Holy Atrophy, Batman!!!

Ok, so when I broke my right ankle instead of a regular plaster cast they gave me a 'moon boot' - removable, adjustable, etc.  It's been great, and I can get around really well with it now.  I'm wondering if I've been relying on it a little TOO much though....after I got out of the bath the other day I took a good look at my legs.  I've always had 'curvy' calves, even when I was at my thinnest.  But now the calf on my right leg is positively puny!!!  (Wouldn't be so bad if the left leg had shrunk to match it!)  I've only been wearing this thing for just over three weeks now, is it normal to have that much atrophy in such a short time?  I've been walking around the house w/out the brace, but I'm finding I have to use both crutches as it feels like the leg won't support me.  I'm starting to freak myself out a bit... 

Anyone have any exercises they can recommend to help build the muscle back up?  I'm thinking of getting a smaller ankle brace and trying to do a little more 'walking' without the moon boot...wondering if that will help as well.

I think the atrophy you describe is normal. I had to wear the boot for about a month last year when I sprained my ankle quite badly. It took a long time to recover. Even after losing the boot, I still wore sneakers, and had to be very slow and careful for a couple of months. Ankle injuries just take a long time to heal. I was worried at first that I should have done physical therapy, but with time, it did get better, and my atrophied muscle did get back to it's normal size and strength. It doesn't cause me any pain now. If you are still supposed to be wearing the boot, I would definitely keep wearing it! I wouldn't get a smaller brace without consulting your doctor first. Trying to do too much too soon will only prolong your recovery.

I broke my kneecap about 10 years ago, and was in a stabiliser for a month. I lost so much muscle in my quad (which had been very strong as I was a dancer), and to be honest, it's still slightly weaker than my other quad, and I am less steady on that leg than the other. But it doesn't cause me any problems, and I am quite an active person.

When my brother broke his arm and they took the cast off about six weeks later his arm looked like a white pencil compared to his other one.  I guess that is common. I would just call your doctor just to put your mind at ease.

His arm was back to "normal" in no time once he started "using" it again.

 

I think anytime you get no real use of a muscle group, this can happen. I had a c-sec and then major complications afterwards so effectively did not use my abdominal and back muscles for 3 weeks. As a result, I am having serious back problems now. As a matter of fact, I am home from work today because of it.

Not only that, it was almost a week post-c-sec before I actually held Sammy and by then I'd lost a lot of arm muscle strength as well.

It just sucks!

Hope you are up and about soon!

VERY common.  I did a lot of exercises with those surgical (wide) bands and the wobble board for months after suffering a similar injury.  Also picking up pencils with the toes, ankle circles, calf raises, etc. after the cast came off.

Even now, I have to do isometric exercises to strengthen that ankle or it 'tricks' and sprains easily.

I can't wear flip flops for this reason.

I also broke my foot at the same time and every now and again it will ache in certain weathers.  And I did this 17 years ago!  But I can also sometimes feel the pin in my femur if the weather is just right.

Ok, thanks everyone...I won't panic just yet.  Back to wearing the moonboot pretty much full time as my ankle has been really swollen lately...don't think I could wear a regular shoe at this point anyway.  I've got a hospital appt on Wednesday so I'll talk to the doctor then.  I was just a bit shocked at the drastic change in appearance!

I had one of those back in 1998 and a similar thing happened.  When I went back to the ortho they changed it from the boot to one that was more like and ankle splint sort of thing.  Had PT similar to what expat_in-scotland describes, plus standing on a mini trampoline.  Your calf should return to normal.

Have you been keeping that leg elevated?  I remember if I was bad about doing that while at work it'd swell up and be very uncomfortable.