I broke my right ankle hiking in Aug 2008 (you can read how it happened: (https://bicivenetojournal.wordpress.com/2008/08/20/la-donna-immobile/). In my case it was the malleus, and it didn't need any hardware, only a cast, which I had to wear for a month. The first two weeks I couldn't put weight on it, then I could walk with crutches. I had to inject myself each day with blood thinner (Heparin) to prevent a blood clot.
When the cast came off the ankle naturally lacked range of motion, especially laterally. Damage to the ligaments was more of a problem than the broken bone. After a few days I started driving, and after 10 days tried riding. I started out on a road bike with MTB pedals, since they require less force and lateral movement to get out of. It felt weird at first, but I knew that riding was good therapy. I did easy rides and only pedaled sitting down. After about two weeks I was able to do a small climb on my road bike and was excited and happy with my progress. AFter that, there was a steady but slow improvement.
I spent the winter and spring in NJ, riding mostly flat roads and little hills. In May I was back in Italy, riding normally and doing my usual climbs, but there was still a stiffness at one point in the ankle's range of motion. One day at the beginning of June (10 months after the accident) I was riding up a climb and when I stood on the pedals I felt a snap and a terrible sharp pain. I was about 15 miles from home and the ride back was a painful one. I wrapped the ankle with an elastic bandage and applied ice, and rested it for a couple of days. After that my ankle was perfect! I guess something must have healed in a slightly wrong position, and then moved back by itself.
Everyone's injury and healing process is different, of course; the one constant is time and patience.
