Broken ankle — can you still walk? Typically, a minor ankle fracture won’t prevent you from walking. You might even be able to walk right after the injury. If you have a serious break, you’ll need to avoid walking for a few months.
Can you break your ankle and it not swell?
A sprain may occur silently, or in severe cases there may be a popping sound. With a fracture, you might hear a crack. Is your ankle misshapen? While swelling is a symptom of both injuries, if your ankle looks clearly “off,” it’s most likely because a bone is broken.
What does a broken ankle feel like when healing?
The pain may feel like a sharp, stabbing pain. The pain also worsens if pressure is placed on it. As your bone heals, this decreases. If you have a cast placed around the area, you will likely feel almost no pain anymore because the bone is stabilized.
Will my ankle ever be the same after a break?
If it’s a low-to-medium grade ligament injury or a stable bone fracture, then it’s highly likely that the ankle will be similar to before. With more severe ligaments and unstable fractures, there is always some difference in flexibility and appearance.
How long will my ankle be swollen after fracture?
The ligaments are then often torn too, and cartilage may be damaged. The foot and ankle become swollen, painful and can no longer hold any weight. It takes several days or weeks for the swelling to go down completely, and can take months for the ankle joint to fully recover from the fracture.
Can a broken ankle be mistaken for a sprain?
A broken ankle can often be mistaken for a sprain, even with an X-ray, due to the complex structure of tissue, muscle, and ligaments concealing the bone. If not properly treated, an ankle break can lead to further pain, damage to the ankle joint, and impede mobility.
What happens if a broken ankle goes untreated?
When a bone fracture is untreated, it can result in either a nonunion or a delayed union. In the former case, the bone doesn’t heal at all, which means that it will remain broken. As a result, swelling, tenderness, and pain will continue to worsen over time.
Can you fracture your ankle without knowing?
Can I really break my ankle and not know it? It may sound strange, but the answer is a resounding, Yes! While it seems like a broken bone is something you should be able to detect, the truth is that other ankle injuries share similar symptoms.
Should I go to ER for ankle injury?
Go to urgent care if your pain level and swelling is significant and you have difficulty walking, to the point that you need assistance, due to the pain. Go to the emergency room if your foot is bruised, deformed, or you are unable to walk at all. You may have a fracture, broken bone or serious ligament damage.
What is the most common ankle fracture?
Lateral malleolus fractures
This is the most common ankle fracture, and it involves your fibula alone. This type of fracture is on the outside of your ankle, which is the area that’s under the most stress, whether you’re just walking or running and pivoting.
How do you tell the difference between a sprain and a break?
Sprains, Strains, Breaks: What’s the Difference?
- Sprains are a stretch or tear of a ligament, the tissue connecting 2 bones. …
- Strains are a twist, pull, or tear of a muscle and sometimes a tendon. …
- Breaks are a fracture, chip, or complete break in bone, often caused by accidents, sports injuries, or bone weakness.
Should I wiggle my toes in a cast?
Try to keep the area around the edge of the cast clean and moisturized. Wiggle your fingers or toes while wearing a cast or splint. This helps with circulation. You can apply ice for 15 to 30 minutes over a cast or splint.
How long should you stay off a broken ankle?
It takes around six to 10 weeks to recover from a broken ankle. During this time, you will probably need to wear a cast or boot. Most people are able to walk normally again and resume their daily activities by around three months.
How do you heal a broken ankle fast?
Rest: Rest is key. Staying off your injury will help you heal faster. You will likely wear a cast to help keep the foot and ankle immobilized. Ice: Ice the area for 20 minutes at a time to help with swelling and inflammation.
What happens if you break a bone and don’t get it fixed?
The broken bone must be properly aligned and held in place, often with a plaster cast, so it heals in the correct position. If you do not receive the correct treatment, you could develop a serious infection or a permanent deformity. You may also have long-term problems with your joints.
Can rolling your ankle cause permanent damage?
All it takes is one harmless misstep to leave you with a sprained ankle. While it’s one of the most common musculoskeletal injuries in people of all ages, it can lead to permanent damage if you aren’t careful.
Can an ankle fracture heal without a cast?
Technically speaking, the answer to the question “can broken bones heal without a cast?” is yes. Assuming conditions are just right, a broken bone can heal without a cast. However, (and very importantly) it doesn’t work in all cases. Likewise, a broken bone left to heal without a cast may heal improperly.
How does a twisted ankle feel?
With most sprains, you feel pain right away at the site of the tear. Often the ankle starts to swell immediately and may bruise. The ankle area is usually tender to touch, and it hurts to move it. In more severe sprains, you may hear and/or feel something tear, along with a pop or snap.
Why did I hear a pop when I rolled my ankle?
A “popping” sound is very common to hear at the moment when you sprains your ankle. A “cracking” noise means it’s most likely a fractured bone. Swelling can be normal for this type of injury, but if your ankle appears deformed or crooked at the same time, it’s most likely a fracture. Numbness also indicates a fracture.
Why is my ankle still swollen after a year?
But swelling that persists for more than three months may be a sign of trouble. The lining of the capsule surrounding a joint is called the synovium, and anything inside the joint that irritates the synovium will cause it to secrete fluid. Swelling inside of a joint is often a sign that something is causing irritation.
Why does broken ankle hurt more at night?
Bones are innervated. Thus, with this increase in inflammation to the bone, helping with growth or remodelling, the nerves are responding and letting the brain know. This might feel painful! How interesting that this bone metabolism occurs more during the dark hours.
Can you feel plates and screws in ankle?
In some cases, you may be able to feel a plate or screw if there is very little muscle or soft tissue covering them — for instance, along the outside of your ankle or the top of your hand.