Ankle injuries can happen when you play sports, fall, or step off the curb incorrectly. Ankle sprains and fractures are prevalent injuries, but they can mimic each other, making it hard to determine if you need professional care.
Swelling, bruising, and pain are common symptoms of sprains and fractures, so how do you know what's wrong with your ankle? A professional evaluation is the only definitive way to get an accurate diagnosis.
If you've suffered an ankle injury and need treatment, come see Dr. David Ball or Dr. Omar Osmani, two experienced providers at the Spine and Orthopedic Center of New Mexico in Roswell, New Mexico.
Dr. Ball is a board-certified podiatrist, and Dr. Osmani is our in-house orthopedic surgeon. They offer quick diagnoses and professional treatments at our urgent care center in Roswell.
An ankle fracture occurs when one or more bones in the ankle joint break, usually after an injury. Ankle fractures range from mild, where only a piece of bone breaks off, to severe, where the bones shatter or break and puncture the skin.
It may seem like an ankle fracture would be easy to tell — but many people mistake them for other injuries, especially when they're not severe. The following signs and symptoms may indicate you’ve suffered a fracture:
Ankle fracture symptoms vary depending on the severity of the injury. Minor fractures may only cause mild pain and swelling, while more severe fractures lead to intense symptoms and disability.
However, it’s not always easy to self-diagnose a fracture, especially around the ankle. Various injuries to ligaments, tendons, and tissues cause similar symptoms to fractures.
An ankle sprain is another injury that sometimes resembles a fracture but doesn't involve any bones. However, you can have a sprained ankle and a fracture simultaneously, especially after a significant injury.
We grade various types of ankle sprains based on the damage to the ligaments in the joint. Grade one sprains involve the ligaments stretching past their normal range, while grade three sprains indicate a completely torn ligament.
The symptoms of an ankle sprain are very similar to a mild-to-moderate fracture and may include any of the following:
Some ankle sprains are as severe as fractures, except they don't involve the bones. It can be tricky to differentiate between the two, especially after an injury when swelling and pain are at their worst.
Getting a proper diagnosis is the best way to ensure you don't suffer from complications after an ankle injury. Leaving a fracture or severe sprain undiagnosed may lead to chronic ankle instability or a bone that doesn't heal correctly.
It's essential to seek treatment early on for an ankle injury causing you pain. It's easier to tell what's going on in the joint with expert imaging tests and a thorough evaluation by Dr. Ball or Dr. Osmani.
The first step after an ankle injury is to follow the RICE method — rest, ice, compression, and elevation. This method eases inflammation and swelling and helps control pain. The next step is to seek treatment at our urgent care center.
At your appointment, we carefully evaluate the injured ankle to determine what may be injured. We then order imaging studies, such as an X-ray, to look for broken bones or an MRI to evaluate the tendons and ligaments.
Imaging studies are the most definitive test to determine if you have an ankle sprain or fracture. Once we have the proper diagnosis, we formulate a customized treatment plan that may involve:
Conservative measures are the first line of treatment unless you have a severe injury that requires surgical repair. We perform surgery for both severe ankle fractures and sprains that don't get better with conservative care.
Call the Spine and Orthopedic Center of New Mexico today to schedule an evaluation for an ankle injury, or you may request one on our website.
