Ankle injuries come in all different shapes and sizes, but two of the most common ankle injuries are sprains and fractures. These injuries oftentimes involve the same mechanism of injury and present with similar symptoms, but they are two separate injuries that warrant individual care strategies. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at some of the similarities and differences between sprained and broken ankles.
Mechanism Of Injury
Let’s start by looking at the mechanism at play and what part of your ankle is injured during these two types of injuries. A sprained ankle typically occurs when your “roll” your ankle inwards or outwards beyond its standard range of motion. An ankle fracture can also occur during this motion, but broken ankles are also more likely to occur when the ankle experiences direct and forceful trauma.
The parts of the ankle that are injured are different in these two injuries. A sprain occurs when the ankle ligaments that support your ankle joint are overstretched, leading to mild, moderate or complete ligament tears. An ankle fracture means that a break has formed in one of the three bones that make up your ankle. Sprains focus on ligament damage, whereas a fracture implies that there is a break in a bone.
Symptoms
It’s not always easy to determine which type of injury you’re dealing with by symptoms alone. Both sprains and ankle fractures can present with near-identical symptoms. Generally speaking, symptoms from an ankle fracture will be more severe than from an ankle sprain, but know that this is not always the case. Severe ankle sprains that involve moderate or severe ligament tearing can be very painful and cause significant gait abnormalities, so know that pain and related symptoms aren’t always the best barometer for diagnosis.
Although broken ankle symptoms tend to be a little more severe, both injuries can present with:
- Moderate to severe pain
- Gait abnormalities/Difficulty walking
- Swelling
- Discoloration
- Instability
- Sensitivity to touch
Walking On The Injury
It’s also difficult to tell which of the two injuries you’re dealing with by attempting to walk on the foot. Again, it typically becomes a little easier to walk on a sprained ankle after a few hours, whereas walking difficulty will remain challenging for certain fractures, but it’s possible that you’ll be able to bear weight and hobble with moderate discomfort with both types of injuries. Don’t assume that there’s no fracture if you can walk on it, and know that an inability to bear full body weight on the ankle doesn’t necessarily mean that a fracture has occurred. Severe ligament tearing can also make it impossible to walk on the affected foot.
Diagnosing The Injury
You may have a pretty good idea what you’re dealing with by understanding the mechanism of injury and keeping a close eye on your symptoms, but the only true way to know for sure what you’re dealing with is to connect with a foot specialist in your area. They’ll conduct a physical exam and order imaging tests of the ankle that explore the health of the bones and soft tissues in your ankle. They’ll be able to pinpoint the specific location of the injury, and this will help guide their treatment plan.
Sometimes sprains and fractures can heal just fine on their own without surgery, but other times they require professional intervention to allow healing to occur as needed. Your doctor will be able to walk you through the specifics of your injury and the best strategies for getting it back to full health. Even if surgery is needed, you can expect that rest and physical therapy will be two key components of your recovery.
For more information about the differences between a sprain and a fracture, or for help diagnosing your own ankle injury, connect with Dr. Silverman and his team today.