Bi-malleolar fracture

Hi!I have a patient who fractured both tib and fib on 20th Feb 2012. He thought he had just sprained his ankle and walked around on it normally until he finally had an X-ray 8 weeks later when it wasn't getting any better. The X-ray showed a bi-malleolar fracture and he was given a boot to wear until his appt with the consultant a week later. However, the consultant told him he could stop wearing the boot and start physio, and he discharged him. On the X-ray the fib is aligned but there is no union and no callus. The consultant just told him that it will heal. I'm really surprised that he was only in the boot for a week. Surely if the fib was going to heal without the support of a boot it would have started to do so before he even had the Xray?! We started mobility exercises and strengthening exercises with theraband, but I am very cautious about advising exercise at all when the fracture has not healed. The ankle is painful, but this seems to be the case whether he does the exercises or not. He has tried reverting to wearing the boot but this only seems to make the ankle stiff and more painful! I'm really desperate for advice!Many thanks,Fiona