What are the causes and symptoms of an ankle fracture?

We often gleefully indulge in our favorite outdoor activities, but at the same time, we run the risk of breaking an ankle or wrist while skating through a park, running down a trail, or doing soccer practice. Even a missed step on a curb or falling on an outstretched elbow can fracture the bones in these complex joints.

Causes of Ankle Fractures

1. Direct violence: such as a car hitting the calf, causing a tibia fracture; 2. Indirect violence: such as a sudden kneeling, the quadriceps muscle contracts violently, causing a patella fracture; 3. Accumulated strain: such as long-distance marching, which can easily cause the second and third metatarsal fractures. 4. Pathological factors: Fracture loosening in the elderly is one of the direct factors leading to ankle fracture dislocation.

Symptoms of a Broken Ankle

The symptoms of ankle fractures will gradually appear within two to three weeks of the onset of the disease. Unlike other chronic injury symptoms caused by overuse, the symptoms of ankle fractures often stay in the same area and the pain is more obvious. Patients usually experience forefoot pain after long-term or intense exercise, which disappears after a few seconds of rest. In subsequent training, the pain occurs earlier and more severely, making it impossible to exercise. Touching the swollen area can cause pain, and even lying in bed can cause pain. In the early stages of the disease, X-ray examinations usually cannot show fractures, so they are easily missed or misdiagnosed, and a follow-up examination and filming are required two weeks later; CT examinations can visually show the location and range of the fracture, and are also of great value for follow-up after injury; MRI examinations are of great significance for the early diagnosis of stress fractures because they can clearly show the fracture line and edema and bleeding in the medullary cavity and surrounding soft tissues.

Treatment

Treatment of ankle fractures includes immobilization, rest, and medication. Reliable external fixation is beneficial to fracture recovery. After the fracture heals, you should pay attention to mastering the amount of exercise and exercise techniques according to your physical condition, do a good job of warm-up exercises, and avoid running and jumping on hard venues. In traditional Chinese medicine, the external application of Zhenggu Huoxue ointment can better promote healing and callus growth, and is suitable for patients with wound healing. Pay attention to a nutritious, balanced and comprehensive diet, and appropriately supplement vitamin D and calcium. For patients with delayed bone healing or non-healing, surgical treatment can be considered.