Broken Ankle Definition, Reason, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention
Definition
An ankle fracture is a condition in which one or more bones are broken in the ankle. The ankle is made up of many bones, but there are three large bones that make up the ankle, namely the fibula, tibia, and talus.
Ankle fractures can be treated based on their location and severity. The severity of the leg fracture itself ranges from mild cracks to the heaviest fractures that come out of the skin.
Symptoms
The most common symptoms of an ankle fracture include:
- Severe pain in the ankle area
- Swollen
- Blueness of the ankles
- The part that has a broken bone will feel painful when touched
- You can see a change in the shape of the ankle
Reason
The most common cause of broken ankles is twisting of the ankle area due to wrong position or wrong movement during sports. Other causes are falls from heights and injuries from traffic accidents.
In addition, broken ankles can also occur due to excessive friction in the joints in the ankle. This condition is related to the joint capsule and synovial fluid that is in the ankle and is supposed to work as a lubricant to prevent excess friction in the joint.
Diagnosis
At the initial examination for a broken ankle, the doctor will examine the sore ankle area and compare it to a healthy ankle area. If there is a broken ankle, generally the ankle area will be seen changing its shape to become bent or shortened.
If a broken ankle is suspected, the doctor will need an X-ray examination of the painful ankle area. If there is a suspicion of muscle, tendon or ligament injury accompanying an ankle fracture, a CT scan or MRI examination is sometimes also needed.
Treatment
As initial aid in the event of a broken ankle, this should be done:
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Rest your ankles
As much as possible, avoid trying to move the ankle so as not to exacerbate the pain and exacerbate the bone damage that has occurred.
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Cold compress
To reduce pain and inflammation, apply a cold compress with cold water or ice to the ankle area.
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Ankle splint
Do ankle splints so that the fracture is restrained and does not move around. In addition, this will also help so that the bones do not experience movement which can injure the surrounding tissue.
If there is a shift in the position of the bones, then the doctor will perform surgery to correct the position of the bones so that they are straight again. The operation that is generally performed is the installation of plates and screws. This is the act of inserting some kind of metal into the bone to get the broken bone in the correct position so it can join perfectly.
Under normal conditions, the bones will connect perfectly within 3–6 months.
Prevention
Ankle fractures often occur during sports. Therefore, to prevent it, always make careful preparations before exercising. Warm up and stretch sufficiently.
Use special shoes for the type of sport you are doing, for example, tennis shoes for tennis and running shoes for running. Don’t flip. Start the movement while exercising slowly and gradually increase the intensity. Avoid immediately doing strenuous exercise if you are not used to exercising before.