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Hairline Ankle Fracture

Hairline Ankle Fracture picture

A hair line fracture is a minor fracture in which the bone fragments remain in alignment, appearing on x-ray film as a fine line.

Hairline Ankle Fracture

In the ankle, three different bones can be fractured:

The tibia — This is the larger of the two bones in the lower leg. The tibia's lower end flares out, forming a hard, bony knob, called the medial malleolus, that you can feel at the inside of your ankle.
The fibula — This is the thinner of the two bones of the lower leg. Its lower end forms a hard, bony knob, called the lateral malleolus, that you can feel at the outside of your ankle.
The talus — This is a wedge-shaped bone that is located deep inside the ankle, braced between the heel bone and the ends of the tibia and fibula. The talus supports the lower ends of the tibia and fibula, and it forms a solid base for the normal range of ankle movements.

Symptoms of Hairline Ankle Fracture

If you have a fractured ankle, your symptoms probably will include:

Pain, swelling, tenderness and bruising at your ankle joint
Inability to move your ankle through its normal range of motion
Inability to bear weight on your injured ankle — However, if you can bear weight on the ankle, don't assume there is no fracture.
In some cases, a "crack" or "snap" in the ankle at the time of injury
In open fractures, severe ankle deformity, with portions of the fractured bone visible through broken skin

Treatment of Hairline Ankle Fracture

If your Hairline 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 repair your fractured ankle surgically with special screws or wires. Injuries resulting in broken skin require antibiotics given intravenously (into a vein) to prevent infection.

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