Lisfranc's Injury... Any experience or knowledge?

**Ape_Natural** · 08-07-2010, 05:46 PM

Hey guys,I'm sitting here after a longboarding accident (first fucking day on a longboard) with a lisfranc's fracture to my right foot. I currently had surgery with 2 screws and 3 pins (good news is that the doctor said everything went together well) but the bad news is that there are some ruptured ligaments and fractures to my second and third metatarsals. Anyway, I am out until January best case scenario, and in a cast until November. Normally I would just sit here and wait it out but I have been doing research online about recoveries and such and all I am hearing is horror stories about how everyone that has had this injury ends up never walking straight and being in constant painn and agony. The doctor said that there is always a possibility of that kind of thing with this injury but from what I read online it sounds like I have maybe a 10% chance of ever being whole again. I know I am just over reacting and getting worked up, but some positive reinforcement would be nice, so if anybody has any experience with this kind of injury please let me know how it went and how your recovery was so I can identify whether all of the health forums are filled with hypochondriac whiny pussies, or if I will be renting my handicap parking pass as my source of income for the rest of my life. if it helps at all I am 18 years old and was in good shape before the accident so I don't know how much that will effect the recovery but I suppose it can't hurt.
I am mainly focused on recovery in terms of skiing/snowboarding recovery, walking straight is a plus but I don't know what I will do if I never ski again. (also if there are any fr/dh bikers out there that have input that would be nice too. I'm thinking my hardtail days may be over but I am thinking with a full squish it will be okay) Thanks guys.

PS- I think part of my worked uppedness comes from the fact that I should be in whistler riding the park and partying at crankworx but instead I am stuck on my couch watching Fantasy Factory re-runs.... So bear with the whiny naggy wife vibe I am putting off.

**Snowmiser** · 08-07-2010, 07:37 PM

Had my foot crushed in a bad car accident 25 years ago. High speed rollover, was ejected and had the engine land on my foot. Took me 15 years to finally find the right guy to fix it right. Go see an orthopedic surgeon that does only foot and ankle surgery. If you need some names, send me a note.

**Ape_Natural** · 08-07-2010, 07:44 PM

Yeah man, the surgery is already done. Turns out my mom's friend works for a podiatrist so we went to him and he did the surgery to have the pins put in. I am now just concerned because of the reading I was doing on steadyhealth.com. Full of very discouraging stories...

**Snowmiser** · 08-07-2010, 07:50 PM

If you want some really good results from rehab, get some swim fins and get in a pool.

**Ape_Natural** · 08-07-2010, 08:48 PM

Yeah, that's what I've heard. I ordered one of those leg suction dry boots so i may think about swimming.

**Snowmiser** · 08-08-2010, 07:19 AM

Those boots work great for showering and bathing, but I couldn't swim with it. Make sure you keep wiggling your toes!!!!! You don't want hammer toes. You should be able to ski again, but you might need some custom boot work done. I just got the Intuition liners for my boots this year and they're great. They mold completely to any foot shape.

**pointedem** · 08-15-2010, 12:38 PM

Damn man I feel for you. I sat out last winter with this injury. Had to get Right foot distal MT 3-1 fused. Expect 12 weeks non weight bearing. Don't rush it. Mine was totally fucked ( didn't get fusion till 8 weeks post injury due to doctor initally missing it) and it has healed to 92-95%. It is a life changing injury- no more heavy impact on the foot ( running, jogging, hard surfaces) however my biking and hiking is largly unaffected. Let me know if you have anymore questions- I went google crazy at first and scared the shit out of myself. Don't do that to yourself.

**Ape_Natural** · 08-15-2010, 01:55 PM

Yeah man, I know what you mean about the google thing. That is the reason I made this thread after I saw all of the horror stories online. But it's good to hear about the biking/ hiking thing. Honestly, if I can never run again or even walk like I used to I don't really care as long as I can bike/ ski. Luckily I got the surgery done right away and didn't need to get anything fused together so that should help a lot. But yeah, I'm going on week 4 of total non weight bearing and it is starting to get to me.

**Ape_Natural** · 08-15-2010, 02:32 PM

Also, for anyone who has had experience with this, how has your skiing been effected exactly, mainly I am concerned about landings on bigger airs. Are you still able to hit drops and jumps or has your magnitude been limited? Thanks.

**pointedem** · 08-15-2010, 09:42 PM

I had my surgery January 5th and got out for one powder day in Mid- June, my foot felt great. A ski boot is incredibly supportive- if u didn't have custom boots/liners before, you should plan on getting them for the upcoming season.

They graduate you to a plaster cast, then to a walking boot- so it's not like you are hobbling on crutches till November. January is pretty realistic to start skiing. Remember though that your foot will still be healing/adjusting; my doc said that I should expect a year of adjustment at least. I still feel pain when I over do it and I'm 7 months and two weeks out of surgery. Granted you are 11 years younger then me, however my injury was just a dislocation- 3 of my metatarsals shifted. If your big toe is #1 and pinkie is #5, what bones did the pins/ screws go in?

I did a ridiculous amount of research and was lucky enough that that my surgeon is one of the best in the western US for this injury; don't hesitate to drop me a line if you have other questions.

**Ape_Natural** · 08-15-2010, 09:49 PM

I broke numbers 2 and 3. As far as the hardware progression goes, I just got my plaster cast last week (2 weeks post op) but the doc said I only need to be in it for two weeks, and at my 4 weeks post op they will put me in a walking cast so I am pretty stoked for that.

I was also wondering, I just got a job as a liftie at Big Sky that starts in mid November. I don't know what I will be doing before the season starts, but for anyone that has experience, how labor intensive is pre-season liftie work and will it be feasible in a walking boot cast?

**Crystal_Mt_Dreamin** · 08-15-2010, 11:15 PM

No personal experience (thankfully), but QB at my college had this injury his senior year and was able to come back and has been playing in the NFL the past few years, so don't let all the horror stories mindfuck you too bad. Isaiah Stanback is his name if you want to look up the particulars on his injury.

**pointedem** · 08-19-2010, 09:57 PM

Did you get you get fusion surgery or kwires or something different?

**Ape_Natural** · 08-19-2010, 11:09 PM

Nah, as far as I know there was no fusion, and definitely no wires. I have 3 pins and 2 screws, but the pins are coming out next week. The screws will stay in most likely, but I think they are not fusing anything together because the doctor said that if they ache or start to come out themselves (or if I really just want them gone) he will remove them. As far as I know, everything is still free moving.

**pointedem** · 08-28-2010, 04:51 PM

hm. Ask him next time if you got anything fused.

**Ed el Loco** · 09-11-2010, 01:52 PM

I had a lisfranc dislocation in October, no fracture. I was skiing by the end of march, and biking again by may. Don't skimp on the PT if you can afford it, it helped a lot. I still cant run far, but I did a bit of MTB and backpacking this summer. Aside from some soreness the foot is fine.

**Ape_Natural** · 09-11-2010, 02:43 PM

That is great to hear. I am starting PT next week, so that should help, I am projecting to be skiing by January. The doc said that everything is coming together very well and the healing process so far has been quick and we are ahead of schedule. Hopefully I will be skiing by January so I can be back to mostly normal in time to harvest some of this year's projected Gnar...

**Ed el Loco** · 09-11-2010, 04:20 PM

Skiing was the first thing I could do, the hard part was putting on the boots. I only used my touring boots, I could not get my foot into alpine boots. Hang in there, it was the longest recovery I have ever had to deal with, but its been almost a year and it feels close to normal.

**Ape_Natural** · 09-23-2010, 10:25 PM

I finally remembered to ask the Doc about the fusion thing. He told me that there was no fusion, but the screws are acting like a fusion would. In a few weeks, after walking on it and working it in PT I get to decide whether I want the screws out or not. Anyone have experience good or bad with either leaving screws in or having them removed? Also, stoked that I may be in a tennis shoe by the end of October!