appeared to help resolve symptoms. Of course, too much too soon can lead to rupture/rerupture so listen to your doctor.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    E >>> W
    Posts
    3,653
    ^^^ That makes sense because the boot they make you wear has similar cant as ski boot - so you are constantly (while touring) keeping it in that lengthened position. My PT always said it was hardest to heal b/c it is farthest point from heart and doesn't get great circulation. ART therapy could work as well and sounds like what your describing.
    Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Natures peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn. - John Muir

    "How long can it last? For fuck sake this isn't heroin -
    suck it up princess" - XXX on getting off mj

    “This is infinity here,” he said. “It could be infinity. We don’t really don’t know. But it could be. It has to be something — but it could be infinity, right?” - Trump, on the vastness of space, man

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Posts
    7,919
    I partial ruptured back in 09, 5 years later it still feels tighter comparatively. 6 months out I wasn't capable to snowboard, took me almost 11 months to have any sort of endurance. I went out the first time at 9 months and only had a couple runs in me pussyfooting around.

    Honestly I think its strong but once you go through it that twinge of fear will always be in the back of your head. Thats the toughest part to overcome.

    You can also kiss that NFL running back career goodbye, I have nowhere near the initial burst that I used to have. Don't expect to be the same honestly but you aren't going to be incapable of activity either.
    Live Free or Die

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Posts
    1,038
    You should have zero issues other than some possible sensitivity from the boot and some weakness. At 6 months you're out of the woods in terms of rerupture, so go for it. Use the stiffest boot possible for a while and maybe keep it out of walk mode for a bit. It may feel strange -- like a rubber band getting pulled taut -- when you flex.

    In the meantime, go to a good PT. Whenever you start rehab to about 16 weeks is the time you can risk rerupture -- the first day they had me walk on the treadmill without the boot was terrifying!! After that just get out there.

    Strangely, I ruptured mine skiing but skiing is pretty much the one sport you could get back to quickly because of the boot. I skied 3.5 months post op (on groomers in my old stiff race boots with an extra tongue shoved in there too keep me upright). I PT'd hard though and my PT guy said he thought it would be ok to hit groomers due to my progress. I got off the groomers at 4 months and by 4.5 months I was skiing like nothing happened.

    Keep that donjoy! Just in case...

    Like AdironRider, I don't have much pop off of that foot...and my calf never regrew (@ 5 years as well). I have zero tightness or discomfort though --- the surgery was clean and the tension seems to be perfect so I'm not sure why the muscle didn't come back. I don't notice anything when I ski.

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