Ankle Fracture
Description:
Ankle fractures can occur in the tibia and/or fibula as well as other associated bones in the foot depending on the positioning and type of injury. They vary in severity from a “crack” in the bone to complete separation or in multiple pieces. All ankle injuries especially ones where a fracture is suspected need to be evaluated by a physician with standard x-rays taken or other advanced testing.
This condition is associated with other foot conditions such as:
Treatment: Conservative Care:
| Weight bearing: | Fractures need protection from motion in most cases in the foot. Keeping pressure off the area is the best way to minimize separation of the bone that is fractured. Crutches, walkers, wheel chairs and strollers are helpful. |
| Ice: support: | Insolated cold packs applied on and off of the injury for 72 hours helps to reduce swelling and discomfort. Then alternating ice and heat every 15 to 20 minutes will help with the bruising and continued swelling. |
| Medication: | Anti-inflammatory medication (Eg. Ibuprofen, Naprosyn) aspirin products, and Acetaminophen can help with the chronic pain, but are not much help with the acute pain. Multivitamins especially ones rich in C and D with calcium will help the healing process. |
| Casting: | Casts are used for protection of the fracture area. Casts can be removable with Velcro straps or molded to the foot and ankle with plaster or fiberglass. Non-weight bearing ranges from 3 to 8 weeks. |
| Bone Stimulator: | If a bone fracture is slow to heal after 6 weeks, a portable light weight machine can be placed around the fracture a few minutes out of the day to increase the chances of bone healing. |
Surgical Options:
| Breaks in the Skin: | A break in the skin in an area of a fracture is a MEDICAL EMERGENCY and will require surgery to prevent serious health complications caused by infection. |
| Internal Fixation: | Bones that can not be put back together in the office require surgery. Fractures that are inside a joint also require surgery to help minimize the likelihood of arthritis in the future. Surgery is done right after the injury or 1 to 2 weeks after the injury. Screws and thin strips of strong metal can be used to put the bone back together which allows the fracture the fastest and best chance of healing. This method of surgery allows a return to walking in 6 to 8 weeks depending on the fracture type and healing potential of the patient. |
| External Fixation: | Sometimes a complex fracture requires extra stability. The extra stability can be given by something that looks like a small “cage” around the ankle. This device helps to absorb forces away from the injury while reducing the length of surgical openings caused to the skin in order to fix the bone damage. |
