An avulsion fracture is a unique injury where a ligament or tendon pulls away with a small piece of bone still attached. It is typically caused by traumatic force, but this force can be exposed to the area in an acute moment of stress or over time in the form of long-term, repetitive stress. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at these types of fractures in the ankle or foot area, and how you can treat an avulsion fracture.
Causes And Symptoms Of Avulsion Fractures
As we touched on in the introduction, acute or chronic traumatic stress on the ankle is the most common cause of an avulsion fracture. Moreover, the injury tends to occur more frequently in younger individuals because their bones and tissues are not yet fully developed. The ankle, elbow and hip are the most common sites for avulsion fractures. In the ankle and foot, some common locations for avulsion fractures include:
- The lateral aspect of the medial malleolus
- The fifth metatarsal
- The talus
- The calcaneus
If you suffer an avulsion fracture in your foot or ankle, you will likely notice some or all of the following symptoms:
- A cracking or popping sound at the moment of injury
- Swelling
- Bruising
- Tenderness
- Inability to bear weight or walk on the affected foot
Diagnosing And Treating An Avulsion Fracture
You may not know that you’re dealing with an avulsion fracture in the moment, but given how painful your foot and ankle will be after the injury, you’ll know that you’re dealing with an issue that requires proper medical attention. Set up an appointment with Dr. Silverman or a foot and ankle specialist in your area. At this consultation, they’ll ask about your symptoms, review your medical history and conduct a physical exam.
Your doctor will likely have a good idea what’s going on following this physical exam, but they’ll typically want to know the precise location and extent of damage with the help of an imaging test. X-rays are helpful at detecting bone fractures, but an MRI may be better suited to discover hairline fractures and the soft tissues involved in the injury.
Treatment will depend on the location and extent of your injury. For example, if the avulsion fracture occurred on the base of the fifth metatarsal and the bone is not displaced, you may be able to recover with 4-6 weeks of protection and conservative care. If the bone is displaced or the fracture occurs at a site that is unlikely to resolve with conservative methods, surgery may be recommended. Although it will vary from person to person, it typically takes about 12 weeks to return to full strength following surgery to address an ankle avulsion fracture.
Hopefully you never need to treat an avulsion fracture, but it’s nice to know that there are experts nearby that can assist in the event you suffer the unique fracture. For more information, or for help with your foot or ankle injury, reach out to Dr. Silverman’s office today at (952) 224-8500.
