PDA

View Full Version : Ankle Bulging


amanda426
09-16-2007, 12:29 AM
Hi all,
I've had ankle pain and swelling since May that's continuing to get worse and would appreciate any feedback!

I am a 22 yr old female - the kind of person who always trips, twists my ankle a bit, but never had to go to a doctor for actually spraining my ankle. I am completely healthy and aside from a cat bite that landed in me in the hospital in Feb have never had any other problems.

This past May I pretty suddenly developed foot pain over the course of about 1 night working (I worked 10 hr shifts as a veterinary nurse constantly running around in emergency/ccu). Pain was mostly at the bottom - arch - of my foot - I could barely bend my foot without wincing - but was also able to ignore the pain to continue walking and working. Over about a week the pain didn't really go away and the medial malleolar-ish area became painful with weight bearing - again, could still walk, could tap the area without real pain, but my medial ankle was swollen and when I put pressure - ie stood on balls of feet felt a crack/grinding pain. Over the past few months the acuteness of my ankle pain has diminished but now it is more set-in. I have also developed since May an increasing bulging on either side of my achilles tendon that becomes hideously prominent whenever I put weight on the foot or esp stand with most weight on the ball of my foot. Also, if I walk for an extended period of time my ankle seems to become less functional and I feel like I just start swinging my leg rather than pivoting my ankle . In addition, I seem to easily lose balance on outdoor 'terrain', cannot support myself in a heel on my right ankle, and most of the time when I am walking my ankle seems to be slightly sideways with my toes pointing inwards.

I have been to a GP - in May - ankle rads were normal except a previous apparent ligament injury, was neg for the Rheumatoid factor (grandmother had it), sedimentaton rate low, and CBC normal. Apparently I have very little upward movement of my ankle - stiff heel - and cannot roll into the tip toe position on that ankle unassisted.

Saw a local orthopedist the other day, he said about the bulging that it is fat bulging and that "the good lord just made me that way" - BUT from my view - I'm 22 and the bulging just started 4 months ago and is only on that ankle - nevermind I am 5'4'' and only about 117 pounds - his line for the day was that the good lord made me this way -

I am a bit frustrated, the doctor was nice, but am I just supposed to accept at 22 that my ankle is going to pot and it's just the way I was made??
Any feedback would be unbelievably appreciated. Sorry for the long post.

suzanne42960
09-19-2007, 04:41 AM
Look up posterior tibial tendon insuffiency; there are several good websites that explain this problem. It is often misdiagnosed; I saw two podiatrists and two orthopedists before one referred me to a foot/ankle specialist. Some of your symptoms sound just like mine did, especially not being able to raise up on toes. I just had surgery July 26th and am now on the road to recovery. Be persistent and maybe a good doctor can figure out the problem!

suzanne42960
09-19-2007, 04:42 AM
Apparently I can't spell: it's "insufficiency"!

Pedro
10-31-2007, 03:56 PM
Get an ultrasound scan to check for;

tib post tendonosis/rupture/tear
flexor hallucis/digitorum longus tendonosis
retrocalcaneal bursitis