I had internal fixation of the distal tibia 13 weeks ago. i stopped using a boot and cruthes at 11 wks. walking is painful and ankle is still swollen ?

Lower leg pain: A fracture of the distal tibia which is repaired "internally" (meaning after an incision allows a pin to "fixate" the two segments) takes much longer to heal, especially with normal narrowing of blood vessels to assist healing which comes with increased age. Swelling of the ankle and pain is not infrequent for many weeks after. The circulation in lower extremities is decreased in any case.

Post op swelling: It could take up to 1 year for post op swelling to subside. With bad ankle fractures if you damaged the joint surface you may be dealing with early arthritic changes too. Talk to your surgeon about what you can do. Ask about getting fitted for an AFO? Topical NSAIDs? Even herbal supplements such as Boswella or Bioastin may help.