I lost my ability to walk..Full Knee Dislocation & Drop Foot

[hansnet]

Friday October 13th, 2006

Well I was hiking in Idaho and fell off the trail, ended up falling off a pretty serious cliff (Anyone that knows twin falls area, knows the canyon). Well I dont know the exact distance I was in the air, but when I hit the ground my right leg got stuck in a pile of rock and my weight litterally twisted my leg at the knee about 180 degrees. Therefore it looked like my foot was on backwards..I thought I was dead or something but made it to the hosptial. Well that was 2 months ago and I suffered a full knee dislocation with complete tear of the LCL, PCL, and ACL, basically everything that had to tear to allow my leg to go on backwards. In this process I also stretched and ripped the peroneal nerve in half, therefore I'm now unable to move my foot (known as a foot drop).


Well I had surgery 5 weeks ago, the accident happened 13th of October.

I had a graft surgery on the PCL only and then a seperate surgury for a peroneal nerve graft. So the PCL, ACL and possibly MCL are still torn. It hurts like a mother******* but my main concern is getting back on the slopes.



They tell me with a foot drop I will not be able to move my foot again, I'm currently in a splint and an AFO brace to keep my foot at a 90* angle.










pics:

these are right out of the emergency room, no surgery yet:

















Here are pics after the surgery, Last week of october.
















November 6th, 2006 photos, after cast was removed:





WARNING: THE FOLLOWING PHOTOS ARE OF A GRAPHIC NATURE, VIEW AT YOUR OWN RISK.





This is the new splint and piece that keeps my foot at a 90* angle.







I'm a big dude, 5' 11"/210lbs, look at how swelled the bad leg is compared to my good leg.








Over 60 staples were removed






60 staples.






Surgery Blows IMO.








The bill for the FIRST surgery....the "cheap one"













Tuesday November 14th, 2006 Pictures...one month later.




























I'm healing up, just wondered if anyone on here has had a foot drop and been able to ski with it? I know the knee will recover, but its the nerve damage that I'm worried about.


btw, i'm a 20 year old male, 5' 11" 210lbs.

[bdn310]

"main concern is getting back on the slopes."
Good in your rehab, man.   Carson Palmer had a similar knee injury but without the foot drop.  It was potentially career ending but he played NFL football again in less than a year. I'd be happy to be able to walk again after something like that.

Friday October 13th, 2006

Well I was hiking in Idaho and fell off the trail, ended up falling off a pretty serious cliff (Anyone that knows twin falls area, knows the canyon). Well I dont know the exact distance I was in the air, but when I hit the ground my right leg got stuck in a pile of rock and my weight litterally twisted my leg at the knee about 180 degrees. Therefore it looked like my foot was on backwards..I thought I was dead or something but made it to the hosptial. Well that was 2 months ago and I suffered a full knee dislocation with complete tear of the LCL, PCL, and ACL, basically everything that had to tear to allow my leg to go on backwards. In this process I also stretched and ripped the peroneal nerve in half, therefore I'm now unable to move my foot (known as a foot drop).


Well I had surgery 5 weeks ago, the accident happened 13th of October.

I had a graft surgery on the PCL only and then a seperate surgury for a peroneal nerve graft. So the PCL, ACL and possibly MCL are still torn. It hurts like a mother******* but my main concern is getting back on the slopes.



They tell me with a foot drop I will not be able to move my foot again, I'm currently in a splint and an AFO brace to keep my foot at a 90* angle.










pics:

these are right out of the emergency room, no surgery yet:

















Here are pics after the surgery, Last week of october.
















November 6th, 2006 photos, after cast was removed:





WARNING: THE FOLLOWING PHOTOS ARE OF A GRAPHIC NATURE, VIEW AT YOUR OWN RISK.





This is the new splint and piece that keeps my foot at a 90* angle.







I'm a big dude, 5' 11"/210lbs, look at how swelled the bad leg is compared to my good leg.








Over 60 staples were removed






60 staples.






Surgery Blows IMO.








The bill for the FIRST surgery....the "cheap one"













Tuesday November 14th, 2006 Pictures...one month later.




























I'm healing up, just wondered if anyone on here has had a foot drop and been able to ski with it? I know the knee will recover, but its the nerve damage that I'm worried about.


btw, i'm a 20 year old male, 5' 11" 210lbs.

[Homer]

Hey i don't think i've seen or read anything as serious as your injury on this site. I don't envy you at all but wish you well with your recovery.

I've had drop foot but under different circumstances. I occasionally get sciatica due to ruptured disk at bottom of my spine. I had a bout in 2000 & recovered no problem. In 2002 I had sciatica & it kept me off work 3 days (a lot of pain) - anyway i was left with no movement of toes & could not pull a calf muscle. The first consultant had me try walk on my heels - i couldn't do it with affected leg (drop  foot). He said the sciatica had "destroyed" my nerve & was not very optomistic. I went for 2nd opinion & this consultant thought it had been a chemical reaction but again advised the nerve had been destroyed.

Now the hope - The 2nd consultant  told me nerves can regenerate at 1mm per day (he said i was fortunate to have short legs!). About 3-4 months later i started getting some toe movement & improved from that point on. The calf on this leg is still smaller (partly due to this & also due to having ruptured my achilees in the past).

I have read there are ways of testing if nerves are re-generating but i didn't pursue this.

Good Luck.

[jose.a.ortiz1]

I hope you get well,

Just wanted to say hello and wish you well in your recovery from your surgery.

Jose

[Audice]

Like you, Homer, I had foot drop after a sciatica bout but WOW, hansnet, that's one horrific injury you've sustained. Wishing you the best in your recovery...Ellie

[daveybc]

hansnet...how are you doing now? 

I'm having surgery today to sew together my poreneal nerve after it was cut 90% from a stab wound (not a very fun New Years eve.  I was attacked my 6 men who stabbed me 4 times. sucks!)

anyway, i have foot drop as well and am just looking to find out how you are doing.  i'm a 28 year old male so i'm much older than you in terms of nerve regeneration (so i'm told) but any hope at all would help.  Hopefully you're doing well.  Good luck.