Is a fractured ankle the same as a broken ankle??**Updated concern**

[Kitty 34]

I'm a little confused.

My youngest DS injured his ankle yesterday playing basketball. The school nurse said it looked like it was broken so we went right to ER. It was very swollen by the time we got there and my DS was in a LOT of pain. The ER nurse looked at it and also said wow, it definetly looks broken and gets Danny ready to go for an X-ray.

We waited a while after his X-ray and finally the ER doctor came in. He says it's not broken, just sprained and to go home ice it and keep off of it for a couple of days.

Well....fast forward to this afternoon. The nurse from ER calls this afternoon and tells my son (I'm at work) that it's fractured and there's a chip in the fracture and the ER doctor says he should stay off of it longer.

So is a fracture a break? Should I call our doctor on Monday or continue to treat it like a sprain???

 

[Horseshoes]

That is very strange. I would call your pediatrician and get a referral for a orthopedist.

He may have to wear one of those boots or have it casted.

I would definately be getting a second opinion

 

[msdznyduck]

Fracture = break.....see an orthopedic dr to be sure.(make sure you get the x-rays and bring them with you....not just a written report) DD has a good one right now, just a bad sprain, but we have an appointment, with x-rays next week. IN the meantime, she has crutches, ice when she feels too swollen, ibuprophen to help with the inflammation.

 

[Hannathy]

A fracture is a broken bone. A sprain is an injury to the soft tissue surrounding the bone. You need to call the hospital tomorrow and get the final word and instructions. If it is fractured it will need set or casted. Until you speak to a dr. do not put weight on the ankle keep it elevated and Ice it, I may try calling tonight. Many times an ER dr. is not good at reading xrays and a radiologist always reads them later and this is when it was probably diagnosed. You need more information ASAP.

 

[Kitty 34]

A fracture is a broken bone. A sprain is an injury to the soft tissue surrounding the bone. You need to call the hospital tomorrow and get the final word and instructions. If it is fractured it will need set or casted. Until you speak to a dr. do not put weight on the ankle keep it elevated and Ice it, I may try calling tonight. Many times an ER dr. is not good at reading xrays and a radiologist always reads them later and this is when it was probably diagnosed. You need more information ASAP.

That must be what happened. The ER doctor seemed so "for sure" when he gave the diagnosis so that's why we're surprised and confused at the news today. I wish I had been home to ask the nurse more about the diagnosis.

Yes, I will definetly be calling for different instructions.

 

[Pin Wizard]

If I remember correctly from personal experience, a fracture is a crack in the bone, not a complete break. He chipped his bone, too! Definitely an orthopaedic doc for him.

Hope he's feeling better soon!

 

[phillybeth]

This type of frature is a complication of the sprain. When the ligament stretches or rips, it can rip off a piece of the bone it is attached to. It is NOT the kind of fracture/broken bone that requires a cast, but he should wear an immobilizer and keep his weight off of it. I would see an orthopedist to be on the safe side.

 

[Divamomto3]

I'm interested to know how old your son is. I'm shocked that they would give him the information over the phone without speaking to an adult if he's under 18. What if he never told you?
Fracture=broken bone and you definitely need an orthopedic surgeon to consult. I'm appalled at your hospital! Good luck to you and I hope your DS feels less pain soon!

 

[meeshi]

This type of frature is a complication of the sprain. When the ligament stretches or rips, it can rip off a piece of the bone it is attached to.

This happened to my ds about a year ago, the orthopedist put him in a walking cast.

 

[Allie322]

When you go for your appt. with the orthopedist, be sure to bring the Xrays from the ER with you. Typically the ortho will take another set of Xrays and then want to compare the two to be sure that nothing has become misaligned in the interim.
Good luck!

 

[Kitty 34]

When you go for your appt. with the orthopedist, be sure to bring the Xrays from the ER with you. Typically the ortho will take another set of Xrays and then want to compare the two to be sure that nothing has become misaligned in the interim.
Good luck!

Yes I agree!! He's 6'4 and the "interim" between thinking it was a sprain and finding out later it was a fracture was over 24 hours! That's what I'm worried about is that with his height and weight he might be messing it up more with no real support on it.

Divamomto3 my son is 17.

 

[ducklite]

Poor kid, I hope he mends soon!

Anne

 

[Desnik]

I have had both a fractured ankle and a badly sprained ankle. Actually both were to the same ankle years apart! I just wanted to tell you to definately see an Orthopedist! When I fractured my ankle it was right before my Sweet 16 and I did not want to cancel my big party anf my big weekend out. I was a stupid kid and refused the cast. Well, a year later I had damaged it so badly by not taking care of it I had to have it operated on to repair all the damage! It was not fun! It hurt so bad, till this day it's still not right. When I had sprained the ankle I had to have an air cast. 2 different injuries requiring different treatment so it is so important for you to find out which one it is to treat it properly and prevent further damage! Good luck and I really feel for your DS. It is painful, try to keep him off of it.

 

[Disney Doll]

A fracture and a break are the same thing. A sprain is different.

A fracture/break involves injury to the bone, such as a crack, chip or clean break in half. A sprain is usually a soft tissue injury.

Often when an extremity is first injured, the swelling does not allow for a clear picture of a fracture/break, especially if it is a small fractiure. Sometimes, one physician may look at an x-ray and see a fracture and another may not. X-rays are only as good as the doctor who is reading them.

In any event, I'd make an appointment at an orthopedist, keep your DS off the affected leg as much as possible, elevate and ice it as much as possible. When he goes to the orthopedist, he/she will probalby want another x-ray...not a bad idea since the swelling is down now and they can see the area more clearly. More likely than not it will be casted or splinted in some way.

 

[Kitty 34]

Updated Concern---

His leg is now swollen up to his knee and of course his foot looks like a balloon. Is it normal tho for the swelling and bruising to be that far up his leg??

btw....thanks for all the info. I knew my DIS friends would help out with my worries and concerns!

 

[ducklite]

Updated Concern---

His leg is now swollen up to his knee and of course his foot looks like a balloon. Is it normal tho for the swelling and bruising to be that far up his leg??

btw....thanks for all the info. I knew my DIS friends would help out with my worries and concerns!

As the veteran of several breaks/fractures and sprains in my feet and ankles, this is very normal. Expect to see the skin look so dark blue/purple that it's almost black, with some interesting green color as well. A large part of the pain is the discomfort of the skin being soooo swollen.

Keep it up, iced for a couple days then switch to heat, and lots of Advil.

Anne

 

[lsyorke]

Get him to an orthopedic!! An unsupported fracture is nothing to play with. Ice is good but he needs to have this evaluated by an ortho!