malleolus and ski boot?

[filthyfrenchbum]

I broke my external malleolus (that round bone sticking out of your ankle) at the end of august this year, and after 6 weeks of no weight-barring then physio, I am now able to run, walk without limping, and given the epic conditions up here, ski as well. However, my ankle doesn't handle the stress very well for a full day, drops and such things are a little painful, and so is pretty much anything involving some ankle specific stress (skiing powder involves the ankles quite a bit too).

I feel like the pain comes from my boot keeping my ankle too tight, and I am looking for remedies to this, as it's midwinter-like here and I don't want to waste precious skiing time...

Any advice from experience preferably? Bootfitters?

[Bucky Mullet]

I broke my medial malleolous a few years ago, and while it affects your flexibility, it get's better (3 years later I hardly notice). I have needed boot work before the injury, and had my boot ground at where the screw is (I forgot to mention the screw remaining in my ankle), but with the next pair of boots' the thermo-liner seemed to take care of all of it.
btw, the MD suggested that I might want the screw removed if it caused discomfort, and it did (minor), but only for ~1 year, I'll take that before getting a Dewalt applied to my ankle again.
It will get better, but if you have real flex problems, I'd just suggest a stiffer boot...
Good luck

[Krash]

I chipped a piece of bone off my right Medial Malleolus 2 years ago. At first I had limited ankle dorsiflexion, but over time I have regained all of my ankle joint motion. I do now evert (supinate) on my right foot, so I build my footbeds a bit differently. A stiff boot definately helped support my weak ankle when I was first getting it back in skiing shape. And I would keep that boot as tight as you can handle it, better support for your ankle. I found it very tight at first, but the ski boot actually helped push the swelling out of my ankle. You will be fine in time

[L7]

Your description doesn't really offer much for the source of pain. If it is simply stress in the joint the remedy(s) would be trickier and take someone getting a good look at it. If the pain is from the 'lateral' malleolus smacking the side of the shell or bottom or front of the ankle pocket you'll have easier options. It's quite likely with a break you could have ended up with a bit more protusion from calcification around the healed fracture so this could be the problem. Either have the shell punched in this spot a bit to offer more room but depending on location this can be a bit trickier punch since the shells overlap there and often hardware (pivot) is there. The other option is padding the liner a bit with a donut to take pressure off the tender area and spread it around the area that isn't so tender.

[mntlion]

in van or whistler? snowcovers is pricy but usually good.

[filthyfrenchbum]

Thanks a lot for the advice.

After three full days of skiing in powder, the pain has diminished and I feel that my ankle is regaining strength, it was able to support 10foot drops without any pain whatsoever, but it felt rather tired when traversing into bumpy areas and such.

I will probably go to snowcovers and get a new liner whenever I gather enough cash, maybe boosterstraps as well since my boots are quite soft.
It seems like the pain was originating mostly from the jointures but I take it it will be fully healed soon.

[old goat]

On a slightly similar note--I had a 3 ligament ankle sprain years ago with little fragments pulled off the bones and went into the ortho clinic at the VA I was working at to get casted, so I could still work, because it hurt too much otherwise. (This was before boots.) The wise old ortho tech (doctors at the VA didn't work after hours) taped my ankle instead. It was like a miracle. I was able to walk on it, it healed quickly--my ortho resident friend told me the parts will heal in motion. The main item in my backpacking first aid kit is a roll of 3 in athletic tape and a razor for my hairy legs. Do NOT tape your ankle without shaving it first.

[XXX-er]

The medial is the big bone on the inside ?

I broke the lateral malleolous kayaking off a bridge, on the river bank my buddy ( also the radiologist that eventualy read the Xray ) poked my leg and said " broken Lateral malleolus " when I whined appropriately

instead the surgeon socked 3 screws into the cracked big knuckle ( medial malleolus? ) and called it good

6 weeks visit Surgeon somewhat sheepishly admitts the Lateral malleolus was also broken cuz now he could see the crack from the calsification but it had healed fine with no intervention,

So i said well radiologist bro had said " broken lateral malleolus" on the side of the river, so Surgeon went over to the doctors lounge and gave the radiologist a rough time for diagnosing a broken lateral malleolus on the side of a river with his finger but missing it with the xray MC, radiologist told him to fuckoff,

it was funny

[old goat]

I agree--funny.
I assume (hope) the medial malleolus was broken too and needed the screws.