Ankle Sprain or Fracture?

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If you suffer an ankle-twisting injury, one symptom you’re sure to experience is pain. At NY Foot Health, we know many patients take a “wait and see” approach after hurting an ankle, but the fact of the matter is ankle injuries can range from mild to severe and may involve a fracture as well as a sprain. How can you tell the difference, and what’s the best course of action?

Understanding Ankle Anatomy

First off, let’s give a few definitions to help better understand what you might be dealing with:

Strain—also known as a pulled muscle, a strain is an injury to a muscle or a tendon connecting the muscle to the bone.

Sprain—an injury to the ligaments (which connect bones) caused by overstretching. Ankle sprains consists of three categories that describe the severity of the sprain:

  1. Grade 1—one or more overstretched ligaments, but no tears have occurred.

  2. Grade 2—a partially torn ligament, and the doctor may be able to feel the instability when examining and moving your ankle.

  3. Grade 3—the ligament is completely torn.

Fracture—a broken bone in the ankle. The three bones that make up the ankle are the tibia, fibula, and talus. A fracture can be a tiny hairline crack, a clean break (the bones are still aligned), or a displaced fracture where the bones are not aligned.

Symptoms of Sprains and Fractures

Unfortunately, the symptoms of sprains and fractures are often similar. And it is possible to have an ankle-twisting injury that results in both a sprain and a fracture. Common symptoms include:

  • Pain and tenderness

  • Swelling

  • Bruising

  • Difficulty bearing weight on the injured ankle.

Some clues may be more indicative of a fracture. For example, with an ankle sprain, the pain may worsen as time goes on, but for a break, the pain is worst at the moment of the injury. However, the bottom line is that it’s best to get an ankle injury evaluated promptly by your podiatrist. If you don’t have a foot doctor, use our online directory to find one near you. 

Prompt treatment and an immediate start on rehabilitation will yield the quickest and most complete healing for an ankle injury, so don’t delay. Call the podiatrist as soon after the injury as possible. To learn more about foot and ankle injuries, contact us and subscribe to our free e-newsletter.

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