Ankle Fusion

[ric]

I have recently undergone an ankle fusion surgery. My ankle is now fused at pretty close to 90 degrees. I am wondering if there are other freedivers out there that have had ankle fusions and how it has affected their fining. And of course any examples of ways this lack of ankle mobility might be approached: custom fins makers feel free to chime in.

 

[ric]

I have recently undergone an ankle fusion surgery. My ankle is now fused at pretty close to 90 degrees. I am wondering if there are other freedivers out there that have had ankle fusions and how it has affected their fining. And of course any examples of ways this lack of ankle mobility might be approached: custom fins makers feel free to chime in.

Could it be that I am the first Freediver to cross this bridge? If so I will post my experience as I begin to get back into training. still waiting for the green light post op.

 

[Apneaddict]

90* is pretty sharp of an angle. If you use bi-fins, find the highest angle footpockets you can and use soft blades.

Re: monos... It'd have to be custom.

The Lunocet project will be swamped for the next month with backorders.

One thing that might help is Darkfins gloves for added thrust.


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[divebike]

I don't know of anything on the market that's very suitable other then fins with a high angle, but I believe with the right custom design it shouldn't be much of a disadvantage,but you probably will have to build it yourself, i've been trying to think of an easy build myself that would suit but haven't come up with anything i'm happy with ,i believe I know what end product is needed but don't have a way to build it easily.

 

[Apneaddict]

One solution would be to make a custom adapter to a pair of cycling shoes, potentially...


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[divebike]

I was thinking along those lines,best build I could think of

 

[ric]

I don't know of anything on the market that's very suitable other then fins with a high angle, but I believe with the right custom design it shouldn't be much of a disadvantage,but you probably will have to build it yourself, i've been trying to think of an easy build myself that would suit but haven't come up with anything i'm happy with ,i believe I know what end product is needed but don't have a way to build it easily.

Thank you for the the reply! what are your idea's around how to design it? Do you have a fusion?

 

[divebike]

Thank you for the the reply! what are your idea's around how to design it? Do you have a fusion?

No my ankles aren't fused. I have actually remembered 2 products that at least partially meet your needs, 1st one is called shinfins they're small fins that attach to the shins, I think they're more of a swim training tool however as I think they're to small and at the point where they attach to the legs they wouldn't go through as large an arc as standard fins ,not much thrust I believe, 2nd product is the aqueon which darpa took and updated the materials and renamed the powerswim, you can find out all about the aqueon on this sites forums and there are videos on youtube , I mention the aqueon as it also attaches to the shins , it has it's bad points but at least it takes your foot angle out of the equation apart from the drag they'll produce, you'd probably have a hard time tracking one down to buy however. If I was you and was looking to use bifins I think I would buy a pair of cycling shoes like the ones the lunocet and some of the dolfin range use,the shoes use screws to attach onto, and i'd also buy some blades you know the sheets of carbon fiber or fiberglass that get attached to footpockets , get some aluminium angle probably about 5mm thick with equal side lengths of about 75mm or there abouts cut off 4 pieces the width of your foot these then become brackets drill 3 holes through all 4 brackets and 3 holes through the base section of the blades drilling them all in a pattern that allows them to line up so you can clamp 2 brackets around each blade using stainless bolts, then on the other part of the aluminium angle drill holes to whatever screw pattern the cycling shoes you buy have on them, this setup should with the right tools would only take about an hour to build, so with what I've described here the blades would be at a right angle to the base of the shoe or in line with shin bone, down side of this design is there's no way to walk around in the fins ,diving off a boat or getting into a pool wouldn't be a problem but most other situations would be. I don't know your predicament very well really, I don't know if you have lower limits on the forces that can be applied to your ankles then most people without causing pain or injury ,this might lead to totally invalidate the design mentioned above + it has inherent draw backs of it's own anyway, hope i've been understood and that it might be of some help to you.

 

[ric]

Well, for those interested, or facing an ankle fusion and wondering how it might affect your fining. Near as I can tell it doesn't. Now, I am not suggesting that there is no effect but there just seems to be none that I can discern, so yaaay!

 

[Andres Stinchi]

I have recently undergone an ankle fusion surgery. My ankle is now fused at pretty close to 90 degrees. I am wondering if there are other freedivers out there that have had ankle fusions and how it has affected their fining. And of course any examples of ways this lack of ankle mobility might be approached: custom fins makers feel free to chime in.

Hi, I have a Fused Ankle, and to continue my diving activities I use a fins called ShinFins, theta are awesome, instead of using them in the feet, you wear them in your legs.
For freediving I'm still looking.

 

[Lele]

Well, for those interested, or facing an ankle fusion and wondering how it might affect your fining. Near as I can tell it doesn't. Now, I am not suggesting that there is no effect but there just seems to be none that I can discern, so yaaay!

Thanks for the information, I am still in my early days post op, 8th week. Did you stick to your old fin? How long after your surgery did you go scuba? Do you move the anterior part of your foot well? Any pain diving??