# Snowboarding after ankle fusion



## tony10 (Jun 15, 2013)

never had a fused ankle but i broke my ankle while playing high school football my senior year and never went to a doctor in order to continue playing (something i regret now) but am still able to board. Im pretty sure the ankle never fully healed or healed wrong because i still get shooting pains if i move it certain ways. I don't get excruciating pains or anything but at times it is noticeable. With that said, if I'm able to board with a broken ankle I'd imagine you'll be able to ... welcome to the forum by the way


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## Deacon (Mar 2, 2013)

I snapped my achilles on my front ankle two seasons ago, and my mobility was very limited at the start of last year. I think you'll be fine, you'll just have to make some adjustments to your body motion, ie using your thigh angle to create leverage at your foot. I don't know how much you know about mechanical leverage, but understanding a bit of it might help you visualize what you'll need to do. Or else, just hop out there and let your body figure it out! :thumbsup:
Either way, don't give up just cuz of an injury, keep at it and you'll be fine!


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## Mahoola (Nov 23, 2020)

Fused said:


> Hi,
> 
> I have just had an ankle fusion on my Left ankle. After braking it on a Motocross bike, it never was the same as there was no cartilage in the joint and it would swell and stiffen up after just walking a few hundred meters.
> 
> ...


Hi there! I was hoping for an update on your condition. I have severe osteoarthritis in my right leg (I ride goofy mostly) and even though I keep 70% weight in the back I am barely able to walk after a good day riding. My ortho recommended fusion but snowboarding is the only thing that sets my soul on fire. I worry that I will not be able to ride if I get the fusion, I ride back country. Were you able to get back to it? Has it changed your ability/pain level? Any input much appreciated ☺


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## Donutz (May 12, 2010)

Mahoola said:


> Hi there! I was hoping for an update on your condition. I have severe osteoarthritis in my right leg (I ride goofy mostly) and even though I keep 70% weight in the back I am barely able to walk after a good day riding. My ortho recommended fusion but snowboarding is the only thing that sets my soul on fire. I worry that I will not be able to ride if I get the fusion, I ride back country. Were you able to get back to it? Has it changed your ability/pain level? Any input much appreciated ☺


Unfortunately Fused just posted the one item, and hasn't been back since. Very doubtful they'll read your inquiry.


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## BornAgain (Mar 13, 2021)

Had ankle fusion done in 2016. Fast forward to now (March 2021) just took my first trip back to Tahoe (kirkwood) was a bit apprehensive at first but got back to it pretty easily ( was never a pro to begin with ) anyways did well on the green and on my first trip down the blue ate it pretty hard and pulled on my foot in a way that pulled on the hardware needless to say after a bit of ice and massage I bounced back pretty quickly. Still unsure if I’ll go again. Cheers.


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## joe vink (Dec 18, 2021)

i had ankle fusion surgery 4 years ago and just went up for the first time last week in montana. i consider myself an expert rider and have been on multiple heli boarding trips. i was very hesitant at first but with some soft snow it all came back quick. i just know how long it took to recover from the surgery so i never pressed it too hard and always wanted to open it up and just fly but i was pretty chill about it. bottom line, i was able to ride but i did feel alot of stress on the fused ankle. maybe it was mental and maybe out of riding shape but i had to keep holding myself back so i wouldn't snap my fuse which would be the worst. but confident to head back out again soon and enjoy the fresh air. i really miss riding but didn't want to jack myself up too bad and have a major setback. but it's definitely doable which was my biggest question going into the fused ankle


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## tophatmonkey (Dec 12, 2021)

Mahoola said:


> Hi there! I was hoping for an update on your condition. I have severe osteoarthritis in my right leg (I ride goofy mostly) and even though I keep 70% weight in the back I am barely able to walk after a good day riding. My ortho recommended fusion but snowboarding is the only thing that sets my soul on fire. I worry that I will not be able to ride if I get the fusion, I ride back country. Were you able to get back to it? Has it changed your ability/pain level? Any input much appreciated ☺


Yea so I got parital (?) ankle surgery after demolishing my ankle almost 10 years ago now. At first I could barely ride due to the pain but year after year my ankle got stronger and I was able to do more. Took about 4 years before the pain wasn't excruciating; however, this timeline could be accelerated by properly training/exercising (next paragraph). So, I got to a point to where riding is fine, but the ankle stiffens up afterwords and the next morning you can barely walk (and walking hurts) until you loosen it up again by walking around. Riding the mountain stresses the ankle an acceptable amount, but the more impact your ankles take (jumps/rails) the worse off youll be the next day. I still do a limited park stuff, but as a beginner its not much anyway.

If you do physical activity, you should be doing ankle exercises AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE, daily if possible. I do work with resistance bands, applying resistance with the band in one direction and moving my foot in the opposite direction: repeating it in all 4 directions. Additional exercises/weight lifting that trains the other muscles in that/both legs is further helpful.

Most recently over x-mas break, I did 4 days in a row in steamboat - no real park riding but I did a few jumps, not a crazy amount - because our passes were blacked out after X-mas till the end of our trip, and that was overkill. The next day my ankle was stiff and was in pain for most of the day. For the past week and a half now my ankle has stiffened more often randomly through the day and "re-opening" it has been more painful. I guess I want to say, make sure to get adequate rest between sets or riding days. Youll be able to feel when your ankle needs a day off, but unfortunately I did/could not listen.

I am going to the doctor tomorrow to try to see what I can do to improve my situation, hoping that there have been some advancements in the field. Albeit, 10 years ago my doctor said that I should comeback when the pain is too unbearable and he can do a full fusion.

eh.


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## tophatmonkey (Dec 12, 2021)

joe vink said:


> i had ankle fusion surgery 4 years ago and just went up for the first time last week in montana. i consider myself an expert rider and have been on multiple heli boarding trips. i was very hesitant at first but with some soft snow it all came back quick. i just know how long it took to recover from the surgery so i never pressed it too hard and always wanted to open it up and just fly but i was pretty chill about it. bottom line, i was able to ride but i did feel alot of stress on the fused ankle. maybe it was mental and maybe out of riding shape but i had to keep holding myself back so i wouldn't snap my fuse which would be the worst. but confident to head back out again soon and enjoy the fresh air. i really miss riding but didn't want to jack myself up too bad and have a major setback. but it's definitely doable which was my biggest question going into the fused ankle


you have nothing to worry about in terms of your bone/injury. Really just what your ankle can handle.
If you not keeping your ankle in shape then it is going to suffer (i.e. the ankle will get fatigued a lot quicker and youll be riding on your back foot a lot more). If you keep your ankle in shape youll reach ankle fatigue alot more slowely throughout a day and be able to ride just as normal until reaching that fatigue point.


*Another big point is ankle mobility: which is mechanically limited.*
After beginning weightlifting a year ago to supplement my cycling, I had to develop a way to do squats (due to their efficency in increasing leg strength). This translates directly to riding stance on the board. In order to be able to ride more like you did before (because you are essentially doing squats when carving/jumps/absorbing chunder) youll have to make some adaptations:
1. *Increase your outward angle *(positive if front foot, negative if back food; although, if your fused ankle is your back foot, you should switch your riding stance, dont think riding this way all day is viable. Even though I can ride switch, I couldn't imagine doing it all day). I now ride with 30-33 degree on my partially fused ankle - there are actually some pro riders that ride 30.
2. *Widen your stance*. I am 6'6" and am experimenting with 26-27 inch stance width.
3. *Get Heel raising inserts. *Heel wedges from tognar. 


If people have other ideas/comments/questions, please lmk.


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## tophatmonkey (Dec 12, 2021)

BornAgain said:


> Had ankle fusion done in 2016. Fast forward to now (March 2021) just took my first trip back to Tahoe (kirkwood) was a bit apprehensive at first but got back to it pretty easily ( was never a pro to begin with ) anyways did well on the green and on my first trip down the blue ate it pretty hard and pulled on my foot in a way that pulled on the hardware needless to say after a bit of ice and massage I bounced back pretty quickly. Still unsure if I’ll go again. Cheers.


It gets better with time. start exercising regularly, that makes it even better.


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