ankle sprain with bone bruise that has taken 5 months

ankle brace

I recently saw the call for help, “ankle sprain with bone bruise that has taken 5 months“ appear on the Internet. It reminded me of my own problems some 15 years a go as a young doctor just out of residency. I was running and slipped off the concrete path and severely twisted my ankle. It was so bad that I had to limp home at 1/4 walking pace. I placed myself in an immobilizer and waited for it to heal, no healing after 1-2 months. I then began an Odyssey of ankle braces. The air cast was popular at the time, it was a joke, a great way to cut off my circulation without helping any stability. Then 2 months, then 3 months… I was onto seeing specialists. The people who worked with ankle sprains in my community at the time were all podiatrists. I went one who told me he had nothing to offer. Then 3 months became 4 months. I was still limping around the house when I did anything active. I then tried more braces. I bought the old fashioned lace up type, some stability, but getting the beast on and off was a nightmare. I was in a physical free fall of sorts, going from a very active young man to a couch potato. My weight ballooned. 4 months became 5 months. I then finally found my first savior, the Malleoloc brace. While this helped, 5 months became 6 months, 7 months, 8 months, 9 months, a year. Finally I tried prolotherapy, which wasn’t perfect, but got me to the point where I could function and even go out running every once in a great while. If I had injured this today, I would have certainly chosen injecting my own adult stem cells to fix my ankle ligaments. We’ve had great success with this new cutting edge injection treatment using the patent’s own stem cells. The video below tells more:

Ligament Injuries in Elbow

There are several ligaments that help support the elbow and a host of tendons that also help support the joint.  The collateral ligaments are the main structural support and act like duct tape that holds the elbow together.  Ligament injuries in elbow are very similar to other areas such as the ankle.  They can be caused by repetitive use or trauma.   While many heal, some do not.  Surgery for this condition can be difficult, as sewing damaged ligaments may or may not result in a good physiologic reapir.  The problem is that many times, the repair will either be tighter or looser than the original.  If the repair is not at the right physiologic tension, then the joint can be beat uo by the extra force and degeneration in the joint can increase.  I have several patients that are young and in this category.  They had a ligament repair that regrettably ended up too tight and now in their 20’s and 30’s the joints are wearing out. 

Is there a better way to treat a partial elblow ligament tear?  Yes, injecting the patient’s own stem cells into the ligament tear can help that ligament heal.  This way, the body sets the right level of tension in the ligament, more like a natural ligament repair.  For more information on this new procedure, see the link above.