Broken ankle

A broken ankle might cause some of these symptoms:

• Instant throbbing pain.
• Swelling.
• Bruising or bleeding under the skin.
• Tenderness.
• Loss of the usual shape of the joint, called deformity.
• Trouble or pain with walking or putting weight on the foot.
• Bone sticking through the skin, called an open fracture.

See a healthcare professional if the ankle has lost its shape, if the pain and swelling don't get better with self-care, or if the pain and swelling get worse over time. It's possible to walk on some fractures, so don't assume you don't need medical care if you can bear weight on your ankle.

A broken ankle is most often from a turning, twisting or rolling injury. But a direct blow to the ankle also can break it.

The most common causes of a broken ankle include:

• Car accidents. The crushing injuries that can happen in car accidents may cause breaks that need surgery to be fixed.
• Falls. Tripping and falling can break bones in the ankles. So can landing on the feet after jumping down from a height.
• Missteps. Sometimes putting a foot down wrong or stumbling can result in a twisting injury that can cause a broken bone.

You may be at higher risk of a broken ankle if you:

• Play high-impact sports. The stresses, direct blows and twisting injuries that happen in sports such as basketball, football, gymnastics, tennis and soccer can cause ankle bone breaks.
• Use poor technique or sports equipment. Poor training techniques, such as not warming up, can raise the risk of ankle injuries. Bad equipment, such as shoes that are too worn or don't fit right, also can increase the risk of stress fractures and falls.
• Suddenly increase your activity level. Whether you're a trained athlete or someone who's just started exercising, suddenly boosting how long, hard or often you exercise can increase your risk of a stress fracture.
• Keep your home cluttered or poorly lit. Walking around in a house with too much clutter or too little light may lead to falls and ankle injuries.
• Have certain conditions. Having decreased bone density, called osteoporosis, can put you at risk of injuries to your ankle bones.
• Smoking. Cigarette smoking can increase the risk of getting osteoporosis. Studies also show that healing after a break may take longer in people who smoke.

Complications of a broken ankle aren't common. But they may include:

• Arthritis. Fractures that go into the joint can cause arthritis years later. If your ankle starts to hurt long after a break, see your healthcare professional.
• Bone infection, called osteomyelitis. If you have an open fracture in which one end of the bone pokes through the skin, your bone may be exposed to bacteria that cause infection.
• Compartment syndrome. This condition rarely occurs with ankle fractures. It causes pain, swelling, numbness and sometimes being unable to use the affected muscles of the ankle.
• Nerve or blood vessel damage. Trauma to the ankle can injure or tear nerves and blood vessels. Seek medical help right away if you notice numbness or feel like your ankle isn't getting enough blood. Lack of blood flow can cause a bone to die, called avascular necrosis.

These sports and safety tips may help prevent a broken ankle:

• Wear proper shoes. Use hiking shoes on rough terrain. Choose the right athletic shoes for your sport.
• Replace athletic shoes when needed. Get rid of shoes as soon as the tread or heel wears out or if the wear on the shoes isn't even. If you're a runner, replace your shoes every 300 to 400 miles.
• Start slowly. That applies to a new fitness program and to every workout you do.
• Have a balanced fitness program. A balanced fitness program includes aerobic fitness to work your heart, strength training to build muscles and movements that put your joints through their full range of motion, called flexibility.
• Build bone strength. Get enough calcium and vitamin D. Calcium-rich foods include dairy products, leafy greens and tofu. Ask your healthcare professional if you need to take vitamin D supplements.
• Get rid of clutter in your home. Keeping clutter off the floor can help you not trip and fall.
• Strengthen your ankle muscles. If you're prone to twisting your ankle, ask a healthcare professional or personal trainer for exercises to help strengthen the muscles that support your ankle.