Cycling UK Forum

In two weeks I'm to meet a consultant to discuss my (osteo)arthritic ankle. One of the options to be discussed is fusing the joint. Has anyone had this operation and what was the affect on their cycling?
I ride a recumbent bike and am looking to change to a trike anyway. So, the mounting/dismounting issue will not be so crucial. It's the actual pedalling/power transfer that I'd be interested to hear about.
Thanks - for any experiences.

I know somebody who has both ankle joints fused, he has no problem ridding but has trouble walking even very short distances.

I used to ride with a bloke who was a terror on the roughstuff.....he would ride anything, because an arthritic ankle made it too painful to walk.
He had it fused (or maybe partially fused?) and was a lot more comfortable afterwards, he would even get off and walk with the rest of us!

I'm a slim, fit (and handsome) 45-year old man and had the same operation, for the same reason, on my left ankle just a few years ago. Actually, I had two, two years apart, on two separate parts of the joint.

For years before the op, I had to walk with a stick and walks of more than a couple of miles were out of the question. Now, the pain has completely gone and I can walk (but can't run — at all) for as long as I care to without a problem. In short, I wish I'd had the operation much earlier.

I ride a road bike with clipless pedals and, apart from having to always put my right foot on the ground when I stop (my left won't bend enough at the ankle to reach without leaning over), the fusion has had no detrimental effect on my riding. Getting my left foot out of the pedal isn't as smooth as the right, but I keep the float loose and twist at the knee, rather than the foot. And I've never fallen over...

Depending on which part of the joint is fused, the movement in the rest of your foot should largely compensate for the lack of ankle movement when walking — as your consultant may explain. I tend to keep my foot/ankle at ~90° when I ride, though, rather than extend the foot on the downstroke — I don't know if that's the same on a 'bent (never ridden one), but I doubt it's an issue on a trike.

Thanks for all the replies. Interesting and informative.

I can recognise what you describe, 531Colin. Walking is painful (especially so on anything that's not a perfectly plane surface) so the last thing I ever want to do is get off and push. But, that's not always possible whilst touring. That's one reason I'm switching to a trike.

Your comments, Adlopa, are enormously encouraging. I can identify with your situation before the operation, even though was more acute than mine is because I haven't yet needed to resort to a stick (but thought about it). Walks of any distance beyond half a mile have to be carefully considered. Although my cycling (once aboard) is almost pain free, for some reason. So your experience of increased walking ability, with no detriment to your cycling (apart from mounting/dismounting) is what I'd hoped to hear.

However, Edwards' description of someone only being able to walk short distances (after having both ankles fused) is a bit worrying. I'm wondering if that is due to the mechanics of walking with fused joints; or to apin; or to pain transferred to other joints; or to some reason not connected to the ankles at all.

Positively, I've now got a set of questions and experiences with which to frame my conversation with the consultant. Thanks, guys.

On an appropriately geared trike getting off and pushing isn't really required...

Chum of mine, great big fellow, has a fused left ankle and does serious mountain biking. Limps like Long John Silver but rides like a bat out of hell.

[XAP]Bob wrote:On an appropriately geared trike getting off and pushing isn't really required...

That's what I figured, Bob.

Audax67 wrote:Chum of mine, great big fellow, has a fused left ankle and does serious mountain biking. Limps like Long John Silver but rides like a bat out of hell.

Good to know, Audax67. Encouraging.
By the way, does your mate have a parrot on one shoulder and a guitar slung over the other (Meatloaf style)? If so, are these helpful to his cycling? And what's his cycling wear...pirate or batman?

I forgot to put that he smashed his ankles in a climbing accident, so for different reasons to you. He is also a lot older. He has had it done for many years so age is catching up with him.
His problem is lack of movement in the joint so rough ground tends to make it worse.

If you want to try a Trike let me know as we have one you can borrow. You will need to give me a week or two as I am going away and the son has broken his car, in Wales.

Thanks for the offer of a trial run, Keith. Appreciate it. However, my daughter used to have an ICE trike, and so I've done a few miles on one.

I guess, like many things, one person's experience of fusing the joint isn't the same as the next. It sounds like your mate has had (and does have) quite a rough time. I've known people in the climbing community who've needed such remedies, and it's a b*****.

I took heart from your reference to my age, as if I've come across young (well. younger than your mate). I'm certainly not going to disabuse you by telling you how old I am. But, as long as your mate isn't over 90, I'm flattered!!

Geoff.D wrote:Thanks for all the replies. Interesting and informative.
However, Edwards' description of someone only being able to walk short distances (after having both ankles fused) is a bit worrying. I'm wondering if that is due to the mechanics of walking with fused joints; or to apin; or to pain transferred to other joints; or to some reason not connected to the ankles at all.

I'm not a doctor (though I have been to one...), but that sounds like an unsuccessful fusion to me — and they do happen (bone doesn't fuse, problems in the rest of the foot limit mobility, etc). That's a risk you take, I guess. Nothing short of amputation would have solved my joint pain issues, though, so taking a small chance on a failed fusion op was a no-brainer for me. And the op can always be retried, I gather.

As for the op itself, it involved an overnight stay; a week wearing a plaster backslab; ~6 weeks on crutches wearing a fibreglass cast; then gradual (and jolly painful, initially) remobilising while wearing a (removable) hard plastic 'boot' with inflatable interior air cushions that support the ankle. I think I was walking without crutches or a stick within about three months, and the mildly painful rest-of-foot stiffness that followed its complete immobilisation had gone in about six.

Oh and get yourself a proper waterproof suction-fit cast 'sock' so you can shower/bathe without getting everything wet...

Thanks, Adlopa

Geoff.D wrote:

Audax67 wrote:Chum of mine, great big fellow, has a fused left ankle and does serious mountain biking. Limps like Long John Silver but rides like a bat out of hell.

Good to know, Audax67. Encouraging.
By the way, does your mate have a parrot on one shoulder and a guitar slung over the other (Meatloaf style)? If so, are these helpful to his cycling? And what's his cycling wear...pirate or batman?

He always forgets his parrot, and then some other chum has to lend him a spare.

Audax67 wrote:
He always forgets his parrot, and then some other chum has to lend him a spare.

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