Introduction
An external ankle fracture is a fracture of the fibula in the area of the ankle. This fracture occurs mainly when the foot is bent and a high force is applied. The external ankle fracture is a common sports injury, especially in sports with abrupt stopping movements and short sprints.
This fracture occurs in both older and younger people and is accompanied by severe, stabbing pain. In addition to the external ankle fracture, the sensitive ligaments of the ankle can also tear when the foot is bent. There are also combined inner and outer ankle fractures.
Symptoms
A leading symptom of an external ankle fracture is severe pain immediately after the trauma. This pain usually exists at rest, but it can mainly be caused by stress on the foot or passively by pressure on the ankle. Due to the pain and the fracture of the ankle, the occurrence with the foot and thus walking is difficult or even impossible.
Sometimes an external ankle fracture is also conspicuous by an abnormal position of the ankle. This abnormal position can be accompanied by a displacement of the fractured ankle in relation to the foot, i.e. instability and excessive mobility of the foot, which would not be possible with an intact ankle. In addition, so-called crepitations, i.e. sounds caused by rubbing the bone, indicate the presence of an external ankle fracture.
The crepitations are either caused by an active attempt to move the foot or can also be caused by its passive movement. These crepitations are on the one hand audible, but on the other hand can also be felt as rubbing with the hand on the ground. Within minutes up to hours after the trauma, injury to the blood vessels around the ankle leads to bleeding under the skin and consequently to swelling of the ankle and later to the formation of a haematoma.
If the fracture of the outer ankle also injures nerves, the skin in the area of the foot may become sensitised. Sometimes an external ankle fracture is also conspicuous by an abnormal position of the ankle. This abnormal position can be accompanied by a displacement of the fractured ankle in relation to the foot, i.e. instability and excessive mobility of the foot, which would not be possible with an intact ankle.
In addition, so-called crepitations, i.e. sounds caused by rubbing the bone, indicate the presence of an external ankle fracture. The crepitations are either caused by an active attempt to move the foot or can also be caused by its passive movement. These crepitations are on the one hand audible, but on the other hand can also be felt as rubbing with the hand on the ground. Within minutes up to hours after the trauma, injury to the blood vessels around the ankle leads to bleeding under the skin and consequently to swelling of the ankle and later to the formation of a haematoma. If the fracture of the outer ankle also injures nerves, the skin in the area of the foot may become sensitised.
