Ankle Sprain

[Bronc10is]

The other day while at my universitys gym, I was playing a pickup basketball game with the tennis team (we play basketball once or twice a week for conditioning), and I came down on one of the guys foot, needless to say...I rolled over it, heard what i thought was a pop. my ankle swelled to the size of a baseball, i went to the emergency room and x rays were negative, they said it was a sprain and when swelling goes down, I need to get a MRI. This was on Thursday, today is Saturday and I feel zero pain, I have not tried to walk on it or put weight on it, I use the crutches they gave me. Has anyone had a similar story and what did it turn out to be? How long did it take before you could walk?

 

[Marius_Hancu]

Usually weeks, if serious.

You need to do that MRI to see if you have a ligament tear, which usually means surgery and 5-7 months of rehab.

 

[dtd82]

ugh

Rolled mine playing tennis, a seemingly simple move to the forehand side....heard the pop (actually two of them). Make a long story short, it's been three months, I'm back lightly playing, but at all times with a hard-brace. MRI showed longitudinal tears in the tendons - used to just collapse, now supports ok, but still feels like someone's sticking a knife into my ankle where the tear is.

And don't get me started on the Labrum tear in my shoulder........get the MRI as soon as you can so you know what you're up against. And get to an Orthopedic doctor....

 

[Bronc10is]

not all tears need surgery correct? I didnt really think it was a pop, it sounded like more of a crack but the xrays were negative for bone damage, do ligaments crack? Like it sounded like cracking a knuckle, just louder.

 

[Maestro Nalbandian]

Rolled my right ankle in a similar situation chasing down a forehand and heard a loud cracking sound. Swelled pretty badly afterwards but all tests came out fine so no surgery needed. I've started playing tennis again after just 3 weeks with an ankle brace but Im a recreational player.

 

[Bronc10is]

how long after the injury could you start walking?

 

[rbq4h4]

ive sprained my ankels tons of times playin all sports - tennis,wreslting, water polo, etc. after a while things loosen up so its not so muc a problem. but surgery, i'm not sure that sounds serious, you may consider a second opion.

 

[dtd82]

Surgery isn't necessary I suspect in most situations, but then again that depends on what the doc says...first thing is to identify and rest, then get back going slowly with a brace, then if all else fails.........mine still hurts but unless I'm wrong, it will hold and surgery won't be happening....I'll put up with a lot of pain before I do surgery.

 

[Midlife crisis]

I was chasing down a forehand in early May of this year when my ankle let loose with a loud pop. I had surgery on June 13th to repair a detached peroneal retinaculum (holds a couple of tendons in place), to repair several longitudinal tears in my peroneal tendons themselves, and to trim away some muscle tissue from the tendons which were growing where they shouldn't have been.

By early July, I was walking in a boot and hitting tennis balls fed from a ball machine. By mid-July, I was riding my bike and transitioning back to normal shoes. In late October, I won a 4.5 level tournament wearing a McNeil ultralight ankle brace, which I continue to wear to this day.

When I originally consulted with my surgeon, he said I could probably forego surgery and might eventually regain most of my pre-surgical capabilities. He said with surgery, at my age and weight, I could conservatively return to the court and play tennis by early next year (2008). However, more motivated people can return earlier.

My condition was pretty much diagnosed based on an MRI. If you had any kind of pop and experience pain for more than a week or so, I think it is imperative to get this test done. Surgery is also not as bad as it is made out to be. I've had three reconstructive surgeries and have come back basically as good as new each time, and within a shorter time frame than I would have if I had tried to heal without surgery.

 

[Gantz]

same thing happened to me during basketball. i'm still injured right now, with it being almost two months. i don't use crutches and kind of limp when i walk, but the swelling has decreased from a baseball to only a bit of swelling. it still hurts though. haven't gone to see a doctor yet.