[Guest]

My husband fell off a platform at work and broke his heel bone. He was in a cast for 6 or 7 weeks. He is 59 years old and weighs approximately 175. Height is 6'2". This occurred 9/17/01. The doctor says this may take a long time to heal. He has not improved very much and the doctor now has him wearing a brace. He is still taking ansaid and over-the-counter pain relievers but has constant pain. It should be mentioned he has gone back to work and his work entails standing. He's a fitter. (Fits/welds large pieces of metal together). It seems that what's hurting him worst is the ankle, not the heel. That ankle had been previously broken about 15 yrs. ago. Only option he's been offered is fusion or "wait and see". My husband doesn't want to go with fusion because he has had a bad experience in the past with a fusion done in his finger and his ankle pain is almost unbearable, especially in the afternoons. Can you offer any suggestions as to what we can do? Thank you.

[Guest]

Unfortunately, a fusion may be his best option. BY removing the joint, a lot of the pain caused by the joint not functioning properly can also be removed. However, he may want to ask if an arthroscopy can be performed to clean out the joint. This procedure can remove arthritic spurs and even stimulate new cartilage grwoth. Therefore, he may want to ask if the doctor thinks this could help ease his pain. Have a nice day and please write back if you have any further questions.
[quote] My husband fell off a platform at work and broke his heel bone. He was in a cast for 6 or 7 weeks... [/quote]