Symptoms of an ankle fracture

Symptoms of ankle fracture in clinical practice are often mistakenly diagnosed as signs of dislocation or sprain of the ankle ligaments. Most often, the ankle is injured - part of the ankle joint, the ankle in turn is divided into the lateral zone (the lower epiphysis of the fibula) and the medial malleolus (the lower epiphysis of the tibia). Ankle fracture in the clinic is much more common than all other fractures of the lower extremities. The percentage of injuries in the ankle area is more than 20% of the total number of fractures of the musculoskeletal system. The most injured part of the ankle is the ligaments, their sprains make up 50% of the total number of injuries to the ankle joint.

The second most common injury is to the outer ankle, then to the metatarsal bone, and the list ends with injuries to both ankles. The ankle joint can be injured directly or as a result of a dislocation or subluxation. Direct injury is a strong blow or wound. Indirect injury is a consequence of damage to the talus, most often as a result of a dislocation. Often, ankle injuries are combined with ligament ruptures, sometimes with splinter injuries, avulsion injuries in the ligament attachment area. Symptoms of an ankle fracture directly depend on the type, mechanism of the fracture and its severity.

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What are the symptoms of an ankle fracture?

• Obvious swelling, spreading rapidly;
• The joint area is severely deformed;
• Acute pain;
• Difficulty walking, sometimes complete immobility.

As a rule, the result of a dislocation is a characteristic severe pain in the ankle area. If it is really just a sprain and dislocation, the patient's movement is difficult, but possible. If it is not a dislocation, the symptoms of an ankle fracture are as follows: the victim cannot stand on the injured leg, leaning on it is very painful. Sometimes, even with severe pain, the patient continues to walk, the more and longer the motor activity continues, the more extensive the swelling becomes. The swelling spreads from the joint area to the entire foot, which may look atypical - deviated outward (with a pronation fracture).

A pronation ankle fracture is an injury resulting from a strong, excessive rotation (pronation) of the foot. The deltoid lateral ligament is stretched and torn, sometimes a tear occurs from the inner part of the ankle. The fracture is usually horizontal, swelling spreads on both sides of the injury. If the victim continues to walk, the talus loses stability and begins to shift into the area between the tibia bones. The bone block, compensating for the ligament rupture, leads to the next rupture - the distal tibiofibular ligament, which can also tear off the bone along with its fragment. The talus bone passes further and provokes a fracture of the ankle joint. This is why it is so important to pay attention to the symptoms of an ankle fracture in time, so as not to provoke additional injuries. In addition, prolonged swelling can lead to lymphostasis of soft tissues, which in itself is a separate therapeutic problem.

Supination injuries are caused by active pressure on the ankle joint when the foot is in a supination position (turned inward). The lateral ligament is overstretched, ruptured, and torn from the bone. A ruptured ligament is often accompanied by severe traumatic injury. The talus penetrates inward, shifting obliquely and can also cause a crack or fracture.

Symptoms of an ankle fracture require careful examination and confirmation by X-ray examination. To prevent fractures and injuries of the ankle joint, it is recommended to perform a special set of exercises to increase the elasticity of the ligaments.