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The major problems encounter the ankle joint are ankle sprain, ankle strain, ankle joint fracture, ankle arthritis, etc.
Ankle dislocation is a problem that happens very rarely, and it is one of the major orthopedic problems.
A dislocated ankle is a condition where the soft tissues around the ankle joint get damaged or torn.
It may result in a simple sprain or a fracture based on the injury it causes.
Dislocated Ankle: How It Is Caused?
When the damage occurs to the soft tissues of the ankle joint (like tendon or ligaments), it leads to an imbalance in the range of normal ankle joint movement.
This, in turn, leads to a sudden missing of the bone alignment in the ankle joint, which results in the dislocated ankle without fracture.
In severe cases, the injury may also cause ankle dislocation with fracture, which should be administered carefully to get fast, professional treatment.
The ankle dislocation mostly happens with sports individuals, mainly athletics.
These athletes use their ankle joint and the foot most of the time while sporting due to which this is the area that has a higher risk of getting the injury.
Any sudden wrong twist in the ankle joint, like while running fast, may lead to swelling and pain initially.
If not taken care of properly and upon further exertion of pressure to the ankle joint, it may lead to sudden dislocation of the ankle joint because of the weak ankle joint structures.
Apart from athletes, the other sportspeople who use to get ankle dislocation frequently are football players, hockey players, rugby players, etc.
They should avoid this problem.
And wearing the ankle braces works best for this. It not only supports the ankle but also helps in avoiding any damage caused.
The following methods will generally be used to find out the ankle dislocation.
- Ankle joint X-ray
- A complete check-up and examination by an eminent physiotherapist or an orthopedician
- CT scan and MRI help in finding out the appropriate injuries that are happening to the ankle joint structures
Dislocated Ankle Symptoms
The major symptom seen during ankle dislocation is severe intolerable pain along with heavy swelling around the joint.
At times the pain will radiate to the nearby parts like calf muscles and knee joint, which results in gait change and loss of motion in the particular limb.
In some conditions, there will be a loss of blood circulation to the structures in the affected ankle joint, which leads to the appearance of blue color or white-colored limb. Sometimes this may cause osteonecrosis also.
Most people use to get tenderness and pricking sensation in a particular region immediately.
The inability to bear any weight on the affected foot areas is also a sign of dislocated ankle, which confirms that your foot may have dislocated.
Dislocated Ankle Treatment and Recovery Time
The immediate measure to be carried out in case of ankle joint dislocation is reducing the movement of the joint and giving proper rest along with the cold compress to the affected ankle.
This will help immediately relieve symptoms like swelling, redness, pain, and stiffness.
RICE therapy is the universal treatment measure or therapy for any sprain, strain, dislocation, fracture, etc..
R stands for Rest, I stand for Ice, C stands for Compress, and E stands for Elevation.
This also works great for providing the best-dislocated ankle treatment.
The next measure is manipulating and keeping the joint in the proper position without hurting the nearby ankle joint structures like nerves, blood vessels, tendons, and ligaments.
Getting the best brace for ankle dislocation is also sometimes recommended, which can help relieve the problem when used for a few days.
Although the problem may get fixed within 1-2 weeks with some proper care and over-the-counter pain relief medications, ankle dislocation recovery time can increase to 2-3 weeks if the injury is more severe.
You are advised to avoid any type of unnecessary walking or standing during these days so that you can get the problem cured faster.
Care that; you should immediately visit your doctor if the pain and problem persist after 3-4 days.
Based on your condition, dislocated ankle surgery can be the last option which is recommended when no other treatment option is left.
Severe ankle dislocation with the fracture may also need to operate the foot to avoid complex problems.
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