To schedule an appointment with our foot and ankle specialists, call 734-936-5780.

Ankle fracture/broken ankle symptoms include: 

• Pain, swelling and bruising after trauma
• Deformity may be present Inability to bear weight

So we can understand the extent of your injury, we will take a complete health history and conduct a physical examination to assess the breakage, pinpoint the location and check your range of motion. We will also consider any other medical conditions that might be related to the fracture. We will take X-rays to evaluate the fracture pattern, and we may order a CT scan or other form of imaging in order to further evaluate.

Treatment recommendations are based on the severity of the fracture: 

Stable ankle fracture

With a stable ankle fracture (where the bone is not out of place) we can usually treat the ankle without surgery. We immobilize your ankle in a pneumatic boot (it looks like a ski boot with an inflatable liner for additional compression) for about 6 weeks, and you can bear weight on your ankle in the boot as much as you can tolerate it. Following this, we transition you into an ankle brace and start you on physical therapy. By 3-4 months, you can be resume higher impact activities, like running. Routine office visits and X-rays are required to evaluate fracture healing. 

Unstable ankle fracture

With an unstable ankle fracture, surgery is usually required to maintain the position of the bones - using plates and screws as the fracture heals. This surgery reduces the risk of developing arthritis in the ankle in the future. The outpatient surgical procedure typically involves general anesthesia with a local nerve block. For some patients, an overnight stay is required.