Looking for advice regarding partner’s lisfranc injury
Hi everyone, I apologize for the long post but my partner has a (probably) lisfranc injury and is very confused on how to proceed. I’d appreciate hearing any suggestion, insight or personal anecdotes to help!
My partner injured their foot 6 weeks ago. They were hopping in the park, where the ground was cobblestone, and landed/tripped awkwardly. They thought it was a sprain (and a virtual visit doctor seemed to think so too), so they rested and resumed regular activities for 2 weeks before going back in. Awaiting scans, they were partially weight bearing on crutches for next 2 weeks. Then they received their lisfranc diagnosis, since when they’ve been fully weight bearing on crutches since 2 weeks ago.
My partner has light swelling on their lisfranc area, no redness, and of course pain while applying weight on that foot.
Since then, we’ve received very different opinions on their scans from 3 different ortho’s:
Doctor 1: says that some weeks of physio should be sufficient for healing.
Doctor 2: disagrees with a lisfranc injury, says they don’t have to be on crutches. They said something about my partner’s plantar fasciitis being tight or not fully extended?
Doctor 3: suggests surgery (fixation or fusion - probably fusion since it has been 6 weeks now). But this doctor also asked them to get a CAT scan.
Additionally, because we reside in a different country than our families, Doctors 1 & 2 are our family doctors who met my partner virtually. Hence, they received pictures of MRI scans. Doctor 2 additionally received videos of my partner walking, and asked about to describe features of their foot. Despite the inability to physically examine the foot, these doctors didn’t express uncertainty in their diagnosis. Doctors 1 and 2 have also treated several members of our families, so we trust them more. Only Doctor 3 was met with in-person.
My partner is very confused due to the very mixed opinions of the three doctors, and also that they are being asked to get a CAT scan now. It is also very scary for them to hear they can’t run in the future from Doc 3. Surgery is also scary and we are unsure if it is necessary because of varying opinions.
This is a partial vent and a partial hope for people to chime in with their experience/thoughts. Is such wide range of opinions common for lisfranc injuries, and how should we perceive these differences? Are CAT scans called for in these injuries? How are fusion surgery outcomes for lisfranc injuries?