I saw a specialist who suggested an Arizona brace. The one they made for me didn’t really fit well. (word to the wise, get the brace sized/made by a clinic who specializes in this and does not make knock-off generic versions in-house)
i have been using this brace with some heel-lift insert and a size 12 shoe (my right foot is a 10) and aside from being a little embarrassed to have one big fat darth vader foot, I get around waaaaaay better than before.
I am getting a new Arizona AFO made (out of pocket $800) because i found a better clinic and a better technician who told me about AZ Breeze material. Its not as durable bt its lighter, thinner, and breathable
This made walking amazing again! (some pain and no ROM but who cares?!)
Size 12 left shoe with liner cut out to fit the first AFO brace
big black brace- needed way more plantarflexion built in- getting new one soon
I can not stand flat footed with my feet together. If i put my feet together i have to lift my left heel an inch.
I stick these 2 heel lifts together to get the plantar flexion i need (inside the brace) the next brace will be flexed way more
Pilon Fractures Suck! 
You have been dealing with this longer than me. I destroyed my left ankle like you and am still trying occasional PT to keep what range of motion I have. It certainly sucks to change my active lifestyle but I’m trying to count my blessings. Please keep your blog going. I found your experiences to be very useful
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This is they suckiest injury! The way I seem to have coped for the last 16 months is I just keep on reducing my expectations of what I can do physically and it makes me happier for the things that I can do. Like this week I walked 4 miles wearing very sturdy boots and my ankle brace. That would’ve killed me eight months ago and at that time I thought I would never be able to do that at all.
I am being told by many that ankle fusion is a great procedure for somebody like me because it will take away the pain of walking, stumbling, stepping off a curb wrong etc. I would like to be able to take a few steps at a jogging pace to get out of the way of a speeding car. That is not something I feel comfortable doing now, so the ankle fusion would allow me to power through movement like that without any joint pain they tell me.
My uncle is 65 and he plays full-court basketball with a fused ankle and says it feels perfectly fine it’s just a little clunky.
Walking in my arizona brace feels very normal at this point. I don’t walk with the big limp and the doctor tells me that an ankle fusion will give me a walk that looks and feels very normal. I just don’t know when I want to get the surgery because I don’t feel like being laid up again for 3-4 months.
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Hello, I’m recovering from a pilon/plafond tib/fib fracture sustained from a horse riding accident in 11/2017. I was doing well and my doc told me to begin PT at the 3 month mark. Well, I broke my hardware (plates and screws) and ended up kind of re-breaking my tibia. I now have an IM rod/nail placed through my tibia (that surgery was in March 2018). I started slowly weight bearing again in the beginning of May (so far so good). But…I’m getting a little down because now I’m wanting to do more but really can’t. I have very little (almost none) ankle range of motion. My insurance won’t pay for anymore PT so I have to do it on my own. People see me “walking” now and they think I’m all healed up (so not!). Then I was recently told that I’d likely need a total ankle replacement within 5-10 years (ugh!!). I miss hiking, walking my dogs, dancing, riding horses and the rest….hoping to find a fellow pilon friend in the area. Is there anyone else here in the Phoenix, Arizona area that would want to meet up to work on ROM exercises or just hang out and limp together to the coffee shop (it would be awesome to hang out with someone who really gets it). I can drive without issue, thank goodness. Thanks and quick healing to everyone out there!
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