Exercises to imitate | Bimalleolar ankle fracture treatment

Exercises to imitate

Some exercises to follow from the active follow-up treatment of bimalleolar ankle fracture are described below. The aim of the exercises is to rebuild surrounding, moving and supporting muscles, to increase the range of motion of the affected ankle joint and especially to train stability in order to avoid secondary injuries: You can find more exercises under: Exercises Ankle Joint Fracture

  • If the foot is fully resilient again, a wobble cushion is suitable for this purpose, or for at home simply a rolled up blanket. Try to balance on it with two legs first and then with one leg.

    If the one-legged balance is mastered, additional complications such as slight knee bends or distractions such as throwing and catching a ball can be added.

  • The ankle joint is primarily stabilized by the muscles of the lower leg. To strengthen them, a Thera band is suitable, which can be wrapped around the foot and kept under tension at the ends. Against the resistance, the foot is moved slowly and repeatedly in flexion, extension and lateral inclination.
  • Another simple home exercise is tiptoeing.

    To do this, stand on the lowest step of the stairs, one hand can easily support the railing. The heels now slowly sink down to the slight extension of the calves and finally press themselves slowly up again into the tiptoe position. Repeat the exercise a few times with both legs and then with one leg.

Healing time

The healing time of a bimalleolar ankle fracture depends on the type of fracture, concomitant injuries and individual state of health. There are, however, general guidelines that can be used as a rough guide. As mentioned above, each healing process takes place at different stages.

The inflammatory phase that initiates healing lasts about one week.

  • The so-called proliferation phase, in which new fibers are formed and the injured tissue grows back together, usually lasts up to six weeks, provided that no complications occur. Crutches are required until the end of this phase.

    From now on full weight bearing is permitted again.

  • In the last phase, the bone heals completely, which can take up to a year. However, in this phase hardly any complaints occur and the foot can be fully loaded and used normally again. Only a stabilization and coordination training should continue to be carried out regularly to minimize the risk of injury.