Many types of oral medicines are available to help manage pain, including opioids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and over-the-counter pain medication such as acetaminophen. If you have not had surgery, you will be taking oral medication from the start. You will then be switched to oral pain medication. Typically, you will be given pain medicine intravenously (through an IV) in the first few hours after surgery. Your doctor and nurses will work to reduce your pain.
Pain ManagementĪfter surgery, you will likely feel pain because this is a natural part of the healing process. This is typically done in the first 6 weeks. Regardless of the type of treatment you receive, your doctor will most likely monitor the bone healing with repeated X-rays. While most ankle fractures take at least 6 weeks to heal, it may take longer for any involved ligaments and tendons to heal. The healing time for ankle fractures can vary depending on the extent of the injury. Surgical repair of a syndesmosis injury and lateral malleolus fracture. This is usually done with a plate and screws. While you are in the cast, your doctor will take X-rays to make sure that the bones do not slip out of place.īecause there are injuries to both sides of the ankle, most bimalleolar fractures need surgical repair. During this time, you cannot put weight on your ankle. Since there are injuries to both sides of the ankle, bimalleolar fractures are frequently unstable, and the ankle is often dislocated.Ī stable bimalleolar fracture may be treated with cast immobilization for several weeks. Bimalleolar Fracture and Bimalleolar Equivalent FractureĪ bimalleolar fracture occurs when both the medial malleolus and lateral malleolus are broken. Typically, the surgical repair is done by placing screws in the lower tibia from front to back.
Surgical fixation is required if the fracture is large and out of place. Treatment may involve wearing a short leg cast or a removable brace. Many posterior malleolus fractures are small and do not require surgery. This is due to attachments of ligaments between the two bones. Most posterior malleolus fractures are associated with another injury, usually a fracture of the lateral malleolus. Because MRI scans are more sensitive than other imaging tests, they may be used to detect ligaments injuries.Ī posterior malleolus fracture is a fracture of the back of the tibia. MRI scans provide high-resolution images of both bones and soft tissue structures, like ligaments. It is helpful in evaluating the extent of the injury to the ankle joint. A CT scan provides detailed cross-sectional X-ray images of the ankle and is sometimes done to further evaluate the ankle injury. This X-ray is done to determine if the syndesmosis (area between the lower tibia and fibula) is injured.Ĭomputed tomography (CT) scan. Your doctor may also take X-rays of the leg and foot to make sure there are no other injuries.ĭepending on the type of ankle fracture, your doctor may put pressure on the ankle and take a special X-ray called a stress X-ray.
They can also show how many pieces of broken bone there are. They can show where the bones are broken and if any of the bones are out of place (displaced). X-rays provide images of dense structures such as bone. X-rays. Most ankle fractures can be diagnosed with X-rays. If your doctor suspects an ankle fracture, they will order one or more of the following imaging tests to diagnose and evaluate the fracture After discussing your medical history and how the injury occurred, your doctor will do a careful examination of your ankle, lower leg, and foot.
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