Recovery after an ankle fracture

Violation of the integrity of the bones in the ankle is a severe injury, the healing and recovery of which takes a long time, is difficult and painful. The ankle joint is a powerful ligament, strong muscle, designed to support the weight of a person, while being able to move. The joint is assembled from three bones: talus, tibia, fibula. They are connected by ligaments. A fracture of one of the bones leads to the loss of mobility of the entire joint.

Rehabilitation after an ankle fracture

The recovery period depends on the severity of the injury to the lower leg. The causes of damage can be very different:

• Intentional impact with a heavy object;
• The man jumped from a height;
• During the fall, the leg turned up unsuccessfully, the whole weight of the body fell on it;
• A heavy object fell on my foot.

What does it feel like to have an ankle fracture?

• A pain syndrome appears in the leg, characterized as sharp, unexpected;
• In some cases, they talk about pain under the ankle;
• It is impossible to lean on the injured limb;
• Walking also becomes inaccessible;
• In the affected area, soft tissues begin to swell;
• A hematoma appears due to internal hemorrhage;
• On visual inspection, the wrong position of the leg joint is evident;
• With an open fracture, the presence of protruding fragments of damaged bones is not excluded.

Methods of initial therapy are selected depending on the site of the fracture, displacement, debris.

When an injury is accompanied by a displacement of the bones to the sides relative to each other, then you must first return the bones to their place and only then fix the damaged area. Recovery after an ankle fracture in this case will take around 60 days.

When the injury occurred with fragmentation of the bone tissue and the appearance of fragments, then surgery is preliminarily performed, upon the return of the fragments to their place. After the operation, the leg is fixed with a plaster cast. Then the leg will be immobilized for at least six months.

Helical injury to the leg requires 10 days on the hood, followed by examination and consultation. According to the results of x-rays, the trauma surgeon prescribes an operation where the bones will be brought together, fastened with a special plate.

To date, in traumatology, not only a plaster cast, but also a splint is used as a fixation and immobilization of the leg. It is a bandage that is impregnated with plaster. The splint is attached to the leg with bandages, allowing you to wear shoes and sanitize the leg.

If pain continues to be felt in the leg, then rehabilitation after a displaced ankle fracture should be carried out carefully and carefully. Since the bone tissue is only at the fusion stage, it is easy to damage it. Harm can be caused by any movement made carelessly or abruptly.

Therapeutic exercises should be carried out only under the supervision of a physician. When the bones become intact and the ligamentous apparatus is strong enough, it will be possible to practice at home.

Stages of the recovery period

In order for rehabilitation after a fracture of the lower leg with a displacement to be faster, certain rules must be followed, especially in the first time after surgery. The first two days the leg should be at rest. This applies to trauma, where the bones have changed their position relative to each other, and the existing fragments are connected with screws, staples, etc.

First stage

During the day, the injured leg should be lowered down so that blood circulation flows evenly to all areas. With constant pain, the doctor prescribes painkillers, analgesics. After surgery, treatment with antibiotics is continued to exclude the penetration of pathogenic bacteria and the development of infectious complications.

Starting from the fourth day, the patient must perform massage actions on his own. This contributes to the removal of puffiness after the installation of osteosynthesis equipment. Self-massage helps to restore nutrition in the tissues located at the site of damage. In order to recover as soon as possible after a fracture of the lower leg, medical equipment is used for physiotherapeutic measures:

• Impact on damaged areas with a high-frequency magnetic field;
• the use of magnetic low-frequency pulses;
• heating of the fracture site with laser therapy.

After 14 days, the doctor will prescribe additional manipulations for rehabilitation after an ankle fracture:

• electrophoresis. Medicinal ointment is applied to the liners attached to the electrodes. Under the influence of the current, the ointment penetrates deep into the damaged tissues and promotes the speedy healing;
• stimulating the work of the muscular apparatus by electrical stimulation;
• UVT. Impact on the injured area by applying impulses. This stimulates regeneration processes in muscles and bone tissues.

When the leg is fixed with a plaster bandage, the development of the ankle after the fracture is carried out by parts that have not undergone immobilization. You need to do the following exercises:

• Perform movement in the knee joint: rotate, bend, straighten:
• With the whole leg, try to do rotations in different directions;
• If possible, then regularly knead the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe lower leg where edematous phenomena are observed.

Second phase

In case of an ankle fracture, rehabilitation after the removal of the cast passes into a more active phase than with immobilization of the joint. The amplitude of movements increases, the load on the muscles becomes stronger. The patient is allowed to lean on the leg. This process is slow, with daily attempts and a gradual transfer of body weight to the damaged area. In the presence of puffiness, it is recommended to continue self-massage. Physiotherapy activities continue. The use of techniques allows you to speed up the process of bone fusion. Therapeutic gymnastics is made up of exercises that, according to the doctor, are most suitable for a particular patient. At the stage of rehabilitation, after a fracture of the lower leg, after removing the cast, it is recommended to perform the following exercises:

• Rotational movements of the leg first clockwise, then rotate counterclockwise;
• Develop the knee joint;
• Raise your left leg, then your right leg.

Third and final stage

There comes a period when the overgrowth of the crack is at the last stage. Exercises are prescribed with increased load. How to develop an ankle after a fracture, movements performed:

• Get on your heel and toe. Perform walking, rolling from heel to toe;
• During the movement, put the foot on the outer edge and continue walking, then change position and walk on the inner edge;
• Take steps to the right and left, legs wide apart;
• Regularly move up and down the stairs.

A visit to the massage room is carried out throughout the entire process of rehabilitation after a fracture. Manual manipulation of the ankle joint in combination with physiotherapy measures allows you to quickly restore full-fledged motor activity of the leg. Procedures continue:

• Use of UHF;
• Heating with laser equipment, thermal radiation;
• Ultrasound treatment;
• Mud therapy.

Physiotherapy

Exercise therapy after a fracture of the ankle is carried out under the supervision of a physician. Each exercise is coordinated with the attending doctor. An increase in the intensity of the load is possible only if there is a medical permission and indication. Failure to follow the recommendations and appointments leads to the opposite result. The risk of re-fracture or the development of complications increases. Often the correction of such independence occurs with the help of surgical intervention.

For rehabilitation with a fracture of the lower leg, special exercises have been developed:

• The patient is in the supine position, legs are straight. Try to pull your feet all the way and bend your fingers. Pull to the maximum point;
• Lying on your back, rotate your toes in different directions, bend, twist, close, then spread;
• Rotate your feet in different directions;
• Try to squeeze the foot, in an attempt to take the object.

During the period of rehabilitation and development of the leg after an ankle fracture, the patient requires patience, perseverance and a desire to stand on healthy legs. The use of complex treatment of injuries, the implementation of all medical recommendations, will speed up the process of restoring the integrity of bone tissues.

Video: Ankle Recovery Exercises