I approached Martin after about a year after I had torn my ATFL ligament (anterior talofibular ligament) in my left ankle in an Adventure race in NZ. My initial specialist had recommended against surgery and recommend a period of recovery and physio.
This did not work for my active lifestyle so I sought a second opinion and after much searching came across Martin Klinke. Luckily Martin is a fellow cyclist and understood my need to get back into cycling and mountain running.
Unfortunately, the year of “recovery” in which I still ran and biked had resulted in tendon pain in addition to instability in my ankle. Martin took new MRI scans and recommended surgery as soon as possible, with the intention of carrying out a repair to the ATFL ligament supplement by a synthetic material to add strength to the area.
The MRI could not accurately tell how much damage had been done to the tendons, but the planned operation would assess this and make the necessary repair at the same time. Martin clearly set out the risks, the time frame and provided details of what would be carried out. I was concerned about the 12 month recovery period that might be needed for the ankle but was advised that the longer I could leave it before running again the better the recovery would be.
The operation went as planned but the tendon damage was quite extensive resulting in them being wrapped and tied together. I think the tendon damage was worse than the ATFL issue. I spent about 2 weeks in plaster and was off work for 4 weeks in total.
I was sitting on top of a Kayak within 6 weeks of the operation and having initial sessions on the Turbo trainer around the same time. These were very gentle but built up so that by 5 months after the operation I undertook a 5 day – 900km bike ride through Thailand. I held off running until about 6 or 7 months as initial jogs around a track were not comfortable.
I stopped and waited a few more months for the tendon repair to progress further. All of this was in line with the timescales set out before the operation. I undertook a 900km trail ride across Italy about 9 months after the operation with no undue concerns followed by the Raid Pyrenees 13 months after the operation. I started running again about 10/11 months after the operation and built up slowly and took part in the CCC race in the French Alps 14 months after the operation. This 101km trail run from Courmayeur to Chamonix was mainly on steep, rocky technical trails with 6000m of ascent and descent. Although not fast, I finished the full course with 2 hrs to spare and no issues for my Ankle.
Martin was easily reachable via email throughout my recovery period for advice and guidance. I am very happy with the service I have received and would have no hesitation in recommending Martin to others with similar Ankle issues.
