Sprained or broken ankle anyone?

[Pugrpooh]

Sunday night I fell down the last 2 steps to the basement. My ankle turned inward and cracked as I fell on it. It hurt, swelled up some and I took some naproxen sodium for it.

Monday morning I talked to a friend who is an orthopedic surgeon. I told him the swelling had gone down a bit, and he told me that it wasn't broken then, because a break would keep bleeding and keep the swelling up. He told me to give it a day or two and if it didn't feel better he would xray it. I can put a bit more weight on it today and it's still swollen and painful, but it does feel a bit better.

I've heard that with hairline fractures, the xray won't show anything until the calcification starts with the healing. I asked my friend and he didn't say one way or the other. He just said he would xray it for me if I wanted him to.

I had a broken bone in my foot once and walked around on it for about 3 weeks because the first doctor told me it was tendonitis and it would go away.

Does anybody have any experience like this? My sister had a broken ankle and the doctor told her she couldn't put ANY weight on it for at least 6 weeks. I don't want anyone to tell me that!

Thanks for your help!

Lynn

 

[irishbosoxfan]

Hi! I fell down the outside back concrete stairs of our house while carrying my DD then 2 at the time.
I threw my top body backwards so as not to lose her or land on her.
My left leg pretty much stayed where it was and I slide down the rest of the stairs on it.
I went to work and worked all day as a waitress then managed to get an appointment 3 days later--I worked all 3 of those days
When they xrayed they found that I broke 3 of the small bones around my ankle
My foot swelled up quite a bit when I took my shoe off after work the first night but it went down some by the next day and when I got to the doctor it was swollen but nowhere near where it was the first night and it barely bruised.
I got an air cast for it but only wore it at home since working with it was a pain in the butt

 

[jipsy]

A few examples:

A few years ago, I missed the last step and as I fell, heard a slight pop as my ankle/foot twisted. Went to the bathroom and the top of my foot was already swelling. Limped back to the hotel (I was at Disney btw) and threw it up on some pillows and went to sleep. The next morning my friend simpilotswife took me to the ER and I had fractured the outside bone on my right foot. Spent 8 weeks waiting on it to heal. That was in December.

Second: The very next August I am out powerwalking with my boyfriend, when I twist my ankle and fall. Heard a very loud audible POP and my ankle swelled horribly. Made an assumption I had broken my foot again. It was a Sunday, so I iced it and waited until the next day to go to the Dr. Turned out it was a bad sprain, but the doc told me that loud POP was a ligament stretching and popping back into place.

Third: Years ago we were all playing basketball. One guy twisted his ankle and a loud pop. His ankle swelled immediately. Took him to the ER and he definitely had broken his ankle.

Moral: Don't mess around looking for people who play doctor on the DIS. Go get an x-ray.

 

[bballmom56]

Ironic you should post this. DH just rolled his last night. We have a LOT of experience with sprained ankles since DS17 rolled his badly 3 years ago, plays basketball, and it is always an issue. Matter of fact he rolled it again (for about the 10th time!) in a game Friday night. Our routine is RICE - rest, ice compression, elevation. Since we iced DH's last night and this morning, he stayed off it as much as he could and kept it elevated, and I did a figure-8 wrap with an ace bandage, he can use it a little better today. It is still quite swollen and he should stay off it, though. We debated about getting it xrayed, but we really feel it is a severe sprain. These take a LONG time to heal, so be prepared. I actually broke the very small bone on the outside of the foot by rolling it - no swelling or bruising, also really not much they could do for it. Good luck with yours and if you have any concern, be sure to go to the doctor.

 

[Poohnatic]

I agree that you should get it checked out. I heard a loud pop when I sprained mine, but it was just a bad sprain. My sister heard the same pop and fractured her ankle. Soooo, pops can be bones or ligaments.

(I was on crutches for about three weeks)

Suzanne

 

[Pugrpooh]

Thanks, everyone, for your quick replies! I will probably have it xrayed, but I know when my sister had hers xrayed at first, nothing showed up. I don't want to have to go twice to the doctor! I'm just wondering how long it will take to show up on an xray if it is a hairline fracture?

Lynn

 

[rascalmom]

I have WAY too much experience with this!

October of 2004 I twisted both ankles stepping off of a curb. I really couldn't put any weight on my right one. Went by a doctor friend's office & had an xray done - they said it wasn't broken, just badly sprained. They wrapped it & sent me home. Three weeks later I was still having quite a bit of pain, so I went to see a foot & ankle specialist. They re-xrayed. Sure enough, I had a hairline fracture. I ended up in a boot for several weeks.

Fast forward to October 2005. I was walking to my friend's car & got my foot into some soft dirt at the new house we were looking at - fell again. This time my ankle & leg were very obviously pointing in different & unnatural directions. Complete dislocated fracture of the tib/fib. Ouch. Surgery. Pins. Plates. Scars. Major limping. I don't recommend this! I will be having another (hopefully) corrective surgery soon.

Best of luck to you! I hope it is NOT broken - but I would go get a good xray to find out for sure.

 

[minkydog]

Ha! i fractured both bones in my lower leg Thanksgiving day. Yep, I fell, heard the pop, ankle swelled up . Since I could walk on it, I assumed it was a bad sprain. After 6 days of walking around on it(at a campground, no less!) it was still swollen so I went to the doctor. That bought me some time in a short-leg cast and several weeks on crutches. I am just now getting out of the brace and i have some PT ahead of me.

Get an Xray, please

 

[Micca]

Whether it's a sprain or a break if you have the doc check it out at least you can get treatment for the swelling and pain. That would be worth it to me.Good luck and I hope you feel better soon.

 

[mickeyfan2]

I would get an xray.