Broken ankle-Broken ankle - Symptoms & causes - Mayo Clinic (2024)

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Broken ankle-Broken ankle - Symptoms & causes - Mayo Clinic? ›

Ankle fractures can be caused by various modes of trauma, e.g., twisting, impact, and crush injuries. Falling, tripping, or sports activities may cause twisting forces through the ankle. Impact injuries may result from falling from a height with impaction of the distal tibia and fibula against the talus.

Ankle fractures can be caused by various modes of trauma, e.g., twisting, impact, and crush injuries. Falling, tripping, or sports activities may cause twisting forces through the ankle. Impact injuries may result from falling from a height with impaction of the distal tibia and fibula against the talus.

But if you have numbness or tingling, your ankle is most likely broken. Where is the pain? If your ankle hurts or is tender to the touch directly over your ankle bone, you probably have a fracture. If the pain is in the soft part of your ankle, it's more likely a sprain.

Typically, a minor ankle fracture won't prevent you from walking. You might even be able to walk right after the injury. If you have a serious break, you'll need to avoid walking for a few months. As your ankle gets better, you can slowly return to your usual activities.

Ankle Fracture Fixation Surgery

If the fracture in your foot or ankle is displaced, or has caused misalignment of the bones, your orthopaedic surgeon will need to put the bones back into the correct position using specialized hardware such as plates, screws or pins.

Complications of a broken ankle are uncommon but may include: Arthritis. Fractures that extend into the joint can cause arthritis years later. If your ankle starts to hurt long after a break, see your doctor for an evaluation.

The most common fracture is to the bony bump on the outside of the ankle, the lateral malleolus. The lateral malleolus is the bottom of the fibula, the smaller lower leg bone. The bump on the inside of your ankle, the medial malleolus, is less commonly fractured.

While this can sometimes be true, oftentimes, you may have a fractured ankle but can still wiggle your toes. What happens if I leave my ankle sprain untreated?

Common folklore says that if you can move it, it isn't broken, but that is not always the case. A broken ankle can be a combination of injuries to your bones and ligaments (the connectors between bones).

Should you walk on a hairline ankle fracture? No. Unfortunately, many people go about their normal routines while having hairline ankle fractures because they can't feel the injury. A small fracture might not hurt at first, or maybe the pain isn't enough to prompt you to see a doctor right away.

What not to do with a broken ankle? ›

not eat or drink anything in case you need surgery. not move or put weight on your ankle if possible.

Leaving an ankle injury untreated may result in more serious and lasting damage not only to the ankle, but to the leg and hip.

Physical therapy exercises can help speed your recovery from an ankle fracture after you receive treatment. Your doctor may recommend certain stretching and range-of-motion exercises to strengthen the muscles surrounding your ankle.

Your doctor will decide how best to manage your bone fracture. This may be in a plaster cast, a boot, with surgery or a combination of these to help the bone to heal. Your doctor or physiotherapist will be able to guide you on how much weight to put through your ankle as it is healing.

Hairline fracture is characterized by pain in the affected area that tends to become extreme with time. Consider visiting an orthopedic specialist if you experience pain that becomes intense when exercising, but reduces when you rest. The affected area may also feel tender and appear swollen.

Most simple fractures heal well with immobilization and non-weight-bearing activity. You can expect most ankle fractures depending on how severe they are, to take 4-8 weeks for the bones to heal completely and up to several months to regain full use and range of motion of the joint.

A trimalleolar ankle fracture is when your ankle breaks in three separate places. Only 7% of all ankle breaks are trimalleolar ankle fractures. They are rare, and they are among the worst kinds of ankle fractures.

If you fractured your ankle, you will likely experience immediate, sharp pain and possible swelling. Additional symptoms include: Pain that spreads throughout the foot and up your leg, toward your knee. Intensifying pain if you try to bear weight on your foot.

A fracture and a broken bone are the same injury. To your physician, these words can be used interchangeably. While there are many types of fractures, or broken bones, there are other ways to describe fractures that give more specific meaning to the problem.