

Since these injuries are generally unstable, surgery is usually recommended. A bimalleolar equivalent fracture indicates that ligaments on the inside of the ankle are also injured. BIMALLEOLAR FRACTURES/BIMALLEOLAR EQUIVALENT FRACTURE (Two of the three parts of the ankle are broken).If the ankle is still stable, it can be treated without surgery. Treatment may be with a short leg cast or a removeable brace. It is important to determine the severity so that arthritis does not develop. In most cases, the fibula is also broken due to it sharing ligament attachments with the posterior malleolus. POSTERIOR MALLEOLUS FRACTURE (A fracture of the back of the tibia at the level of the ankle joint).A short leg cast or removeable brace, along with the advice of your physician, will generally help the healing process move quicker. If not out of place or very minor, this fracture can be healed after not putting stress on it for 6 weeks. MEDIAL MALLEOLUS FRACTURE (A break in the tibia at the inside of the lower leg).Your physician may recommend waiting to put weight on the foot to ensure no fragments have moved out of place during healing. These can range from wearing high-top tennis shoes to short leg casts. If your ankle is stable, there are nonsurgical treatment options available. There are various levels of fracture and these may bring about various treatment types. LATERAL MALLEOLUS FRACTURE (A fracture of the fibula).Bimalleolar Fractures/Bimalleolar Equivalent FractureĪnkle fractures can be healed via nonsurgical methods if the injury is not too severe or unstable.
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If your physician determines that your ankle is fractured, they will then be tasked with determining which type of fracture injury it is and how to go about treating it. MRI scans can look deeper into bones and soft tissues such as ligaments to create higher resolution images than most other tests. MRI SCAN (Magnetic Resonance Imaging): If your physician suspects ligament damage has occurred, they may order an MRI scan to get a closer look.CT scans create a cross-section image that your physician can evaluate to see the injury’s severity. CT SCAN (Computed Tomography): If the fracture extends into the ankle joint, a CT scan may be needed to further investigate the injury.

Your physician will put pressure on the ankle and take a special x-ray to determine such. STRESS TEST: A stress test is done to determine if surgical procedures are necessary to assist the injury in healing.Your physician may also choose to take x-rays of other portions of the leg or foot to ensure that nothing else was damaged in the injury. They can also determine if there is displacement (the gap between broken bones). X-RAYS: X-rays can show if the ankle bone has been broken and how many pieces of broken bone there are.If your physician believes you may have fractured your ankle, they will order imaging tests to be done to more fully examine the injury. They will also ask about how the injury occurred and perform an examination of the affected area. Your Florida Orthopaedic Institute physician will discuss your medical history and symptoms with you.
