Low Trauma Fracture

[englishrose]

So, at the end of May this year I twisted my ankle. I was running, and I turned around to go home and I felt a sudden pain on the side of my ankle. When I went to the local minor injuries unit, I was told I had a sprain, given crutches and told to see my GP in a few weeks if things didn't improve.

Fast forward three and a half months - I have just come back from seeing my orthopaedic surgeon who has put me on a waiting list for surgery on some of my torn ankle ligaments. However, the MRI I had on Monday showed something else - a badass fracture to my fibula that has yet to heal nearly four months after the injury. Not just a hairline fracture - the break goes all the way through the bone, and you can feel the callus through the skin.

So my question is this - could the fact that I have coeliac disease have contributed to my ability to break my ankle with essentially no trauma? I am only 20 years old, and am slightly concerned that this could be related to low bone density.

Has anybody else ever had an experience like this?

Thanks so much in advance for the help x

[rosetapper23]

My daughter was 22 when she sprained her ankle badly while running a marathon. Although I strongly suspect that she has celiac (has many of the symptoms), she refuses to get tested or even consider for one minute that she might have to change her diet. I remember the doctor ordering X-rays because he said that she had a "high-ankle injury" which can cause a fracture up the front of the leg. Luckily, she didn't have a fracture, but it took nearly a year for her ankle to recover. She was in a cast for eight weeks following by 2-3 months in a walking boot...and then she had to wrap it for a number of months afterward.

So, as to your questions, it IS common to experience a fracture like you described after an ankle injury, so I don't know if the celiac contributed or not. Now, you mention injuries to your tendons and ligaments, and, of course, if they had had the strength to keep it together, your leg might not have fractured. I experienced a soft tissue injury in both of my feet (with fractures, too) several years ago, and I discovered that the injuries were the result of low manganese, silicon, and zinc. Had my tendons and ligaments been healthy, my feet would not have fractured. Manganese, in particular, is very important for connective tissue health and overall muscle health. You might consider taking the chelated forms of manganese and zinc for a while (should help your soft tissue heal, too) and perhaps some silicon (BioSil sells a good product that some of us on this forum use). After I added these supplements, my connective tissue pain and fracture injuries resolved very quickly. Of course, you're headed for surgery....but perhaps you need these supplements to restore your muscle/connective tissue health so that you don't injure yourself further.

Just my two cents' worth

[kittty]

I've had those problems for the last 20 years or so. It started with one sprained ankle, which ended up being a fracture, and continued from there. I've re-fractured that same ankle about half a dozen times since, the ligaments are a mess, and the ankle has now developed arthritis too.

After the last break I saw a physical therapist, and other than giving me some stretches to improve mobility and pain, she said it was too late to really do anything to help. I would suggest going to see a physical therapist and asking for advice to avoid long-term damage to your ankle. They can help you strengthen the area now before it's too late.

I've read a few similar stories on these forums (search for 'stress fracture') and it seems to be a pattern with celiacs.

[rosetapper23]

kittty,

PLEASE start taking manganese, zinc, and silicon! Your tendons and ligaments do NOT have to continue having problems. Yes, celiac is the root cause....but it is the nutritional deficiencies that are causing your disabilities--and that's something you can fix!

[englishrose]

Thank you rosetapper23 and kittty for your replies

I'm really sorry that you've both had foot and ankle problems, I know from experience how rubbish it can be. kittty, I was also told that it was too late to do anything to help. I found it really hard to hear! I had only found out three days before that the leg was broken and having never broken anything before, I assumed it was a big deal and that they would definitely do something! However, the explanation I was given made sense - the leg isn't tender to touch at the site of the break, and the MRI showed it was aligned, so I guess it probably is okay to leave it.

Hmmm, I shall do some googling around manganese/silicon/zinc, I don't know much about those particular deficiencies but very interesting!