What happens when you launch a pumpkin hundreds of feet? Get the chance to see at the annual Bloomington Pumpkin Launch this Saturday, November 1 at the Monroe County Fairgrounds. Luckily, when your ankle fractures, you can put the pieces back together with proper rest and rehabilitation. However, if you’re still dealing with chronic ankle pain after your injury, you could be experiencing one of these complications:
Nerve injury following a broken ankle, or even a sprained ankle, is very common and often misdiagnosed. Many patients will say that their treating doctor said, “The bone has healed wonderfully and there’s no reason for you to have pain.” However, there is a reason, because the problem lies in an injury to the nerve around the foot and ankle.
It’s vital that you seek an opinion on your ankle pain from an expert who has specific training diagnosing and treating nerve injuries. Dr. Powers is a Fellow of the Association of Extremity Nerve Surgeons. He trained at the prestigious Dellon Institute for Peripheral Nerve Surgery and the Mayo Clinic School of Research.
This breakdown and stiffness of the joints could happen years after your injury. Post-traumatic arthritis closely mimics osteoarthritis and may create a decreased range of motion in the joint as well as pain. If you need more help with this, make an appointment with Kevin J. Powers, DPM.
When you have a fracture where the bone pokes through the skin, you’re at a high risk for developing an infection. That’s why the doctor prescribes antibiotics when this type of break happens. Surgery is another instance where you may encounter infection. Treatment may involve an additional surgery to take the hardware out of your ankle. For closed fractures, the risk of infection is less than 2 percent.
This occurs when there’s increased pressure and swelling in the muscles surrounding the injury. This pushes on the nerves and blood vessels and causes the area to become very tense. Compartment syndrome usually happens after high-impact injuries like vehicle crashes.
If you’re dealing with chronic ankle pain from any of these three complications following your fracture, make an appointment with Dr. Kevin Powers by calling his Bloomington, IN, office at (812) 333-4422. We’re also available on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest! Happy Halloween!
