The Importance of Thorough Ankle and Foot Evaluation After an Injury
Hello, I want to share some valuable insights about the importance of a thorough evaluation of both the ankle and foot after an injury. The key takeaway here is: Always ask at least one more question.
Foot and Ankle Evaluation
The most commonly injured ligament is located on the outside front of your ankle. When you twist your ankle, the diagnosis is usually a sprain. However, what also happens in many cases is that your foot twists as well, which could lead to potential problems that may go unnoticed.
In emergency rooms and urgent care clinics, it’s common for the ankle to receive all the attention, while the foot is often overlooked. Unfortunately, this has led to cases where fractures of the foot have been missed because all the focus was on the ankle joint.
One such bone that can get fractured during these foot and ankle twists is the outside metatarsal bone, also known as the fifth metatarsal. This fracture can be easily seen on an x-ray, but only if attention is given to the entire foot, not just the ankle joint.
If you’ve twisted your ankle and it was diagnosed as a sprain, but it’s still painful and swollen three weeks later, it’s crucial to re-evaluate the injury for other possible damages. Besides a fifth metatarsal fracture, twisting the ankle can also cause damage within the ankle joint, a break in part of the heel bone, or injury to the nerves.
While a traditional X-ray is sufficient initially, if pain persists for a few months, an MRI may be necessary to investigate the area at a deeper level. The last thing you want is to be walking on a broken bone without knowing it.
If you ever find yourself in a situation where an ankle injury is being evaluated, remember to ask the medical professionals to closely evaluate the foot for the possibility of a broken bone. If you’re still experiencing pain in your ankle or foot from a twist that occurred several months ago, it would be wise to have it checked out.
The health of your feet for a lifetime depends on getting the most accurate diagnosis and treating each condition optimally and as early as possible.
To Healthy Feet,
Flagstaff Foot Doctors
421 North Humphreys Street
(928) 774-4825