Ankle avulsion fracture

[eclipse]

Rolled my ankle last Saturday…. Sigh… instant massive pain and “that cracking noise”.,., in a walking cast with no weight bearing until recheck Tuesday afternoon as they can’t tell if it needs surgery yet! Feels better but still swollen and sore on the bone! this is the wording on the report … anyone recovered quickly and easily with this ? I’m leaving on vacation sept 20 and do not need this lol

FINDINGS:

Soft tissue prominence about the ankle joint and hindfoot, which is most pronounced laterally in keeping with the acute injury.

Tiny ossicle adjacent to the tip of the lateral malleolus. This perhaps represents an acute fracture fragment in the setting of a high-grade ligament avulsion injury. Alternatively, this may represent sequelae of a prior avulsion injury.

The ankle mortise is congruent.

[red_mares]

Good Luck

Got this tee shirt. It seems counterintuitive, but the fracture is a minor issue. The big thing is soft tissue damage. If they want to do surgery, go for it. A friend and I originally tore up ankles at the same time. His was repaired surgically, mine wasn’t. He’s had no problems with his ankle, mine is a wreck 15 years later.

I’ve found that the stupid, tacky, plastic canvas kits are great when you are stuck on the couch. Minimal skill required and you end up with something your grandmother could have made.

[cayuse]

I had an ankle avulsion, rolled my ankle out in the barn. Was sent home with an inflatable air cast which I wore for about 2-3 weeks. I healed up well but once in a blue moon, it will twinge just enough to let me know it’s there.
I did have x-rays for my arthritis several years ago and got an immediate call back, they thought it was a new fx and wanted to send me immediately to an ortho surgeon. She had a good laugh when I told her the new fx was about 19 years old.
Jingles for a good outcome!

[eclipse]

Thanks sounds very similar!

[Cassi1125]

I was helping a friend move and missed a step on the stairs and saw my right ankle briefly at an angle at which it should not have been, as well as wrenching the opposite knee. Fortunately, I live near a major hospital that has a satellite ortho/sports med center. Got an appt quickly; all xrays were relatively negative. Because they weren’t sure about one possible area, thinking it may have been something similar to what you have, they recommended a scan, which I eventually got (courtesy of a by-accident meeting with a sports medicine chiropractor that works out of my health supplements store), and which scan showed lots of soft tissue damage (yay!). The tiny potential fx was non-displaced and, with care, would not require surgery. Sports med/chiro got me on a series of redlight therapy and exercises, and also recommended a different supporting brace. In early June, I did a less traumatic ankle-roll on the opposite ankle, but I had all the tools to get me back up and running. The first ankle has not given me any trouble, and that is since 2021.

[eclipse]

Re xrayed this afternoon,….looks like this was not a new break but a 20 yr old avulsion fracture that’s been irritated with a grade 3 ATFL (Anterior Talofibular Ligament) tear. So I can at least get rid of the crutches, start weight bearing without the boot in my house and use it to go outside. Then in another week I just need to go into a supportive ankle brace. I can also start physio on it ASAP! And once I can jump up and down, 10 times with non pain I can ride again. Best news as I’ve been missing riding…I started at a new barn last Christmas and I don’t show anymore but get to hack lots of my barn mates lovely horses, so I’m missing that!

Could take a few months but phew….

[red_mares]

Don’t get too cockey. A grade 3 sprain is no joke; it’s a full tear. I’m shocked they told you you could go without the boot. Good luck, but I’d be looking for a second opinion & an MRI. What they are telling you doesn’t jive with grade 3 sprain.

[Cassi1125]

I’d be careful and go slow. I’m nearly two months out from my latest ankle roll and am just now thinking about getting on a horse. (My first test was whether I could point my toe to get into a boot. That just happened last week. Second test is how does my ankle hold up over several days to a week of regular day-to-day (incl. out at the barn) without wearing the slip-on ankle support wrap. Started that this past Sunday. So far, so good.)

[eclipse]

Thanks all. I did go to my physio guy today and we are going to take it slow….im thinking I probably won’t get back on a horse until after my vacation at the end of September….i want to be good for that!