The ankle joint is the region where the foot and leg meet. It is also the area that bears most of our body’s weight. Considering this, it won’t be wrong to say that this joint is also prone to get injured.
Ankle fractures are among the commonest as they are among the weight-bearing joints in our body. Injury to the ankle joint causes inability to walk, pain while standing, swelling around the joint, and even deformity in severe cases. Sometimes, these injuries may lead to emergency situations, and an immediate visit to ER is required. Severely displaced ankle fractures require surgical intervention where the bones are stabilized using Orthopaedic Implants.
In this post, we will talk about ankle fractures in detail.
Ankle Fractures – A Brief Introduction
Ankle fracture is a condition where one or more bones that form the ankle joint break. The severity of the break can range from a minor crack to a multi-fragmented break. This depends upon the cause of the condition. If the number of broken bones is high, more unstable will be the ankle.
Ankle fractures can occur in anyone whereas the age group 30-40 has high incidences of such injuries.
Symptoms associated with Ankle Fractures
Fractures tend to have certain obvious symptoms like pain and inflammation, and the same is the case with ankle fractures. Let us have a look at some of the most noticed symptoms in the case of ankle fractures:
- Pain around the ankle that may not come from the exact fracture site
- Inability to walk or bear weight on the affected ankle
- Swelling around the ankle
- Bruising
- Deformity in severely displaced fractures
Causes of Ankle Fractures
Ankle fractures may result due to many reasons, some of which include:
Stress
Stress fractures of the ankle are common among athletes. This is a condition where repetitive stress on the ankle joint or overuse results in a crack. Oftentimes, it is not easy to diagnose stress fracture and hence, imaging tests and MRI may be required.
Traumatic Injuries
Traumatic injuries are among the commonest causes of fractures. The ankle joint can suffer breaks due to automobile accidents or even contact sports injuries like a collision with a fellow player.
Sports Activities
A sudden change in direction or twisting of the ankle may also cause a fracture in the ankle joint.
Diagnosis of Ankle Fractures
Physical examination is the primary step when it comes to the diagnosis of the fractures. Here, the healthcare service provider will thoroughly examine the injured area for visible signs that include swelling, bruising, and deformity. To notice painful areas, the healthcare service provider will firmly press the ankle at different locations and ask the patient to make certain movements.
X-ray, stress test, CT scan, and/or MRI will also be performed to confirm the condition.
Treatment
The severity of the condition will decide the type of best and most feasible treatment. Mild to moderate cases can be fixed using medications, a short leg cast, and physical therapy later on. While on the other hand, if diagnostic reports show that the condition is severe, surgical intervention will be the best option. Surgery is often carried out using orthopedic implants and instruments.
To get world-class quality trauma implants, contact Siora Surgicals Pvt. Ltd., an experienced orthopedic device manufacturer in India. Siora also exports its implants to clients based in other countries. The orthopedic implants, instruments, and external fixators offered by the company are approved by the Malaysian Medical Device Authority thus, Siora is also known as a reliable Orthopedic Supplier Malaysia.
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