How to Know if You Broke Your Ankle
6 Signs of an Talocrural joint Fracture
An ankle fracture consists of one or more bones in the ankle joint suffering a partial or complete break. Fractures primarily occur when the ankle rolls either inward or outward.
Many of our patients mistake a fracture for a elementary sprain, just they're entirely unlike conditions that require an early on and authentic diagnosis so you tin get proper treatment.
At Chicagoland Foot and Ankle , our board-certified podiatrists offering advanced diagnostics and personalized treatment plans for ankle fractures. Then you know when you need to run into a doctor about your injury, we've put together this guide on the things to know about talocrural joint fractures.
Talocrural joint anatomy
Before we tin can talk about fractures, it helps to empathize a flake virtually the structure of your ankle and related tissues.
Iii bones come together at your ankle joint:
- Tibia, or shinbone
- Fibula, the smaller bone of the lower leg
- Talus, a pocket-size bone between the calcaneus (heel bone) and the tibia and fibula
The tibia joins the ankle at 2 points: the medial malleolus, or inside part of the tibia, and the posterior malleolus, or back part of the tibia. The fibula enters the articulation at the finish of the bone, chosen the lateral malleolus.
Fractures are classified past the bone expanse that'southward cleaved. For instance, if you pause the inside part of your tibia, it'southward said to be a medial malleolar fracture.
Ankle fractures tin affect the talocrural joint joint (where the three basic come together) or the syndesmosis articulation (located between the tibia and fibula and held together by ligaments).
Many dissimilar ligaments likewise come together to stabilize the ankle articulation. When you lot sustain a fracture, ligaments may be damaged as well as bone, leading to instability.
vi signs of an ankle fracture
Signs of an talocrural joint fracture include:
- Pain at the fracture site, which may extend from the foot to the knee
- Significant swelling, either localized or along the length of the leg
- Bruising that appears presently subsequently the injury
- Inability to walk, usually a sign of a severe intermission (information technology's possible to walk with less astringent breaks)
- Change in the talocrural joint's appearance
- Bone protruding through the peel, which requires firsthand attending to avoid infection and prolonged recovery
In many cases, broken basic beneath the skin don't cause any obvious tissue damage, but you will experience pain when you endeavor to put weight on it.
What nigh stress fractures?
A stress fracture is but what it sounds like — a crack in the os of the anxiety and ankles that results from repeated stress. That stress may come up from overuse, such as pounding the pavement running, overtraining, or wearing improper shoes without enough heel and curvation back up.
Stress fractures lead to pain, swelling, and bruising of the ankle. If not properly treated, they can weaken the ankle joint, leaving you at a greater run a risk for developing more than serious fractures.
Treating ankle fractures
At Chicagoland Human foot and Talocrural joint, we provide both bourgeois and surgical treatments for foot and ankle fractures. Which treatment nosotros use depends on how severe the fracture is.
If you have a mild fracture, we may recommend conservative treatments such every bit:
- The RICE method (rest, ice, pinch, and peak)
- Immobilization (a bandage, splint, or brace)
- Pain medication and anti-inflammatories
If the break is severe and your ankle is unstable, we may perform surgery to realign the pieces of the bone, using screws and plates to concord them together when necessary.
If you're experiencing any of the signs of an ankle fracture, information technology'southward time to come in and run across one of our podiatrists for a proper diagnosis and advisable treatment. Contact us today at either of our Chicago locations or at our Orland Park or New Lenox, Illinois, office.
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Source: https://www.chicagolandfootandankle.com/blog/6-signs-of-an-ankle-fracture