So just a bit pissed, managed to break my Ankle on the weekend a, Bimalleolar fracture needs surgery and some screws, strangely not from kiting :D

Any one got any experience with broken ankles and recovery time and how it effects kiting and if ankle braces help when it comes to getting on the board, boots maybe? they told me 12 months for full recovery, I hope thats a worst case figure.....

Any do's and dont's ? any magic supplements i can take to help **** rebuild faster !! ?

Not looking forward to missing out on next season !!!.

Yep, I've had one of those. I did mine kiting and one of my feet came out of the straps on landing. There was a snapping sound then one wobbly foot. I was off the water for seven months and had pins and screws and plates etc. I tried to get back on it too early really and busted some of the metalwork. The main thing is once it has healed it will feel weak and fragile so you won't trust it for a long time after you start again. Main thing is to rebuild the muscles around the area to support the new bone. It will feel really odd for sometime once you get back on it. Anyway, good luck with the healing.

can we have a picture

Select to expand quote

kitingtopher said..

can we have a picture

Should make a separate category for fin gashes, broken bones, ect..

Call it the WTF section..

Ripped all the ligaments in my ankle kitesurfing 2 yrs ago (to the point where the Doc was surprised I didn't snap the fibula as it was floating about 1cm outwards) - so no broken bones but still needed a screw to hold it all together while the ligaments got their act together - 2 weeks in plaster after surgery and 8 weeks in a moon boot then another 4 weeks of careful movement with a physio and then lots of walking to get it all working again. I guess that's 3 and a bit months with out a broken bone?

The scary bit of it all was the muscle wastage on my crap leg - got so skinny ! But the good news is that its all good now.

I hope you have a good surgeon and that you are up and about sooner than you think !! Good luck !

My Sister-in-law specialises in some form of Aqua Pilates, helps keep the muscle mass in the un used limb.

Recovery time in months 0-6 is about normal but months 6-12 are hugely accelerated. One of her recent clients competed in a cycle race 18 months after he had 27 pins and plates put in his leg. Doctors said he would not walk without crutches for 2 years.

Unfortunately she is in Cape Town but maybe you can find something similar where you are.
Cheers

get a number for stephen dank he will be able to help with a magic supplement

I f#cked my ankle skating one time and I couldn't ride a skateboard or surfboard for a fair while but riding my board with boots was ok not too long after. I ride stiff boots though. Obviously no-one except you and a specialist can say how long before you can ride and what you can do, but if you broke something I would say at least a minimum of 3-months before I would even try riding again.

consider jumping in a kite buggy and giving it a rip. lots of fun and if you can find sand dunes..... oh yeah that's the gravy. you should be able to kitebuggy well before you can kitesurf again.

Did my ankle surfing and had trip to Bali in 6 weeks , First time going to Bali with out a surfboard, After the 1ST week I could not take it any more Duct taped my ankle and hired Mal and had good surf My ankle was good after 8 weeks and was charging again short board ALSO TOOK magnesium

Select to expand quote

Gateman said..

My Sister-in-law specialises in some form of Aqua Pilates, helps keep the muscle mass in the un used limb.

Recovery time in months 0-6 is about normal but months 6-12 are hugely accelerated. One of her recent clients competed in a cycle race 18 months after he had 27 pins and plates put in his leg. Doctors said he would not walk without crutches for 2 years.

Unfortunately she is in Cape Town but maybe you can find something similar where you are.
Cheers

interesting i'll have a look at this

once i get a hold of the x-rays i'll put it up might even opt to get a video of the surgery so I can watch ha

I broke my leg playing football in May 2012, recovery wise really depends on how bad/where exactly the break was. My leg was a fully displaced and I'm pretty much back to normal after a year and into all sports. I was kiting after 5 months or so and it was sore, now it's not. Here's some tips from my experience:

Calcium tablets - speeds bone growth, too much doesn't help but you want to ensure you're getting enough.
Vibrating foot spa - $30 or so from Big W, warm water/vibration gets blood flowing, more blood = more good stuff repairing the area
Alcohol - hold off the grog, slows the recovery
Water Therapy - If you can't move certain muscles on the land then while your supported by the water it's easier
Exercise - you can still do lots of exercise that doesn't use the ankle, get into light upper body exercise when the pain eases after a few weeks
Take it easy - give it time, it's not worth complicating things in the first few months by trying too hard when it's not healed 100% yet

Of course check anything with your surgeon before you try it, every breaks different.

Select to expand quote

kitingtopher said..

can we have a picture

gross. I don't get people who watch the videos of people stacking either..

need a score but

My 2c
Once it's has been fixed and u have some movement it is all down to u as to how quick it will recover
Something that really worked well for me is sittin on the couch on a night and writing the alphabet with my foot.
I know it sounds daft but it starts the foot and ankle moving on every plane and gradually builds up the muscles
Just doing circles and up/downs doesn't get the foot moving in it's full range
When u start walking again try to remember ur alignment as any mis-alignment and the muscles will not develop in a balanced way
I have been terrible in the past with dragging a foot and having ankle pain but aft a while of thinking about what I am doing when walking the balance has returned and no more pain
Of course smoking **** slows down the healing process loads but it is awesome and chicks love it!

Oh and be aware
Kite buggying can put a lot of pressure on the downwind ankle especially on a long run
It is mush easier on the body than being on the water but can still be a stressful
:)

Hmmm apparently the word f a g s is not allowed on seabreeze!
U not telling us something Laurie?