fracture of a bone
if a person breaks their ankle, and the bonesno longer line up with each other, a doctor may need to perform a surgical procedure toreposition and secure the bones. the ankle is the joint that connects the leg and thefoot. the ankle joint includes the two lower leg bones called the tibia and fibula, andthe ankle bone called the tailus. together, the end of the tibia and fibula create a whartosor “slot†for the talus which forms the bottom of the ankle joint. tissues calledligaments and tendons support the ankle bones. ligaments attach bones to bones, and tendonsattach muscles to bones. the ankle joint allows the foot to move up and down. ankle injuriesusually happen during athletic activities, falls, or car accidents. the most common typeof ankle fracture occurs when the foot turns
inward, and the ankle rotates outward. ifthe fracture is stable, the pieces of bone still line up in their normal position. inany type of fracture, more than one bone may break. in a displaced fracture, the piecesof bone no longer line up. if bone breaks through the skin, it’s known as a compoundor “open†fracture. in addition to broken bones, the ankle may be sprained. this meansthe ligaments have been stretched or torn. if the ankle is very swollen, the surgeonmay delay a surgical procedure to allow the swelling to go down. during this time, thesurgeon may put the ankle in a splint to provide support. during this time, the surgeon mayrecommend elevating the ankle above the level of the heart and applying ice to it. to treata stable ankle fracture, the healthcare provider
may put the leg in a cast or a boot to keepthe ankle from moving so that the bones can heal together. displaced and compound fractureswith multiple broken bones and torn ligaments may require a surgical procedure. the mostcommon surgical procedure to repair a displaced open fracture is called an open reductionwith internal fixation. to begin, the surgeon will make an incision over the area of thefracture. the surgeon will open up the area to feel the pieces of bone and line them backup with each other. a plate and screws will be used to keep them aligned. additional screwsmay be inserted through another incision to hold other fracture fragments in place. ifthe ligaments holding the tibia and fibula together are severly damaged, the surgeonwill place a screw through both bones, or
a suture device may be placed through bothbones. either of these devices will help hold the bones together while the ligaments heal.at the end of the procedure, the surgeon will close any skin incisions with stitches.
