The ankle joint is one of the most used joints in our body. Located in the lower extremity, this joint is known to bear a good amount of body weight, and hence, it has a very high chances of getting injured.
Fractures in the ankle are common, and they make affected people unable to walk. It is a painful condition where the intensity of the pain depends upon the cause. In certain cases, the fracture is too severe that surgery is required. During the surgery, orthopedic trauma implants are required to stabilize the broken bone in its correct anatomy.
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This post will discuss ankle fractures in detail along with their causes, symptoms, and treatment.
What Are Ankle Fractures?
The ankle joint is a type of hinge joint that helps with the dorsiflexion and plantarflexion of the foot. Three bones make up the ankle joint including the tibia, fibula, and talus. In the case of ankle fractures, any of the bones that form the ankle joint can break.
The cause of the fracture plays a vital role in deciding how severe the fracture will be. An ankle fracture can occur on either side i.e., medial, or lateral malleolus. This also depends upon the cause of the condition.
What Are the Causes of Ankle Fractures?
High-energy impact occurring on the ankle joint is the commonest cause of ankle fractures. This occurs due to traumatic injuries like car or bike accidents. Severe collisions may also result in comminuted or open fractures.
Besides this, a stress fracture is also the common cause of ankle fracture that is most seen in athletes. Overuse or long-term continuous use of the ankle joint is the reason for stress fracture.
Contact sports injuries like a collision between players or sudden twisting of the ankle are also the cause of fracture.
What Are the Symptoms?
Signs and symptoms associated with ankle fractures include:
- Pain around the ankle
- Swelling
- Bruising
- Deformity in severely displaced fractures
- Numbness or inability to move the foot if blood vessels are injured
How Ankle Fractures Are Diagnosed?
Correct diagnosis of the fracture is important to provide the right treatment and achieve improved post-surgical results. During the diagnosis, the healthcare service provider examines the injured joint for swelling, bruising, and deformity. To notice painful areas, the doctor will press at certain points and ask the patient to move his/her ankle in different directions. A physical examination will give an idea about the condition.
Now, to confirm, certain imaging tests like x-ray examination, CT-scan, MRI, and/stress test will be performed.
How to Treat Ankle Fractures?
A diagnostic report will help the healthcare service provider decide the best treatment procedure. In non-serious cases, non-surgical methods are often the first choice. This includes prescribed medicines to curb pain and inflammation. Besides this, a short leg cast may also be applied if required to immobilize the joint. Above all, physical therapy plays a vital role in strengthening the joint and improving flexibility.
When these methods fail to relieve symptoms or they are not feasible, surgery will be required. The surgical treatment involves the use of trauma implants to realign and stabilize the fractured bone fragments.
Siora Surgicals Pvt. Ltd. is a world-class leader in the orthopedic device manufacturing industry in India. It holds expertise in producing and exporting a huge range of CE-certified implants. The company is also looking to become one of the trustworthy Orthopaedic companies in Ukraine.
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