Injuring your ankle can be both painful and frustrating, and one of the first questions you might ask is whether it’s sprained or broken. While both injuries can cause discomfort and swelling, they differ in severity, treatment, and recovery time. Understanding the signs of each can help you decide your next steps before seeing a doctor. At KC Foot Specialists, we put together this guide on how to tell the difference and some at-home tests you can try to assess the situation. It’s important to note that if your ankle pain is severe or persistent, it’s important to see a doctor. We can take an X-ray and perform other tests to correctly diagnose the problem. Walking on an injured ankle can cause more problems and worsen the injury.
What’s the Difference Between a Sprain and a Break
Ankle Sprain: A sprain happens when the ligaments that support your ankle stretch too far or tear. This can occur from twisting or rolling your ankle.
Ankle Fracture (Break): A break happens when one or more bones in the ankle joint are fractured. This usually results from high-impact injuries like falling, twisting with force, or direct trauma to the ankle.
Common Signs of a Sprained Ankle
Pain and Tenderness: If your ankle is sprained, the pain is usually concentrated around the soft tissue and ligaments rather than the bones.
Swelling and Bruising: Swelling may appear quickly after the injury, often with bruising that can spread around the ankle or foot.
Limited Range of Motion: You may have difficulty moving your foot in certain directions without pain, but you should still be able to put some weight on it (though painful).
Instability: The ankle may feel weak or give way when you try to walk, especially if the ligaments are torn.
Common Signs of a Broken Ankle
Severe Pain: With a break, the pain is often immediate and intense, located around the bone itself. Even slight pressure can be excruciating.
Deformity: If your ankle looks misaligned, or if there’s an unusual bump or angle in the bone structure, this is a sign of a break.
Inability to Bear Weight: If you can’t put any weight on the foot or stand without severe pain, a fracture is more likely.
Immediate Swelling and Bruising: While both sprains and breaks cause swelling, a broken ankle often results in immediate and extreme swelling, sometimes accompanied by dark bruising.
Basic At-Home Tests to Perform
While these tests aren’t a substitute for medical diagnosis, they can help give you an idea of whether your ankle is sprained or broken.
1. Check for Weight-Bearing Ability
Try to put a little weight on the injured ankle:
Positive for Sprain: If you can bear some weight and walk, even with a limp, this suggests a sprain.
Positive for Break: If it’s too painful to put any weight on the ankle or foot, or if you feel the bones shifting, you may have a fracture.
2. Point Tenderness Test
Gently touch different parts of the ankle:
For Sprain: Tenderness will usually be around the ligaments, on the sides of the ankle, or below the bone.
For Break: Intense pain with light pressure on the bones (such as the ankle’s outer or inner edges) suggests a fracture.
When to Seek Immediate Medical Attention
Regardless of whether you suspect a sprain or break, you should seek medical attention if you experience any of the following:
- Severe swelling that doesn’t improve within a few hours
- Obvious deformity or the ankle looks “out of place”
- Numbness or tingling in the foot or ankle
- Inability to move your toes or foot
- Bone protruding through the skin (open fracture)
Treatment for Sprained and Broken Ankles
Sprained Ankle: Most mild sprains can be treated at home using the RICE method (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation). Over-the-counter pain medications and ankle supports can also help.
Broken Ankle: Fractures require medical attention. Treatment may involve immobilization with a cast, a boot, or even surgery, depending on the severity.
If Pain Persists, See a Doctor
It’s important to remember that even though these at-home tests and signs can give you clues, they’re not definitive. If your ankle pain is severe or persistent, it’s essential to see a doctor for an X-ray or other diagnostic tests. Whether it’s a sprain or a fracture, getting the right treatment early can help prevent long-term issues and promote faster recovery. In the meantime, rest, ice, and elevate the injury to reduce swelling, and avoid putting unnecessary stress on the ankle. By taking the right steps early on, you can ensure a smoother and quicker recovery.
Kansas City’s Only On-Site Podiatry Surgery Center
Should you require surgery to repair your sprained or broken ankle, at Kansas City Foot Specialists, we have an on-site surgery center. The Surgery Center of Blue Valley our Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) is fully licensed and regulated by the state of Kansas. This boutique center concentrates on foot and ankle surgery only, allowing us to provide the best equipment and a dedicated staff. Unlike hospital surgery centers that specialize in high-volume treatments and procedures, our boutique surgery center is smaller, more intimate, more relaxed, and less crowded, yet we offer the same high-tech equipment and capabilities. Our patients get exceptional care, unmatched efficiency, and personalized attention!
