A Guide to Managing Ankle Injuries: From Sprains to Surgery

Ankle injuries are extremely common and affect people of all ages and sizes. Whether you have a sprain, fracture, or old injury, learning how to manage an ankle injury is important for a successful recovery. When ankle injuries are left untreated, they can lead to long-term complications and reduce your mobility. 

Understanding Ankle Injuries

“Ankle Injuries” is a very vague saying. The ankle can experience mild to severe sprains, fractures, strains, and tendon injuries. Each injury has its own set of symptoms, causes, and treatments. Understanding the differences between ankle injuries is the first step in finding treatments for effective management. 

1. Ankle Injuries: 

• Sprains: One of the most common ankle injuries is a sprain. Sprains usually happen when the ligaments connecting the bones in the ankle are stretched or torn. Twisting or rolling your ankle can cause an ankle sprain, which can cause pain, swelling, and bruising.
• Fracture: An ankle fracture, or break, can happen to one or more ankle joint bones. This injury usually occurs from high-impact activities like a sports accident, a car crash, or a fall. 
• Strains: An ankle strain is where the muscles or tendons around the ankle are overworked or misused. Strains affect the soft tissue, not the ligaments. 
• Tendon Injuries: Achilles tendinitis and tears are the most common tendon injuries of the ankle. These injuries develop over time due to improper foot and ankle use and movements. 
• Ankle Instability When experiencing repeated sprains or injuries, instability of the ankle can occur. This creates chronic pain that results in difficulty walking and frequent ankle rolling. 

2. Common Causes of Ankle Injuries: 

• Sports and Exercise: Ankle injuries in sports and exercises, especially those that involve running, are widespread. One misstep can lead to a sprain, strain, or fracture. 
• Falls: Tripping or falling while walking on an uneven surface can lead to injury.   These incidents can result in rolling or twisting the foot, causing an injury like a sprain, strain, or fracture. 
• Footwear: Your shoes can play a big role in causing injury. Wearing shoes without proper support will increase the risk of injury, especially in high-impact activities. 
• Overuse: Overusing the ankle without rest or a proper warm-up increases the risk of ankle injuries. 

Understanding Ankle Anatomy

The ankle’s anatomy is complex. It consists of bones, ligaments, tendons, and muscles that work together to provide stability and mobility when standing, walking, or running. Understanding the anatomy will help clarify the different ankle injuries and how they affect the joint space. 

• Bones: The shin (tibia), fibula, and talus form the ankle joint. The heel (calcaneus) is another important bone that plays a major role in weight bearing. 
• Ligaments: Ligaments are bands of tissue that connect bones. The main ligaments of the ankle are the anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL), calcaneofibular ligament (CFL), and posterior talofibular ligament (PTFL). 
• Tendons: Tendons are what connect the muscles to the bones. The Achilles tendon plays a major role in walking, running, and standing, and is also prone to injury or overuse. 
• Muscles: Several muscles provide support and help movement, including the tibialis anterior and peroneal muscles. 

Ankle Injuries: Recognizing Symptoms

After learning about the different ankle injuries and the anatomy involved, you need to understand the symptoms to best identify the injury you may have experienced. While some ankle injuries share the same symptoms, there are common signs to look out for. 

1. Pain: Pain usually occurs first and tends to be the most obvious symptom. Depending on the injury and severity, it can range from a dull ache to a sharp or stabbing sensation. 
2. Swelling: Swelling typically happens due to inflammation and can range from mild to severe. 
3. Bruising: Bruising is a common indicator of a sprain, strain, or fracture. Bruising can develop over time or happen immediately after injury. 
4. Instability and Limited Range of Motion: Ankle injuries, especially those that cause ligament damage, can make the ankle feel unstable or weak. This can reduce your range of motion and lead to pain when moving the ankle or walking. 

After evaluating your symptoms, it is important to be able to differentiate between mild and severe injury. 

Severe Injuries: Grade three sprains or strains, fractures, and ligament tears are all categorized as severe injuries. These ankle injuries involve complete tears of ligaments or tendons and breaks of the bones in the ankle. The pain, swelling, and bruising will be more severe and will majorly impact your mobility. Surgery may be needed. Immediately find medical attention to ensure full recovery.

Mild Injuries: Grade one sprains or strains are categorized as mild and often lead to mild pain, swelling, and tenderness. Typically, mobility has no major impact, and the ankle can be healed from resting and icing. 

Moderate Injuries: Grade two sprains or strains are typically caused by partial tearing of the ligaments or tendons. This can lead to more significant pain, swelling, and bruising. With proper treatment, walking will become easier and the pain more bearable. 

Surgery for Ankle Injuries

While most mild and moderate ankle injuries can be managed at home with rest, some severe cases may need surgery to ensure a full and successful recovery. Here are some common ankle surgeries: 

• Ankle Arthroscopy: This is a minimally invasive surgery that involves repairing or cleaning damaged tissue, like cartilage or inflamed areas. This is used to treat minor fractures, ligaments, and joint arthritis. 
• Ligament Repair: In severe cases of ligament tears, surgery may be needed to stitch the ligaments back together. 
• Fracture Fixation with Plates and Screws: Surgery may be needed to realign the bones after a fracture occurs. Metal plates, screws, and pins may be used to secure the fractured site. 
• Ankle Fusion (Arthrodesis): If severe joint damage has occurred, an ankle fusion may be needed. This will fuse the bones of the ankle joint to reduce pain and provide stability. 

Book an Appointment with The Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute Today!

Our goal at JOI is to provide high-quality care to our patients. Our team of expert physicians understands the pain ankle injuries cause and strives to help your recovery process. Book an appointment today to start your recovery process!