Ankle Fracture

Prevention

An athlete who has recovered from an ankle injury may find it helpful to use high-top shoes, an ankle brace or ankle taping to reduce the risk of further joint damage.

Treatment

If your ankle fracture involves only one malleolus, and the segments of broken bone lie very close together, your doctor usually can treat the injury by immobilizing your ankle and foot in a cast for six to eight weeks. After the cast is removed, your doctor will prescribe physical therapy to help restore the normal range of motion in your ankle joint.

If you have more extensive damage to your ankle, or the fragments of broken bone are separated far from one another, your doctor will do surgery to repair your fractured ankle with special screws or wires. Injuries resulting in broken skin require antibiotics given intravenously (into a vein) to prevent infection.