Ankle Fracture

Types of Ankle Fractures: 

• Lateral Malleolus Fracture: This involves a break in the fibula bone on the outer side of the ankle.

• Medial Malleolus Fracture: This involves a break in the tibia bone on the inner side of the ankle.

• Bimalleolar Fracture: This occurs when both the lateral and medial malleoli are fractured.

• Trimalleolar Fracture: This is a more severe injury involving fractures of the lateral and medial malleoli and the posterior malleolus (a part of the tibia).

Causes:

• Ankle fractures can result from various causes, including falls, sports injuries, motor vehicle accidents, and twisting of the ankle.

Symptoms:

• Common symptoms of an ankle fracture include pain, swelling, bruising, tenderness, deformity, and difficulty bearing weight on the affected leg.

Indications for Surgery:

• Surgical treatment is typically recommended for unstable ankle fractures, open fractures, fractures with bone displacement, or fractures involving the joint surface.

• Dr Fisher will assess the extent of the injury and discuss the treatment options with you which include surgical and non-surgical management.

Procedure:

• Open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) is a catch-all term used to describe putting a fracture back together (reduction) and stabilising it using plates, screws or intra-medullary nails (internal fixation).

Anaesthesia:

• Ankle fracture surgery is typically performed under a combination of general anaestheis (putting you to sleep) and regional anaesthesia (a nerve block to numb your ankle for up to 24 hours following surgery).

Recovery and Postoperative Care:

After surgery, patients may need to spend some time in the hospital or undergo the procedure as an outpatient, depending on the complexity of the fracture.

• Immobilisation: Most ankle fractures will go into a moon boot following surgery.

• Weight-Bearing: Dr Fisher will advise when you can begin to bear weight on the operated ankle. Initially, you may not be allowed to put weight on it, this is dependent on the strength of your bones and the severity of your fracture.

• Physical Therapy: Physical therapy is an essential part of the recovery process to regain strength, range of motion, and function in the ankle.

• Follow-up: Regular follow-up appointments with Dr Fisher are crucial to monitor the healing process and remove any fixation hardware when appropriate.

Complications:

• Surgical treatment carries some risks, including infection, blood clots, nerve or blood vessel injury, and hardware-related problems. Dr Fisher will discuss these risks with you before the procedure.

Long-Term Outlook:

• The long-term outcome of ankle fracture surgery depends on the severity of the injury, the quality of surgical care, and adherence to the rehabilitation plan. Many patients regain full function of their ankle with proper treatment and adherence to the post-operative program.

• It's essential to have a detailed discussion before surgery to understand the specific details of the procedure, potential risks, and expected outcomes. Each ankle fracture is unique, and the surgical approach will be tailored to your individual needs.