Tips for Dealing with Ankle Fractures
It seems like a week doesn’t pass without some public figure who stumbles and breaks or fractures their foot or ankle. Recently, Vegas magician Lance Burton broke his foot during his act. Starlet Jennie Garth stumbled in her house when she went to answer the door while holding her child and fractured her foot. In LaGuardia Airport, returning to Washington for more congressional conferences, Supreme Court Nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor stumbled and broke her ankle. Houston Firecrackers star center Yao Ming broke his foot during the NBA playoffs, which medical professionals now state might be a career-ending injury. To learn more about ankle fracture surgery in New York, visit the website.
Like everything else, there are different levels of foot and ankle fractures, but even the smallest of these injuries require immobilization, generally with a walking cast-boot, typically described as a cam-walker. Although it does not provide full immobilization, it does take adequate pressure off of the bones and reduces the pull of the muscles and tendons to be adequate. When the ankle fracture is steady, this is a good option to minimize the loss of mobility and muscle degeneration.
Other, more serious, ankle fractures need real immobilization with non-weight bearing casts made of fiberglass or plaster along with utilizing crutches. This transfers all pressure off of the bone and removes the pull of the muscles. Best utilized for fractures in excellent position however in an unstable area, this treatment can be expected to continue for a minimum of six to 8 weeks. This is the amount of time essential for bone to effectively recover with adequate strength to bear weight.
When a bone is displaced, angulated, or in a location at risk for not recovering well, foot and ankle surgery of the injury is needed. This can consist of using surgical plates, pins, and screws to fix the bone in the best position and with optimum stability. This is often followed with the application of a cast or cam-walker for the very same six to eight week recovery period.
It does not take a major traumatic injury to break a bone in your foot or ankle. An slip off a curb, stepping in a hole in the park, or perhaps a twist and stumble at home is all it requires to injure the bone. If something like this occurs, and you have even a small amount of bruising or swelling, visit your podiatrist to be sure you get the proper treatment. You can learn more about ankle fracture surgery in New York by visiting DavidSLevineMD.com.
Like everything else, there are different levels of foot and ankle fractures, but even the smallest of these injuries require immobilization, generally with a walking cast-boot, typically described as a cam-walker. Although it does not provide full immobilization, it does take adequate pressure off of the bones and reduces the pull of the muscles and tendons to be adequate. When the ankle fracture is steady, this is a good option to minimize the loss of mobility and muscle degeneration.
Other, more serious, ankle fractures need real immobilization with non-weight bearing casts made of fiberglass or plaster along with utilizing crutches. This transfers all pressure off of the bone and removes the pull of the muscles. Best utilized for fractures in excellent position however in an unstable area, this treatment can be expected to continue for a minimum of six to 8 weeks. This is the amount of time essential for bone to effectively recover with adequate strength to bear weight.
When a bone is displaced, angulated, or in a location at risk for not recovering well, foot and ankle surgery of the injury is needed. This can consist of using surgical plates, pins, and screws to fix the bone in the best position and with optimum stability. This is often followed with the application of a cast or cam-walker for the very same six to eight week recovery period.
It does not take a major traumatic injury to break a bone in your foot or ankle. An slip off a curb, stepping in a hole in the park, or perhaps a twist and stumble at home is all it requires to injure the bone. If something like this occurs, and you have even a small amount of bruising or swelling, visit your podiatrist to be sure you get the proper treatment. You can learn more about ankle fracture surgery in New York by visiting DavidSLevineMD.com.