Ankle Fractures

Ankle Fractures

Rachel Miller is a highly experienced podiatrist who helps many people with their rehabilitation after an ankle fracture.

An ankle fracture can vary between small cracks in your bones to sever breaks that pierce the skin.  A minor hairline crack can heal on its own, a sever break may need surgery. A crack or break can occur in one or more of the 3 bones in your ankle, the tibia, fibula, and talus and this can be a side effect of a sprain.

If you are in severe pain, your ankle is at an odd angle, if your foot feels numb or your toes have gone blue or white, seek immediate urgent medical help.

Please see below if you want more detailed explanation of ankle fractures.

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Ankle Fractures

Symptoms of ankle fractures

Symptoms can include:

• pain, throbbing, especially when putting weight on your ankle
• swelling
• bruising
• stiffness
• a fever
• redness
• tenderness

See a medical practitioner if you suspect you have an ankle fracture. You may need to have an X-ray, CT scan or MRI to diagnose your ankle fracture.

Causes of ankles fractures

A fractured ankle may occur from twisting your ankle from a simple misstep or fall, or from direct trauma during a sports injury, for example.  Some foot structures and conditions are more prone to twisting an ankle which can result in a fracture.

Treatment of ankle fractures

Every ankle injury is unique and requires a bespoke treatment and rehabilitation plan. Depending on the severity of your fracture, management typically begins with diagnostic imaging and immobilisation, such as a cast or walking boot.

Once appropriate medical management is in place and the fracture is stable, the P– protect and LOVE part of PEACE & LOVE protocols, normally used in soft tissue injuries, can be used to support your recovery:

The protect principle of PEACE can be used during the rehabilitation stage:

P – Protect, E – Elevate, A – Avoid anti-inflammatories, C – Compress, E – Educate

After the initial acute phase, your injury needs LOVE:

L – Load (gradual and guided by your clinician), O – Optimism, V – Vascularisation, E – Exercise

You should follow the advice of an experienced podiatrist or medical practitioner carefully to best promote bone healing.

Depending on the severity of the fracture, healing typically takes a minimum of 6 weeks before weight-bearing is permitted and at least 12 weeks before starting light exercise. Stiffness, swelling, and discomfort can persist in a complex fracture for 6-12 months. Be patient, do not rush your recovery, listen to your body.

Further treatments can include:

• Maintain your fitness with guided movement, balance and strength exercises.
• Improve bone health with a balanced diet and possibly supplements.
• Lifestyle advice such as stop smoking, reduce caffeine intake.
• Footware advice.
• An orthotic insole.

If you have suffered from an ankle injury, an experienced podiatrist may be able to help you with your rehabilitation. You may benefit from specialist biomechanical assessment.  You can be prescribed an orthotic insole as part of your treatment plan. A bespoke orthotic insole supports and cushions the foot and may reduce pain on impact on walking and running. An orthotic insole can to help correct overpronation, where a foot rolls in during gate or supination, where a foot rolls out during gate, which may stress and strain the ankle, cause instability, sprained ankles and ankle fractures.

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