Bone experts! Can you walk on a broken/fractured ankle?

[Simba's Mom]

Help! Here's what happened. My Mom Emailed me this morning (77yo w/osteoporosis) and told me she fell very hard, tripped over something, hurt her knees and "folded" her ankle. She's very stubborn and won't go to a doctor (and from 2000 miles away, it's hard for me to force her), even though her knees and ankle are extremely tender and swollen. Besides, she says, nothing can be broken since she can still walk on it. I'm thinking that's not a good indicator-after all, say your bone is 1" in diameter, and you fracture 1/2" through, you're walking on 1/2" of bone. You're actually at risk of the bone breaking all the way through. And as far as the ankle, there are so many bones there, she could have broken one and still be able to walk. Does this make sense? Can you really not walk on your ankle or use your knees if you've broken a bone?

 

[piglet too]

Well, in my non-medical opinion, sure you can walk on a broken bone. I learned back in college that a sprained ankle can hurt worse than a broken one. To be on the safe side, she should really have it x-rayed. I am not as sure about walking with a broken knee-cap, but I have seen guys walk around with just three of the four ligaments torn.

I hope she is feeling better soon!

 

[minniecarousel]

I'm not a "bone expert" (I'm a retired X-ray Technician), but Yes, many times you CAN walk with a broken bone. At times, a patient walked into the X-ray room and were a little puzzled when I insisted on "wheeling" them out! Since I couldn't be the one to tell them that they had broken their ankle, I just would tell them that I could see it hurt, so wanted to spare them any more pain!
She HAS to go to the doctor for X-rays! That is the only way to know for sure that it is/isn't broken!

 

[bananiem]

Yep, I had a hairline fracture in my hip and walked out of the ER. Until the radiologist came back after the weekend and reviewed the x-rays from the weekend and called us back.
Tell her to get it x-rayed. Better to be safe than sorry. It's better to get it set, than to have to have surgery to have pins and screws placed in there. I speak from experience.

 

[rascalmom]

Yes! I broke my ankle stepping off a curb last October. It hurt like heck & swelled up immediately. I knew I had at least sprained it badly & barely managed to (stupidly) drive myself home. I later went by my chiro's office, whe x-rayed it, ADJUSTED it (he thought it was just sprained), and sent me home. Two weeks later when it was still practically black & the size of my knee, I went to a foot & ankle specialist. I had fractured the tibia & they immediately put me in a brace. The ankle wasn't healing right & I had to wear the brace for an extended time (just got out of it in June) & use a bone stimulator. I really think the problem with healing was because I hobbled around on it so long. Please encourage her to get a GOOD x-ray (not at the chiropractor like me!) to find out if she needs treatment. Prayers & pixie dust for your Mom's speedy healing.

 

[totalia]

It sounds like its just a really bad sprain. She should still go to the doctor though.

I ended up on crutches for two weeks when I did almost exactly that.

If is broken, she will feel an agonizing stabbing pain and pain will shoot like fire through the area that is much deeper than just muscle hurt.

If its just a throbbing ache, its the muscle and/or tendons.

This is what my doctor and physiotherapist told me and they've been right so far.

If she feels the stabbing pain or the fire pain then she needs to go to the doctor now.

 

[golfgal]

It sounds like its just a really bad sprain. She should still go to the doctor though.

I ended up on crutches for two weeks when I did almost exactly that.

If is broken, she will feel an agonizing stabbing pain and pain will shoot like fire through the area that is much deeper than just muscle hurt.

If its just a throbbing ache, its the muscle and/or tendons.

This is what my doctor and physiotherapist told me and they've been right so far.

If she feels the stabbing pain or the fire pain then she needs to go to the doctor now.

This is true to a point. If it is a non-weight bearing bone, you won't get shooting pain when you walk on it. THere are so many bones in your ankle that you could easily fracture one and not know it. With osteo, she should at least call her dr and see what the dr says. Chances are she will listen to the dr before she will listen to you.

 

[Patty3]

I broke my ankle three years ago while out on my daily walk. It hurt, but I was able to walk about a half a mile back home. That night I took some Tylenol and went to bed. The ankle was pretty swollen and I was convinced that I had just sprained it. I went to work the next day and the ankle was flapping. I decided I needed to get to the ER, coworkers were insistent, and I did have a broken ankle which required surgery. I was in denial because I could walk and was not in that much pain. I would recommend that the ankle be looked at. I am not an expert just going by my experience.

 

[wvrevy]

I broke my ankle during tech school in the Air Force. Didn't want to miss any class (as it would likely have resulted in getting "washed back" and having to spend more time there), so I didn't do anything about it for three days...days which included marching to and from the school on the other side of the base. It finally got so that I could barely get my ankle into my boot so I had to go to the doctor, where they told me I'd fractured it. So yes, it is possible to walk on a broken ankle.

 

[pattyT]

i would definately ask a professional.

 

[KellyLynn]

I fell in a gopher hole in Yellowstone National Park and continued to walk around for another 6 hours till my mom brought me to the medical center in the park. I had what was called an evolsion(sp) fracture but it was so swollen by that point i could not get a cast.


I broke my ankle 3 other times after that and sprained it more times then I can count. I ended up having to get apin in it because it was just so weak.


So I am another one that sys yes you can walk on a broken ankle.