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“My job as a surgeon is not just to fix a joint, but to give my patients the encouragement and tools they need to speed up their recovery and leave my clinic better than they have been in years.”
Kevin R. Stone
Anatomy
Three bones make up the ankle joint:
- Tibia - shinbone
- Fibula - smaller bone of the lower leg
- Talus - a small bone that sits between the heel bone (calcaneus) and the tibia and fibula
Cause
- Twisting or rotating your ankle
- Rolling your ankle
- Tripping or falling
- Impact during a car accident
Symptoms
- Immediate and severe pain
- Swelling
- Bruising
- Tender to touch
- Cannot put any weight on the injured foot
- Deformity ("out of place"), particularly if the ankle joint is dislocated as well
Doctor Examination
Imaging Tests
Recovery
Complications
Imaging Tests
If your doctor suspects an ankle fracture, he or she will order additional tests to provide more information about your injury.
X-rays.
Stress test.
Computed tomography (CT) scan.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan.
Recovery
Because there is such a wide range of injuries, there is also a wide range of how people heal after their injury. It takes at least 6 weeks for the broken bones to heal. It may take longer for the involved ligaments and tendons to heal.
As mentioned above, your doctor will most likely monitor the bone healing with repeated x-rays. This is typically done more often during the first 6 weeks if surgery is not chosen.
Complications
People who smoke, have diabetes, or are elderly are at a higher risk for complications after surgery, including problems with wound healing. This is because it may take longer for their bones to heal.
Fracture In Numbers
Overall fracture rates are similar in men and women, higher in young and middle-aged men, and higher in women aged 50-70
The annual incidence of ankle fractures is approximately 187/100,000
The likely reason is that the increase in sports participants and the elderly population has significantly increased the incidence of ankle fractures
Although most people return to normal daily activities, except for sports, within 3 to 4 months, studies have shown that people can still be recovering up to 2 years after their ankle fractures. It may take several months for you to stop limping while you walk, and before you can return to sports at your previous competitive level. Most people return to driving within 9 to 12 weeks from the time they were injured.
First aid treatment
- Pressurized bandage cotton pad or sponge pad compression to stop bleeding;
- Ice packing;
- Articular puncture to accumulate blood;
- Fixation (stick support strap, plaster brace)
Article Source
Post time: Jun-17-2022