Ankle Fractures: When Is Surgery Necessary?

You have an ankle injury. Is it a fracture? Ankle fractures often happen when you’ve had a direct hit to the lower leg and/or foot, such as from a sports injury or a car accident. On the other hand, minor ankle fractures, such as a stress fracture, can occur from overuse.

Our board-certified podiatrists with Arlington Foot and Ankle Centers promptly diagnose and treat your ankle injury, whether it’s a fracture, sprain, or other type of injury. Not every fracture requires surgery. It depends on how severe the fracture is and your type of fracture.

About your ankle fracture

Your ankle can be compared with an elbow joint because it joins your upright leg bone (tibia and fibula) to your foot, which is at a 90-degree angle to your lower leg bone. A small bone, the talus, connects the lower leg bones to the heel. For this reason, it’s a complex joint.

The tibia and fibula have different parts that make up the ankle joint, including:

Medial malleolus: The bump on the inside of your ankle (tibia)
Posterior malleolus: Back part of the tibia
Lateral malleolus: The bump on the outer part of your ankle (fibula).

We use X-rays to determine whether a fracture causes your pain. If it is, we can see which bones are broken and how severe the breaks are.

When an ankle fracture requires surgery

Following are the types of ankle fractures and guidance on when surgery is needed.

Nondisplaced fracture

In this type of fracture, your bones have basically remained in place. Some of these fractures are hairline and stress fractures, meaning you only have a tiny crack in a bone. That’s good news. For nondisplaced fractures, you usually don’t need surgery.

Displaced fracture

A displaced fracture requires surgery. This type of break means you have pieces of bone that have slipped out of their normal position. You could also have a dislocation of the joint. You need ankle surgery for a displaced fracture to properly align the bones for healing.

Open fracture

An open fracture always requires surgery. Open fractures are usually the result of a traumatic accident such as a motor vehicle crash. We need to reset the bones and limit the risk of infection.

If you have a previous fracture that didn’t heal well and is causing you pain, we may recommend ankle surgery.

Ankle surgery

Your board-certified podiatrist develops a plan for your ankle surgery based on the type of fracture and its severity. During surgery, we ensure your bones are again aligned and in the correct position. We use pins, screws, or plates to keep them in place during your recovery.

Your ankle is immobilized via either a cast or a boot for several weeks after surgery. You need to limit weight-bearing activities for a time so the bones can heal.

Any surgery on a fracture also involves trauma to soft tissue. Recovery from an ankle fracture takes several weeks or months and requires physical therapy to restore mobility and strength.

If you have unexplained ankle pain, call Arlington Foot and Ankle Centers or request an appointment through our online portal today. We’ll get you on your feet again.