How do you recognize an ankle fracture and how long does it last?

Let’s see how an ankle fracture can be recognized, what types of fractures exist and what are the recovery times.

The ankle fracture can involve several bones of this joint and more occur in milder cases or in more complex situations. An injury of this type is often associated with difficulty walking and even standing upright. Let’s see how to recognize it and what signals help us distinguish it from a sprain, and then go and see what the therapy is and how long it takes to walk again.

Fracture of the ankle: symptoms

There are different types of fractures that are classified according to the extent of the injury and its consequences. When the bone fragments involved in the fracture move from their original position, it is called a displaced ankle fracture .

If, on the other hand, the bone fragments remain in their anatomical position, it is called a compound fracture. There is also a further subdivision, we speak of microfractures of the ankle, when we are not faced with a complete break, but an injury comparable to a crack.

In terms of severity, microfractures are the mildest injury, while displaced fractures are the most serious. Symptoms help us to recognize a fractured ankle from a sprain , in particular the deformity of the joint is one of the signals that distinguishes the two injuries. Other signs include swelling, localized pain, and difficulty moving.

Remedies and recovery times

Treatment typically involves plastering or using a brace to hold the joint in place. A compound fracture can take up to 6 weeks of treatment, while for displaced fractures surgery may also be required. In the latter case, recovery times will be decidedly longer because the intervention will then be followed by a period of rest and also physiotherapy in many cases. The plaster cast in the most complicated cases can take up to 8 weeks, while the complete recovery can take even more than 4 months .