Rehabilitation after an ankle fracture

With an ankle fracture, patients often turn to a traumatologist. Anyone can face this problem, regardless of age. Walking on stairs and uneven pavement, jumping from a height, wearing high heeled shoes can all lead to an ankle fracture. The fracture can be closed or open, without displacement and with displacement, with dislocation or subluxation. The correct diagnosis can be found on the x-ray, on the basis of which the doctor will prescribe treatment.

Features of the recovery period

After the procedures for applying plaster on the injured part of the leg, the patient will have to undergo rehabilitation. After an ankle fracture, the patient will walk in a plaster cast for some time. After the removal of the plaster at the fracture site, there may be swelling of the soft tissues, since as a result of a long period of immobility, the blood in the vessels has stagnated, and the muscles have atrophied. At first, it is difficult and unusual for the patient to step on the injured leg, because of this, the gait may be disturbed.

In order for the rehabilitation to be successful, it is necessary to avoid strong physical exertion on the lower limbs, rely more on a healthy leg. After an ankle fracture, the recovery period can take up to two months.

A plan of treatment procedures after an ankle fracture is drawn up by a doctor based on an x-ray, the presence of displacement in the joint. Rehabilitation includes a set of measures that are effective not only after the removal of the cast, but also during the period of wearing a plaster cast: physiotherapy, exercise therapy, massage.

exercise therapy

Recovery of the ankle joint depends on the quality of blood circulation and the degree of swelling in the injured limb. After an ankle fracture, after a week of wearing a cast, you can begin to perform light exercises.

To knead the toes, you need to move them for 5-10 minutes several times a day. Flexion and extension of the toes will help improve the blood flow in the foot. Such gymnastics is carried out both in a sitting and in a lying position. To diversify the exercise, you can grab small objects spread out on the floor with your toes (pencil, piece of rag, etc.).

The next exercise is to spread the toes of the feet in different directions. You can make circular movements, bend and unbend your feet. To make the movements more rhythmic, you should take a rolling pin or a small ball and roll the object across the floor. The most important requirement of the exercise is to perform it slowly so as not to cause pain.

During the day, it is necessary to give a load to the muscles of the legs several times, alternately tensing and relaxing them in the thigh and lower leg. In one approach, you can do 20-30 times.

The next exercise is done while standing on a healthy leg. The patient, holding on to the bed, raises the affected leg forward or to the side as high as possible, holding it for a short while, then lowers it. If the condition allows, you can perform leg swings back and forth, to the sides. The amount varies from 5 to 10 times in one approach, three times a day.

After removing the cast, walking on toes, on heels, walking up the stairs should be added to these exercises.

At first, it is recommended to avoid excessive load on the sore leg. You can not jump, run, ride a bicycle, as well as engage in active sports. It is advisable to use gentle physical therapy, which will help restore the injured leg and avoid further complications.

Massage

After an ankle fracture, due to forced inactivity of the lower limb, blood circulation may be disturbed, which negatively affects the healing process and bone fusion. Therefore, the patient is prescribed a massage that will help relieve swelling, normalize the metabolism in the joint and muscles, and accelerate the restoration of joint functions.

Massage is part of the mandatory rehabilitation procedures after an ankle fracture. You can do it yourself, but it is better to trust a specialist. They massage not only the ankle and foot, but also the calves.

First, the sore leg needs to be warmed up, this is done with soft stroking movements. Then the lower limb begins to rub and knead. Massage is performed with circular and flexion-extensor movements. At first, the patient may feel pain, but these sensations gradually disappear as blood flow increases in the articular part. To prevent pain, rubbing is carried out on the basis of anesthetic creams.

After a massage session, it is advisable to apply a bandage from an elastic bandage to the ankle area.

Physiotherapy

An ankle fracture always ends with a plaster cast. Therefore, the injured joint needs more time to recover. Rehabilitation necessarily includes physiotherapy that will help improve blood flow, relieve swelling of soft tissues, improve metabolic processes and dissolve the hematoma.

The appointment of magnetic therapy will help accelerate the healing and scarring of damaged tissues.

The electrophoresis procedure with calcium preparations is based on the action of an electric current, the strength of which contributes to the effective restoration of a damaged joint.

A good effect is given by warming procedures - ozocerite, paraffin and mud applications. Thanks to them, metabolic processes in the body are accelerated, swelling decreases, pain disappears.

The UVR procedure is aimed at enhancing the production of vitamin D in the body and improving the regeneration of joint tissues.

Physiotherapy after an ankle fracture may include procedures: UHF, extracorporeal shock wave therapy, infrared laser therapy, warm baths.

A suitable treatment is selected and prescribed by a physiotherapist, taking into account indications and contraindications.

Features of the recovery period for a complex fracture

A long and difficult recovery is necessary for injuries with displacement of the bones. A trimalleolar fracture is characterized by a displacement of the inner and outer ankle and a fracture of the tibia. Rehabilitation with such damage will be longer, and its timing will depend on how seriously the vessels and nerve endings were injured.

Fracture symptoms:

• sharp pain in the foot, aggravated by the load on the leg;
• deformed shape of the foot;
• noticeable bruising, hematoma;
• severe swelling at the site of injury, swelling of the joint;
• a wound may open due to displacement of the ankle bones;
• inability to move fingers;
• pale skin above the fracture site.

To restore the bone, the patient undergoes an operation: bone fragments are compared and fixed with plaster for better fusion.

If the bones do not fit correctly, one of them may become subluxated. To prevent the bones from fusing in this position, a second operation is performed.

The plaster bandage will have to be worn for a month and a half. To facilitate walking, a special stirrup is applied, crutches are prescribed so as not to put a load on the sore leg.

Rehabilitation after a displaced ankle fracture includes the same activities as with a conventional fracture: massage, exercise therapy, physiotherapy. 

Treatment of a patient after an ankle fracture will be more effective if a special diet is followed. The diet should contain foods rich in calcium, phosphorus, iron, as well as vitamins and mineral complexes: dairy products (cottage cheese, cheese, milk, kefir), meat, jelly, fish of various varieties, eggs, nuts and seeds (hazelnuts, walnuts nuts, pistachios, almonds, sesame), cereals (oats, barley), legumes (soybeans, beans, peas), vegetables and leafy greens (white cabbage, broccoli, sorrel, spinach), fruits and citrus fruits, marmalade.

Rehabilitation after an ankle fracture at home

The patient and at home should perform physical therapy exercises daily, do a light ankle massage with rubbing movements. After removing the plaster, the patient is recommended to fix at least once a day

injured limb with an elastic bandage. It is better to do this in the morning after waking up, when there is no puffiness yet. The bandage is applied in the form of a boot, starting from the lower part of the foot to the upper third of the lower leg.

In some cases, the doctor may recommend that the patient wear special orthopedic shoes to fix the leg in the correct position.

At first, you should avoid loading the injured leg, use it sparingly. Running, dancing, brisk walking, cycling, jumping, active sports remain banned, as they can increase pain and lead to possible complications.

Terms of rehabilitation

Patients often worry about how long after an ankle fracture you can return to your normal lifestyle. The duration of recovery is affected by the age of patients, the strict implementation of the prescribed treatment, and following the prescribed recommendations. Thanks to a complex of therapeutic measures for a fracture without displacement, a period established by medicine is required - about two months. During this time, the functions of the ankle joint are almost completely restored. In some patients, especially those who have been diagnosed with a three-malleolar fracture with subluxation, rehabilitation may take years. The terms vary from 3 months to 2-3 years.

Possible complications after a fracture

The fusion of the ankle bones does not always proceed correctly. This is influenced by the following factors: late access to a doctor, inaccurate diagnosis, incorrectly prescribed treatment, the patient's frivolous approach to treatment, non-compliance with the doctor's recommendations. Recovery can be hampered by the patient's existing contraindications to certain medical procedures: massage and physiotherapy. It is forbidden to massage in cases of severe general condition, a tendency to hemorrhages, the presence of malignant neoplasms, during pregnancy. All this can lead to complications: constant pain, swelling of the joint, subluxation, joint degeneration, lameness, improper bone fusion.

Violation of the mobility of the foot can be observed due to the development of deforming arthrosis. The patient may even be issued an appropriate disability group, since the ability to walk normally is lost.

A fracture of the ankle joint is a rather severe injury, as a result of which the lifestyle worsens, the patient temporarily leaves the usual rhythm of life. Timely treatment, proper rehabilitation after an ankle fracture will help restore and resume the motor activity of the injured limb. Full recovery depends on the patient himself, his compliance with the recommendations and the passage of the entire course of treatment.