The best treatment for your ankle fracture is determined by a number of factors, including your age, present health, health history, and the severity of the fracture. Ankle fracture, which is a partial or complete break in the ankle joint, can be a simple fracture that allows you to still put weight on the joint or a severe one that requires surgery.
Ankle Fracture Diagnosis
An ankle fracture can cause pain that makes walking painful and do damage to surrounding ligaments and tendons. If you have any reason to believe that your ankle is broken, it is important to seek medical help so the condition does not worsen. To best diagnose your condition, your doctor will take you through a series of questions regarding your health and activity level, as well as perform a physical exam. Then, to best determine the extent of the breakage, one or more of these procedures will be performed:
Nonsurgical Treatment for Ankle Fractures
The extent of treatment of an ankle fracture is determined by the severity of the breakage. If the ankle is still stable, it can usually be treated without surgical intervention. The most common way to do this is to put a splint around the ankle, or fit you with a fracture brace for approximately two weeks or until the swelling goes down. Afterwards, the doctor will determine the duration and type of immobilization necessary, as well as if the fracture is stable enough to allow you to walk on it.
Surgery for Ankle Fractures
In some cases, when the joint comes out of alignment, an ankle fracture necessitates surgery. The aim of most ankle fracture surgeries is to realign the bone so it grows back properly and does not cause further damage. The majority of ankle fractures are treated using
To learn more about fractures, visit the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS).