Ankle Fracture Treatment

Self-Care at Home

If you suspect a fracture, you should call your doctor or go to a hospital's emergency department immediately. You can do the following until you can get to a hospital or doctor's office:

• Stay off the injured ankle so you do not injure it further.
• Keep the ankle elevated to help decrease swelling and pain.
• Apply cold packs to the injured area to decrease swelling and pain. Do not apply ice directly. Cold packs are effective for the first 12-24 hours.
• Ibuprofen (Advil, Excedrin, Motrin) is ideal for ankle injuries because it acts as both a pain medicine and a medicine to keep inflammation down.

Medical Treatment

• Doctors usually place a splint on your injured ankle for a few days to 2 weeks until the swelling goes down around the joint. The type of fracture and the stability of your joint will determine the type of splint that will be used.
• If your bones are not aligned properly, the doctor may realign them before placing the splint.
  • If the bones cannot be realigned properly in the emergency department, then you may require an operation.
  • An operation will also be needed if any bone has broken through the skin. If the bone breaks through the skin, the fracture is then called a compound fracture. This is more serious than a simple fracture.
• Some minor ankle fractures do not require a splint or cast. In these cases the fracture will be managed as an ankle sprain.
  • Because these fractures are very small, they heal well with this management.
  • With any injured ankle, however, you should not bear weight until a cast is placed or you are pain free.
• After the swelling decreases and you are reexamined, then an orthopedic doctor or your primary care doctor may place a better-fitting cast on the ankle. Depending on the type of fracture, you may be placed in a walking cast, which can bear some weight, or you may still need a non-weight-bearing cast that will require the use of crutches to help you walk.
• Depending on the degree of pain you are experiencing, your doctor may give you prescription-strength pain medication. These should be used only as needed. You should not drive or operate heavy machinery while using these medications.