Broken Ankle

You have a broken ankle when there is a fracture in any part of your ankle joint. Your ankle joint is located between your leg and foot. Pain, swelling, and difficulty walking are common symptoms of a broken ankle. A broken ankle can result from accidents, such as a fall, a cash or a misstep. Visit a healthcare provider immediately with a broken ankle.

Symptoms of a broken ankle include:

• Severe pain in the ankle.
• Swelling of the ankle.
• Difficulty putting weight on your ankle.
• Bleeding or even a bone sticking out through your flesh.

A broken ankle is most often caused by an accident due to:

• Sports involving movements that put stress on your ankle such as football and basketball.
• Falls or a misstep while walking.
• Car or workplace accidents.

A broken ankle can happen to anyone. Some factors increase the chances of having a fracture, especially in the ankle. These include:

• Bone conditions that causes the bone to become easily fractured (e.g. osteoporosis).
• Tobacco increases the risk of having reduced bone density, making bones easier to break.
• Participation in sports such as wrestling, football and basketball.
• Wearing ill-fitted shoes for activities such as sports.
• Having had a broken ankle before.

Visit a healthcare provider as soon as possible if you have severe pain, bleeding, your bones stick out, your toes start to feel numb, or you cannot stand, walk or put any weight on the ankle.

Some safety tips that may help prevent a broken ankle are:

• Wear proper shoes that are appropriate for any intended activity like sports.
• Avoid wearing slippers that do not have a good grip in slippery places like a bathroom or a swimming pool.
• Improve your bone strength by eating a diet rich in calcium such as vegetables, milk and fish. You can also use vitamin D supplements.
• Participate in exercises that strengthen the muscles of your ankle.

Self-care tips

• Remove any jewellery on the ankle and leg to prevent restricting blood flow through and allow easy treatment of the ankle.
• Elevate the ankle on a pillow.
• Put ice packs or on your ankle for about 15 minutes to reduce pain and swelling.
• Wrap the ankle with a bandage if you are bleeding.
• Do not try to walk with a broken ankle, stay in the same place and wait for medical care or get appropriate transport (e.g. car, ambulance) to a healthcare provider.
• Use pain relievers such as paracetamol.

Treatment options

Your healthcare provider may take care of your broken ankle by doing the following:

• Applying a cast or plaster of paris to the joint to reduce movement.
• Provide crutches to help you reduce putting weight on your ankle while it heals.
• Reposition bones that have been dislocated.
• Surgery for severe fractures.

A broken ankle usually heals between 6-12 weeks. Avoid using the broken ankle until you have recovered completely. You can move around using crutches or a wheelchair. Eating foods that contain a lot of calcium such as vegetables, milk, cheese and fish can help speed up your recovery. Keep your appointments so that your healthcare provider can check your progress towards recovery.