Ankle
Fractures (Broken Ankle)
A broken ankle is also
called an ankle fracture. This signifies that one or more of the bones that
make up the ankle joint are broken.
A fractured ankle can
range from a simple break in one bone, which may not stop you from walking, to
many fractures, which forces your ankle out of place and may need that you not
put weight on it for a few months.
Simply put, the more
broken bones, the more unstable the ankle becomes. There may be ligaments
damaged as well. The ligaments of the ankle hold the ankle bones and joint in
their place.
Broken ankles affect
people of all age groups. During the past 30 to 40 years, doctors have noted
rise in the number and severity of broken ankles, because of part to an active,
older population of “baby boomers”.
Anatomy
The ankle joint
comprises of three bones:
·
Tibia- shinbone
·
Fibula-smaller bone of the lower leg
·
Talus- a small bone that sits between
the heel bone (calcaneus) and the fibula and tibia
The fibula and tibia
have specific parts that make up the ankle:
·
Medial malleolus- inside part of the
tibia
·
Posterior malleolus- back part of the
tibia
·
Lateral malleolus- end of the fibula
Doctors categorize
ankle fractures according to the area of bone hat is broken. For example, a
fracture at the end of the fibula is called a lateral malleolus fracture, or if
both the fibula and tibia are broken, it is called a bimalleolar fracture.
Two joints are involved
in ankle fractures:
·
Ankle joint- where the fibula, tibia,
and talus meet
·
Syndesmosis joint- the joint between the
fibula and tibia, which is held together by ligaments
Multiple ligaments help
to stabilize the ankle joint.
Causes
·
Rotating or twisting your ankle
·
Rolling your ankle
·
Falling or tripping
·
Impact during a car accident
Symptoms
Because a severe ankle
sprain can feel similar as a broken ankle, every ankle injury should be
evaluated by a physician.
Common symptoms for a
broken ankle include:
·
Immediate and severe pain
·
Swelling
·
Bruising
·
Tender to touch
·
Can’t put any weight on the injured foot
·
Deformity (“out of place”), specifically
if the ankle joint is dislocated as well
Doctor
Examination
Medical History and
Physical Examination
After discussing your
medical history, symptoms, and how the injury occurred, your doctor will do a
careful examination of your foot, lower leg, and ankle.
Imaging
Tests
If your doctor suspects
an ankle fracture, he or she will order some more tests to provide more
information about your injury.
X-rays-
X-rays are the most common and widely available technique of diagnostic
imaging. X-rays can show the bone is broken or not and whether there is
displacement (the gap between broken bones). They can also show how many parts
of bone there are. X-rays may be taken of the ankle, foot, and leg to make sure
nothing else is injured.
Stress
test-
Depending on the kind of ankle fracture, the doctor may put pressure on the
ankle and a special x-ray, called a stress test. This x-ray is done to see if
certain ankle fractures need surgery. The surgery is performed using orthopedic
implants and surgical
instruments which are provided by orthopedic instruments manufacturers.
Computed
tomography (CT) scan- This scan can create a cross-section
image of the ankle and is sometimes done to further assess the ankle injury. It
is especially useful when the fracture extends into the ankle joint.
Magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI) scan- These tests provide
high resolution images of both soft tissues like, ligaments and bones. For some
ankle fractures, an MRI scan may be done to assess the ankle ligaments.
