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March, 2024

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Fractured Calcaneus? Anyone?

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pink_squid
Posts: 1188 - Karma: 368
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Sooo I shattered my heel into 12 pieces and have 15 screws, 3 wires and 40something staples holding it together. Ive done a shit ton of research, but have not found any cases of a fractured heel in skiers or snowboarders. I believe it is a similar injury as tanner hall on chads, but obviously less severe and Im just guessing because I couldnt find tanners xray. Basically Im just wondering if anyone else has had this injury and was able to ski again. My surgeon said and I quote "You will probably be able to walk again with some minor to moderate complications" I had a 4 hour surgery and will be non-weight bearing for 3 months minimum. After that its going to be vigorous PT and Im actually really looking forward to that. I realize skiing is about the worst sport to return to after this injury, another large impact from the bottom could pull the screws out and my calcaneus would collapse. If anyone has had this or a similar injury Im just trying to figure out where to go from here.



TLDR Broken heel, am I fucked or is skiing ever possible again.
Mar 3 2013 4:11PM
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Miomo
Posts: 4302 - Karma: 14,131
Well how the fuck did you do that?
Mar 3 2013 4:17PM
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pink_squid
Posts: 1188 - Karma: 368
Overshot a quarter pipe. Was 30-35 feet in the air to flat ice. 2nd fucking run
Mar 3 2013 4:21PM
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Caspaaa
Posts: 4830 - Karma: 1,465
I wouldn't hit any big jumps for a minimum of 2 years based on what your surgeon said and the recovery time till you can walk again


but that's easy for me to say because i can only 3 on jumps and i'm on the east coast so we don't have very many good jumps anyways.
Mar 3 2013 4:22PM
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accualyisdolan
Posts: 3295 - Karma: -192
Rough dude. Inb4 ankles are broken
Mar 3 2013 4:24PM
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.Hugo.
Posts: 17360 - Karma: 28,469
I mean, as long as you wait for it to heel up back to 100%, I would think you could ski again. You may be limited to smaller features and not be able to go huge so you don't fuck it up again, but hey, it's better than nothing.

SKi boots are hard plastic so they should for the most part be able to protect your heel barring a freak fall. I really want to know how that happened in the first place. Over shooting a jump to flat?
Mar 3 2013 4:25PM
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pink_squid
Posts: 1188 - Karma: 368
Look up. Taking off the boot was the absolute worst experience of my life
Mar 3 2013 4:26PM
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Miomo
Posts: 4302 - Karma: 14,131
I don't know if you did that on purpose, but HAH.

Also, I just looked it up on wikipedia and it looks like pretty solid bone. I'm surprised your leg didn't break instead.
Mar 3 2013 4:31PM
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.Hugo.
Posts: 17360 - Karma: 28,469
Ya I must have been typing as you posted that. But that sounds super shitty and painful. That exact reason is why quarter/halfpipes scare the living shit outta me. I refuse to get more than a couple feet out of them haha
Mar 3 2013 4:32PM
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pink_squid
Posts: 1188 - Karma: 368
15% of calcaneal fractures result in a lower lumbar fracture. Im lucky I wasnt paralyzed
Mar 3 2013 4:36PM
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.Hugo.
Posts: 17360 - Karma: 28,469
Yes pun intended. Just trying to lighten the mood a little :)
Mar 3 2013 4:39PM
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~bagelz~
Posts: 1105 - Karma: 1,067
well your crash was pretty much the equivalent of jumping out of a 2nd story window... (if sed 30ft really were really 30ft)
Mar 3 2013 4:50PM
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pink_squid
Posts: 1188 - Karma: 368
ahhah love your sig its so true! The quarter pipe itself was around 20 give or take, and I was easily 10 feet out. I did everything I could; landed on the back of the skis and tried to flex it out a little, then absorbed as much as possible into a roll. Shit happens
Mar 3 2013 4:57PM
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pink_squid
Posts: 1188 - Karma: 368
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Mar 4 2013 11:07PM
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pink_squid
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oops
Mar 4 2013 11:08PM
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OG_Loc
Posts: 428 - Karma: 2,085
is the calcaneus fracture all you sustained? thats a tough bone to break and i've heard it's pretty common to get other injuries or even break other bones from the shock transfer.
Mar 5 2013 1:46AM
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El_Barto.
Posts: 11630 - Karma: 24,465
Man, thats a dense chunk of bone. I cant imagine how bad that hurt and the amount of force it took to break it. shit, my foot hurts for you
Mar 5 2013 2:30AM
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doyle.
Posts: 1624 - Karma: 596
holy shit thats rough man, hope you have a speedy recovery
Mar 5 2013 3:58AM
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esotericjive
Posts: 1889 - Karma: 1,445
Shit, man, that's brutal. Inpressed you didnt break anything else. Not by any means a doctor, but I would let that heal for a long while before skiing, its usually not worth making it worse.
Mar 5 2013 7:41AM
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ggfski42
Posts: 651 - Karma: 700
VIBES dude, thats gnar gnar. get some rest and let your body heel. Idk what the prognosis is on something like that but i don't see it as a skiing ending injury. Considering your back is okay.
Good luck!
Mar 5 2013 9:11AM
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AT-AT
Posts: 3281 - Karma: 3,256
That's some gnarly shit. Best of luck on a quick recovery.
Mar 5 2013 9:17AM
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Rparr
Posts: 5354 - Karma: 42,183
Holy fucking brutal, vibes man. I can't even imagine what falling that high to flat must have felt like/looked like.

I am a month into a broken navicular and talus with a torn ligament, which I didn't even break skiing. I was walking down fucking stairs. No surgery, and I'm already walking in my aircast boot. I just hope when I start skiing again everything feels normal.

If you re injure yourself you'll never walk the same again. Best of luck healing OP.

Mar 5 2013 10:43AM
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pink_squid
Posts: 1188 - Karma: 368
Howdy guys thanks for all the support. I just finished like a lion and if tanner can get through all that shit I can get through this. Not gonna lie kicking the narcotics was one of the hardest things about it all, but Im so fucking far away from PT I guess I shouldnt speak too soon. Thanking god everyday I wasnt paralyzed this accident is really going to change the way I ski (if that happens, fingers crossed) If anyone has any tips or advice regarding bone healing or PT dont hesitate to shoot me a pm. Thanks again for the support, hope everyone stays safe
Mar 5 2013 8:20PM
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pink_squid
Posts: 1188 - Karma: 368
sorry for bumping an old thread, but I just got back from more xrays and thought it was mildly interesting

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Mar 8 2013 9:01PM
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ShamanMealy
Posts: 1 - Karma: 10
I broke my heel also but I was cliff jumping..I have been wondering the same thing because I was big on skiing previous to the break. I have a plate and 8 pins in my foot because I shattered it in 8 pieces. I was in the same boat with recovery time and all. Did you ever go skiing and was it difficult? Did your ankle lock up or anything or the sort?
Dec 30 2016 11:47AM
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Rparr
Posts: 5354 - Karma: 42,183
How is the heel now OP?
Dec 30 2016 12:20PM
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Shoey-Ski
Posts: 1649 - Karma: 6,190
Damn this is crazy, last year I knuckled a big jump really hard and fractured both of mine, not as bad as you did but I cracked both of them, honestly just listen to what the doctor says and you will most probably recover, I had to end my season a little early but I'm glad I did because this year I'm back 110% good luck man!
Dec 30 2016 9:45PM
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