Snap, Crackle, Pop....My Ankle Hurts!

Snap, Crackle, Pop. Ankles are not supposed to make that noise.

It softball season and you just attempted to slide into second base and you managed to twist your ankle. You have done this before but this time it was followed by an audible snap you have not heard before. Oh yeah, and don’t mention that strange lump at the ankle you did not have this morning. You treat it like you have treated your previous ankle sprains, icing, elevation and trying to walk a little more gingerly, but it has not gotten better after several days, and any pressure to your foot is excruciating and unstable.

You may have an ankle fracture. Ankle fractures can typically occur during a violent injury like a car accident, fall from a height, or twisting motion of the ankle. The ankle consists of three bones that are bound to each other tightly by ligaments and allow motion of the foot up and down to allow for normal running in walking. When a fracture occurs the normal alignment of the bones of the ankle is lost as well as ligament integrity and instability, and pain ensues.

Ankle fractures need to be diagnosed and treated as soon as possible in order to provide the most appropriate treatment. Minor fractures can sometimes be treated with a period of immobilization while more major unstable fractures require surgery. If an ankle fracture is left untreated it can lead to chronic instability of the foot and ankle as well as chronic pain from arthritis.

Typical recovery from fracture to a normal shoe is around three months, so if you don’t want to miss next year’s softball season or possibly every softball season in the future, see a podiatrist immediately after any ankle injury.