I am wondering if anyone else in here has been in the same boat I am right now.
I broke my ankle (tibia and fibula) and now have a plate with 7 screws on one side and 2 screws on the other.
My question is, does anyone else in here have the same thing and still squat? I have been kind of depressed lately (been on the couch for 6 weeks, no pressure on the ankle at all, doctor’s orders) and wonder if I will ever be able to squat heavy again.
Not that it is pertinent to the situation but I broke it skydiving. Came in fast with a small canopy, hit a thermal pocket and did not slow down. Hit the ground at around 40 mph. Snapped the ankle and dislocated the foot.
It’s actually healing up nicely but I’m wondering if I’ll ever be able to go heavy on legs again.
yes you can squat. I don’t know how heavy you are talking about. I have had about 35 broken bones below my waist, 50+ total. They are all over 20 years old. The left leg is the worst multiple ankle fractures + tib/ fib bone grafts, patella and hip, 3 seperate incidents . The ankle hurts, I don’t run well but I can squat 2 X per week and deadlift. I’m 61 years old. Hang in there, follow you Dr’s advice & stay off that foot untill he says OK. He will tell you 20% or 50 % weight bearing - do it- take your time don’t rush it. when my Dr. said “pound it” I walked and walked and walked all I could at first. It will hurt. Good luck, Jim
Thank you Jim. I’m not a powerlifter but I was repping 315 for 6. Spoke with doctor today at my 2 week interval checkup. She said that I will eventually be able to squat again but the real question is my ROM that returns to my ankle. Most of what I have found states riding a stationary bike at low setting once you’ve been cleared to start putting partial weight back on the foot.
The Stationary Bike sounds like a good idea. I squat with a 3/4" or sometimes a little thicker board under my left heel because of range of motion. I had my rack outside for a couple of years and squated barefoot in the sand that was comfortable. A folded towel under my heel works good too. Jim
Let it heal completely and I don’t see any reason why you wouldn’t be able to lift relatively heavy again.
Don’t fuck with it while it’s healing though, that could put you in for long term pain and/or improper positioning that could lead to injuries when you get back to lifting heavy.
I have a similar issue with my left leg and a worse issue with my right leg and I can still squat. If your ankle mobility isn’t restricted you will be fine. If your ankle mobility is restricted you can still do a sit your butt back powerlifting style low bar back squat no trouble. If you are determined to do front squats etc then you can do them by figuring out how much heel raise you need to compensate for the lack of dorsiflexion.