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If you believe you have a hairline fracture, it’s important to seek treatment from your doctor as soon as possible. See a doctor if there is obvious deformity, if the pain and swelling don't get better with self-care, or if the pain and swelling get worse over time. Fractures can range from tiny cracks in your bones to breaks that pierce your skin. A fall or blow to your ankle can break one or more of the three bones in your ankle joint the fibula, the tibia and the talus. Rolling your ankle can cause a break in the knobby bumps at the end of the tibia and fibula. Broken ankles are usually caused by a rotational injury, where the ankle becomes twisted, turned or rolled while walking or running, such as during sports activity.
Identifying and Treating Hairline Fractures
Pro Runner Chris Derrick Fractures Ankle at Crim 10 Mile Race - Runner's World
Pro Runner Chris Derrick Fractures Ankle at Crim 10 Mile Race.
Posted: Wed, 28 Aug 2019 07:00:00 GMT [source]
If the hairline fracture develops into a larger break, surgery may be necessary to remove damage and reset the bone. Diagnosing a hairline ankle fracture often begins with a physical examination by an orthopedic doctor. The doctor will inspect the injured area and, likely, apply gentle pressure to see the effect. The doctor may order an MRI, bone scan, or X-ray to better understand the extent of your injury. Ankle fractures, known more commonly as a “broken ankle,” happen when there is a break in one or more of the bones that make up the ankle joint.
Can other conditions develop if hairline fractures aren’t treated?
Your doctor will perform a physical exam and review your medical history and general health, including diet, medications, and other risk factors. Bones adapt to increased forces through various activities, where new bones form to replace old bone. When the breakdown of bone happens more rapidly than new bone can form, the likelihood of developing a hairline fracture increases. An overuse or repetitive activity, or an increase in either the duration or frequency of activity, can result in a hairline fracture.
Mayo Clinic Press
A hairline fracture, also known as a stress fracture, is any of your bones receiving a small crack, or even an acute bruise. The damage may be instant but mostly occurs over time, due to repetitive tasks where the injury first appeared. Hairline fractures are commonly found in legs and feet among athletes, but anyone can get them, especially if they have osteoporosis. The sesamoids are two small bones located in the ball of the foot, beneath the joint of the big toe. These bones act as a pulley for the muscles that power the big toe and help it move normally when walking and running. These small bones can sometimes be affected by stress fractures.
Ankle Injuries and Disorders
It’s not always easy to know if that pain in your ankle means your ankle is sprained or broken. And if your ankle is broken, you probably won’t know if you’ve broken more than one bone until your healthcare provider can take a look. Ankle injuries are among the most common of the bone and joint injuries. Often, the degree of pain, the inability to walk, or concern that a bone may be broken is what might cause you to seek care in an emergency situation.
Symptoms
A bone scan involves receiving a small dose of radioactive material through a vein. But because this test will indicate an increased blood supply to a particular area, it won’t specifically prove there’s a hairline fracture. MRI is the best imaging test for determining hairline fractures. This test uses magnets and radio waves to provide your bone images. If you believe you have a hairline fracture, it’s important to seek treatment from an orthopedic physician as soon as possible. Staying active helps to stimulate the recovery process, so non-weight bearing activities, such as swimming or cycling, are also encouraged.
Do I need to see a doctor for a hairline ankle fracture?
Some airline fractures can require injury, which can be supported by adding a type of fastener that can use pins and screws to hold bones together. It is essential to contact your doctor if you need further hairline fracture ankle treatment and the pain becomes too severe to treat. Orthopedic physicians describe hairline or stress fractures as tiny cracks that develop on bones in the foot or lower leg. A common injury in runners, gymnasts, and dancers, anyone can develop a hairline fracture through repetitive jumping or running. Individuals with osteoporosis also are at risk for hairline fractures. The most common cause of ankle hairline fracture can be overuse of repetitive activity.
Treatment options for hairline fracture
In some cases — for instance, if you are a high-level athlete — your doctor may speak to you about surgical options to stabilize the bone and increase the healing potential. Surgery may involve placement of a screw, bone grafting, or a combination or plates and screws. To obtain the best outcome, it is very important to follow the post-surgical activity restrictions that your doctor recommends.
Make twice the impact
Nondisplaced fractures are those in which affected bones did not shift out of place. Open or compound fractures happen when wounded bone sustains significant abnormal shifts and might break through the skin or other structures like soft tissues and blood vessels. Ankle fractures occur when one of these bones sustains some type of breakage. With rest and rehabilitation, fractures generally don’t develop complications.
A hairline fracture typically results from injury and can cause swelling and tenderness. If you suspect that you may have fractured your ankle, schedule an appointment with Florida Orthopaedic Institute. Our professionals are fellowship trained and up to date on the latest medical research to provide tailored treatment to fit your needs. Research shows that the biggest risk factor of a fibula fracture is low bone mass. Low bone mass increases the amount of stress or trauma on the fibula.
At Yale Medicine, orthopedic surgeons from our Foot & Ankle Surgery Program are experienced in treating all types of ankle fractures. Large bone fractures or breaks are generally the result of some kind of trauma, such as an accident or fall. By contrast, hairline fractures develop gradually as a result of overuse. As such, hairline fractures are extremely common in sports that involve repetitive running or jumping. Typically, hairline ankle fractures occur at the end(s) of your leg bones where they connect with the talus to form the ankle joint. The leg bone ends are known as the medial malleolus of the tibia, or shin bone, and the lateral malleolus of the fibula.
For example, if you have a blister, bunion, or tendonitis, it can affect how you put weight on your foot when you walk or run. This may alter your weightbearing mechanics, leading to more weight and pressure than usual on certain bones. For example, stress fractures are more common in the winter months, when Vitamin D is lower in the body. Less commonly, people may have fractures of the fourth and fifth metatarsals, causing pain on the outside of the foot. For the first 24 to 48 hours, keep the area elevated and apply ice to reduce the swelling. After around two weeks you can begin gradually introducing weight-bearing activities again.
Treatments for a broken ankle will vary, depending on which bone has been broken and the severity of the injury. Your doctor will examine the injury site and test your reaction to pressure. You may be sent for an MRI, x-ray or nuclear bone scan to confirm the diagnosis. Ankle fractures can take up to 8 weeks to heal, but this does not mean that eight weeks can suggest pain-free and non-weighted bearing on the fracture.
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