However, ankle sprains occur the same way and are much more common than fractures, and ankle sprains dont require x-rays (doctors try to avoid taking unnecessary x-rays to minimize radiation exposure). How is an Ankle Fracture diagnosed? An ankle fracture is suspected when someone describes a twisting injury to their ankle. The fibula and tibia are held together by a very thick ligament complex called the “Syndesmosis”, which can sometimes be torn in ankle fractures (it is also the ligament injured when we talk about “ high ankle sprains”). The fibula forms the outside ankle (called the lateral malleolus) and this is connected to the foot by two ligaments, the ATFL (which is injured in your common ankle sprains) and the CFL. The tibia forms the inside ankle (called the medial malleolus) and is connected to the foot by a very thick ligament called the “Deltoid Ligament” which often gets torn during an ankle fracture. As a quick review of the ankle anatomy (see picture), this joint consists of three bones: the two leg bones (the tibia which is the large bone in the leg, and the smaller fibula, which only bears about 10% of the weight) and the one foot bone (the talus). The severity of injury depends on the position of the foot when the injury occurs and also the force of the twisting motion. Most of the ankle fractures will also be accompanied by some form of ligament injury. The fibula (which forms the outer ankle) is the more commonly broken bone, but the inside ankle (the tibia bone) or both inside and outside ankles can be also brake. The most common injury is for the foot to roll inward (supination) while the ankle twists outward (external rotation). An ankle fracture is one of the most common fractures and it occurs with an excessive twisting motion to the ankle.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |