About this topic
An ankle dislocation happens when the bones in the ankle joint move out of place so that they are no longer in their normal position. The ligaments that hold the bones together and other tissue surrounding the ankle are also affected. An ankle dislocation most often happens with an ankle sprain or break. ‚
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What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do.
- Rest and avoid doing things that make your problem worse. Allow your injury to heal before you do slow movements.
- Place an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a towel over the painful part. Never put ice right on the skin. Do not leave the ice on more than 10 to 15 minutes at a time.
- If you are not in a cast or walking boot, lightly wrapping the ankle with a compression bandage can help lessen pain and swelling.
- Prop your foot on pillows to help with swelling.
- Follow your doctors directions on how long to wear a splint, brace, or walking boot.
- Do not put weight on your injured ankle unless your doctor tells you that you can.
- Do exercises that your doctor or therapist teaches you to do.
What follow-up care is needed?
Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits. Your doctor may send you to physical therapy to help you heal faster. ‚
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Help with pain and swelling
- Prevent infection
Will physical activity be limited?
Talk with your doctor about when you can go back to your normal daily activities. Ask when you can return to sports. Ask when you can drive again. It may take longer if you had surgery. It may take a few weeks to a few months to rehab your ankle. ‚
What changes to diet are needed?
Eat healthy foods with lots of extra protein. ‚
What problems could happen?
- Infection
- Injury to nerves, blood vessels, and other tissue
- Bleeding
- Ongoing pain and stiffness
- Trouble walking
- Poor healing
- Arthritis
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
- Wear supports, tape, or elastic wraps on your ankles when playing sports.
- Wear shoes with good support.
- Warm up before a workout.
- Do not run or walk on surfaces that are uneven.
- Keep walk spaces free of loose carpet or rugs.
- If you have had ankle problems before, talk with your doctor about an exercise program to help make your ankles stronger.
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Signs of a very bad reaction. These include wheezing; chest tightness; fever; itching; bad cough; blue skin color; seizures; or swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat. Go to the ER right away.
- Signs of infection. These include fever of 100.4 ‚ °F (38 ‚ °C) or higher, chills.
- Signs of wound infection. These include swelling, redness, warmth around the wound; too much pain when touched; yellowish, greenish, or bloody discharge; foul smell coming from the cut site; cut site opens up.
- Pain or swelling gets worse
- Numbness in your toes or your toes turn color
- Toes are cold
- Not able to walk
- Health problem is not better or you are feeling worse
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my condition.
- I can tell you what may help ease my pain.
- I can tell you what I will do if I have more pain or swelling.
Where can I learn more?
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons ‚
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00391 ‚
The American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine ‚
http://www.stopsportsinjuries.org/ ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
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Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚