Hi, this is my first post here. Just want to share that I'm in the process of trying conservative treatment for my OCD of the talus, but it's way too early to say whether it's going to be successful. Hoping for the best, of course.
Ubachman, I too am female, close in age to you. I wasn't hit by a car, ( how horrible for you! ) but my injury happened shortly after yours. I stepped off a curb in October, 2014 and fell down hard on my right ankle. I had never sprained my ankle before, and when it swelled, I just did the RICE treatment. Since I could still walk on it, though painful, I did not get it checked out initially. ( Big mistake. )
Fast forward two months, and since it was still hurting I finally went to my orthopedist to check it. To my surprise, he said I had broken my ankle - an avulsion fracture of the lateral malleolus. He couldn't believe I had walked on a broken ankle for two months. He put me in a boot for seven weeks, and when he x-rayed my ankle at the end of January, he told me the ankle fracture had not healed, but was stable and might not require surgery. ( Something about getting encased in scar tissue, and not causing any more pain. ) Then he told me about the OCD lesion on the lateral shoulder of the talar dome.
I had never even heard of it, and he didn't go into a lot of detail about it. Just said he'd keep a watch on it. However, when I researched it at home, I felt very nervous and discouraged. So little 'positive' about it anywhere.
I saw him again at the end of February and the x-rays were the same. My ankle was still very sore, and he ordered a month of physical therapy, saying he believed the pain was more related to the inflammation from the ligaments than with the OCD lesion. He reassured me that many people become asymptomatic with OCDs, and don't need surgery for them. Said he was hopeful that I too would do fine.
I just completed the physical therapy and it has helped. My ankle feels stronger and I have much more flexibility in it. Pain is minimal most days. I just saw my doctor again, and once more, the x-rays are the same. He pointed out that the OCD looks stable, and has not changed from the start. He said too that my ankle exam was good, and that I have no fluid in my ankle. 'No red flags' is how he put it. When I asked if he was going to order an MRI, he said he would not unless I developed more symptoms.
Of course, without an MRI, I don't know the size of it which really concerns me. I suspect it must be fairly large for it to show up on x-ray. ( I don't think smaller ones do. ) He did say he would continue to do serial x-rays indefinitely to keep an eye on it. I'll see him again in two months.
However, he encouraged me to continue with all normal activities. I was not into any heavy duty sports, but I was a three mile/day walker for years. I have not been able to get back to that level yet, though I am doing at least a mile/day, and sometimes more, depending on the discomfort. Most of the time, it's not bad, but I don't want to overdo it.
Sorry this is so lengthy. I just wanted to explain my conservative treatment route so far. I'm really hoping it will work, but can't help but feel sort of paranoid about the whole situation. Like waiting for the other shoe to drop...
My heart goes out to everyone here going through this. I feel so sad for all those who want to do active sports; those who have young children and families to care for. People just wanting to have a normal life. This is such a kick in the teeth in so many ways!
I appreciate this forum and want to thank all who have taken the time to share their situations and advice with others. I'll keep posting updates too as I go along. I hope my situation might be able to give others a sense of cautious optimism...
