Broken Ankle Facts

Sometimes it’s very difficult to recognize a type of the ankle injury without X-rays, because the symptoms are almost the same.

Common symptoms of the ankle injuries are:

• pain
• swelling
• bruising
• inability to walk
• deformity.

Ankle injuries or broken ankle requires mandatory medical examination. Immediately after the ankle injury occurs, ice cubes or something cold should be put on injury place in order to reduce the swelling and a formation of a bruise. Ice cubes should be put in a plastic bag, you shouldn’t apply ice directly.

With minor ankle injuries there is no need for serious medical treatment. But, when pain is strong or swelling is really big or you can’t walk, it’s wise to see a doctor or to go to nearest emergency department. The best thing to determine a real ankle condition is to do X-ray. Some studies showed that majority of the people who took X-ray with ankle injury hadn’t broken ankle or fractured bone.

In situations when ankle injury is serious, or broken ankle occurs, doctors will most likely use the splint or even the orthopedic cast. The orthopedic cast can be walking cast or non weight carrying cast, in which case you will have to use the crutches to help yourself with walking. When open fracture happens, it requires an operation, and much more medical attention.

Healing time for broken ankle and fractured bone is between 4 and 6 weeks usually, but it really depends of the state of the ankle injury. The physical therapy is recommended after the operation and wearing off the orthopedic cast in order to speed up the rehabilitation process.

It must be said that there is strong possibility of the developing arthritis on the spot where broken ankle or fractured bone occurred.

The ankle is a part of our body where the foot and the leg meet together. The ankle joint is made of the bones and the ligaments.

The leg bones called the tibia and the fibula are above the ankle joint. The tibia is the bigger and the stronger bone in the leg, and carries the most of our weight. The fibula is the weaker and the smaller bone on the side of the tibia. The foot bone, the talus is under the ankle joint.

Strong ligaments are what keep the ankle joint together. There are three lateral ligaments: the anterior talofibular ligament, the posterior talofibular ligament and the calcaneofibular ligament. Also there is the strong deltoid ligament which supports the medial side of the ankle joint.

This complex joint allows us to keep our balance and to walk back and forth.