Broken Ankle Specialist

What is an ankle fracture?

An ankle fracture is a break in one of the three bones making up your ankle joint, including:

Tibia

The tibia starts at the bottom of your knee and moves down your calf to create the top of your ankle joint. The protrusion at the end of the tibia is called the medial maleolus.

Fibula

The fibula is the long, thin bone on the outside of your tibia. It starts at the bottom of the knee and ends in your outer ankle. Together with the tibia, it makes up the top of your ankle joint. The protrusion at the end of the tibia is called the lateral maleolus.

Talus

The talus is a small bone that forms the bottom part of your ankle joint. It connects to the tibia and fibula, and together the three bones make up your ankle joint. 

Ankle fractures can range from the bones being only slightly displaced to complete displacement or even open fractures where the bone breaks through the skin. 

What are the symptoms of an ankle fracture (broken ankle)?

Symptoms to look for include:

• Being unable to stand or walk comfortably
• Severe ankle pain
• Ankle swelling
• Ankle skin bruising

Ankle fracture symptoms usually start immediately when you’re injured or have an accident. With stress fractures, cracks in an ankle bone caused by overuse, the pain may recede with rest but come back when you’re physically active. 

How do you diagnose ankle fractures?

The Ankle & Foot Centers of Georgia - West Cobb team conducts a complete ankle exam and observes your symptoms closely. They typically take an ankle X-ray using multiple angles to identify the exact location of the fracture and whether you have a foot fracture as well. 

The team may also recommend an MRI or CT scan if they suspect you have an issue that they can’t identify with X-ray imaging. 

Do ankle fractures need surgery?

The Ankle & Foot Centers of Georgia - West Cobb team treats ankle fractures based on location and the severity of the bone displacement. 

Some fractures, particularly stress fractures and other minor breaks, can heal with nonsurgical care. Nonsurgical fracture care can include rest, immobilization, and pain management. 

If you need fracture surgery, your highly trained surgeon can realign your bones and fix their position using biocompatible hardware. Sometimes, avulsion fractures of the ankle have different treatment options.

What is broken ankle recovery like?

As your ankle fracture heals, you often wear a fracture boot, cast, splint, or other type of immobilization. You may need crutches, a scooter, or a wheelchair in some cases. 

Total recovery time is usually a minimum of 6-8 weeks. During that time, you regularly participate in physical therapy to improve strength and function. 

The Ankle & Foot Centers of Georgia - West Cobb team and foot doctors have extensive biomechanics training, allowing them to expertly guide patients through their post-treatment period after their fractures heal. 

If you think you’ve got an ankle fracture, don’t wait to find relief. Call Ankle & Foot Centers of Georgia - West Cobb or click the online scheduler now.

Podiatrist seeing patients from Marietta, Kennesaw, Hiram, and Acworth.