Ankle Break

[Lindsey Loewen]

Was trying to get my judo game a little sharper at the local USA Judo club, was sparring and hit a uchi mata againts a larger guy, somehow, someway down to the mat his legs grapevined mine and snapped my ankle and the bone just above it. 7 pins and 2 plates. Gruesome. 2 months into recovery, tried to do some basic jitsu moves w/ some friends that I knew I could trust. Went pretty well but aggravated some of the places plates were put in.

Any recovery stories from people with bad injuries like this? How painful, how long, any moves permanenlty out of the repertoire.

Or any judo (or any martial arts) injury horror stories?

[Lindsey Loewen]

Of course Dr. says 6 months (4 months more), but as many Jiu Jitsu addict know, thats a rough order

[MikeSnowdon]

Ouch, sorry to hear that man. I wish you well in your recovery, don't try and rush it.

I never broke an ankle but damaged it very badly playing football - well soccer as my American friends here probably call it - a couple of years ago and it's really never been the same since. Having said that, I get no pain from it (yet); it just makes weird clicking noises when I do any kind of strenuous exercise. Took a heck of a long time to heal though, and I was really nervous about putting pressure on it for ages after the event.

Ok soccer's not strictly a martial art (although Eric Cantona disagrees - sorry that's one for the English footy fans!)......I broke and dislocated a couple of knuckles many years ago training boxing, but I'm sure that's completely tame compared to the stories other people on here will be able to tell!

[Lindsey Loewen]

Thanks! I think soccer is much higher impact than jiu jitsu, how does it affect you while sparring? How long did you wait to get back ot it?

[MikeSnowdon]

If I'm being honest I was out of action for about three months, although I would say physically it was ok after a couple of months - the other month was me being scared to damage it again. I must stress though, your injury sounds way worse than mine so take good care of it man.

By the way, it doesn't affect me at all when sparring/training/playing footy, although sometimes I get some dull pain after a particularly hard session.

[Judson Swart]

I've broken my left ankle twice. The first time was way more severe than the second though I didn't need plates or screws either time. I just had a cast put on the first time and was out of jiu jitsu for about 3 1/2 months and the second time was about two months. I'm still able to everything that I was able to do before but just get a little more cautious when someone starts reaching for leg locks.

Just make sure you stick with your exercises and therapy sessions consistently and don't try to go too hard too soon. I know a broken ankle sucks but re-injuring it sucks even more. Good luck!

[Andrew Maxwell]

I've broken both of my ankles and the third, fourth, and fifth metatarsus in my left foot. Sorry to tell you bro, but, the plates and pins are going to be aggravating pretty much the rest of your life. Not painful, but definately noticable. You just get used to it.

I broke the left foot and ankle at the same time, when I was bounty hunting. I was kicking in a door and broke the foot and ankle when i pivoted on it, wrong. I've also broken my collerbone and several ribs during my years of youth and high school wrestling, growing up, and just two years ago, I was hit by a car out jogging and broke an ankle, ribs, my cheek bone, and my eye socket.

[Lindsey Loewen]

how did it affect your jitz?

[Lindsey Loewen]

I expect it to be aggravating, it just kinda scared me, after a triangle, the plate on the fibula-fracture started swelling, didnt hurt but still got pretty big

[Andrew Maxwell]

Not at all, it will be uncomfortable at times and the nerves may pinch sometimes when you put pressure on it just right. It shouldn't be a problem for your game at all though, just a little extra discomfort to work through.