The Difference Between a Sprained Ankle and a Broken Ankle (2024)

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The Difference Between a Sprained Ankle and a Broken Ankle? ›

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.

If your ankle hurts or is tender when you touch directly over your ankle bone, it is probably a fracture. However, if you're experiencing pain in the softer part of the ankle, it's more likely a sprain.

In comparison to a sprain, where you can usually walk on your ankles, ankle fractures tend to be very painful. Most people with a fractured ankle can't put weight on it. A fractured ankle or significant sprain causes immediate swelling and the ankle cannot be moved.

Sprains are often billed as less severe. But a sprained ankle can be just as painful as a broken one. A sprain is an injury to a ligament. Ligaments are bands of tissue that attach two bones together at a joint.

The pain and swelling of an ankle sprain most often gets better within 48 hours. After that, you can begin to put weight back on your injured foot. Put only as much weight on your foot as is comfortable at first. Slowly work your way up to your full weight.

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).

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 refers to an injury or break to the bones. There are many types of fractures, ranging from small hairline fractures to traumatic bone breaks. Although minor fractures can heal on their own, more serious fractures will require surgery.

Patients with unrecognized ankle fractures have a high risk of developing infection, arthritis and foot deformities that may make it impossible to walk normally again.

Without surgery, your ankle will be placed in a cast or splint for 4 to 8 weeks. The length of time you must wear a cast or splint depends on the type of fracture you have. Your cast or splint may be changed more than once, as your swelling goes down.

How to tell a break from a sprain? ›

If you break a bone, you may hear a cracking sound. Source of the pain. If the pain you feel is in the soft tissue around a joint, it's probably a sprain. If applying light pressure over a bone causes significant pain, the injury is likely a fracture.

If the injured area experiences immediate and severe swelling, that could be a sign of a broken bone or fracture. However, if the swelling is mild and develops gradually, it is likely a sprain or strain.

Sudden pain, swelling, trouble walking, and other symptoms can signal a need for medical attention. Waiting too long can lead to repeat injuries, more complex treatments, worse long-term results, and even arthritis. “Acute, sudden pain in the ankle with a trauma is often caused by an ankle injury,” Dr.

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.

Your doctor may be able to tell the severity of your ankle sprain based on the amount of swelling, pain, bruising, and stability. If you have difficulty bearing weight, or tenderness in the bones of the foot and ankle, you may need additional tests to rule out a fracture.

Symptoms of a torn ankle ligament include a 'pop' sound at the time of the injury, severe pain, a feeling of joint looseness, inability to bear weight, immediate bruising, immobility, and possible visual joint deformity.

When a ligament has been sprained, it's still attached to the bone but has been damaged in some way. A ligament tear is more severe. When you're diagnosed with a torn ligament, it indicates that the ligament has either pulled away from the bone or torn completely in half.

Most ankle fractures can be visualized on X-rays. The technician may need to take X-rays from several different angles so that the bone images won't overlap too much.