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,
• Check your range of motion,
• Consider any other medical conditions that might be related to the fracture,
• We will take X-rays to evaluate the fracture pattern,
• We may order a CT scan or other form of imaging in order to further evaluate the fracture. 

This will be determined during your visit 

Treatment recommendations are based on the severity of the fracture: 

For a stable ankle fracture (where the fractured 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. 

For an unstable ankle fracture(the fractured bone is out of place) – 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. 

If surgery is recommended - our surgeons are nationally and internationally recognized for their knowledge and skills, and will be happy to discuss the pros and cons of surgery with you.