An ankle fracture is a break of a bone in the ankle joint. The joint is made up of 3 bones. The ligaments that support the ankle may also be damaged.
Ankle FractureCopyright © Nucleus Medical Media, Inc. |
The most common cause is when the joint is forced beyond its normal range of motion. It may be also be caused by trauma from:
Things that may raise your risk are:
Problems may be:
You will be asked about your symptoms and past health. You will be asked how the injury happened. A physical exam will be done. The doctor may suspect a break based on exam.
Images may be taken of your ankle to confirm a break and see where it is. This can be done with x-rays or a CT scan.
It may take 6 to 8 weeks to heal. The goals of treatment are to ease pain and swelling. This may include:
Some fractures cause pieces of bone to come apart. These pieces will need to be put back into place. This may be done:
Most fractures are due to accidents. Healthy bones and muscles may prevent some falls. This may be done through diet and exercise.
American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society
http://www.aofas.org
Ortho Info—American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org
British Columbia Podiatric Medical Association
http://www.foothealth.ca
Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation
http://www.canorth.org
Ankle fracture—emergency management. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/management/ankle-fracture-emergency-management. Accessed December 9, 2020.
Ankle fractures (broken ankle). Ortho Info—American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons website. Available at:
...(Click grey area to select URL)
Accessed December 9, 2020.
Chaudhry S, Egol KA. Ankle injuries and fractures in the obese patient. Orthop Clin North Am. 2011;42(1):45-53.
Scott AM. Diagnosis and treatment of ankle fractures. Radiol Technol. 2010;81(5):457-475.
Wedmore I, Young S, et al. Emergency department evaluation and management of foot and ankle pain. Emerg Med Clin North Am. 2015 May;33(2):363-396.
9/10/2014 DynaMed Systematic Literature Surveillance
https://www.dynamed.com/management/ankle-fracture-emergency-management: Mosher TJ, Kransdorf MJ, et al. ACR Appropriateness Criteria acute trauma to the ankle online publication]. Reston (VA): American College of Radiology (ACR);2014. 10 p. Available at:
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Accessed September 10, 2014.
Last reviewed January 2021 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Laura Lei-Rivera, PT, DPT, GCS