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The response to the question below was authored by Marc Mitnick DPM

Ankle pain from delayed treatment for ankle fracture

by Robert
(Oxford)

About ten years ago I fractured my ankle and chipped the bone. At the time I was told it was a bad sprain. After a few weeks the pain was so bad that they sent me for x rays and told me it had be fractured and chipped. It was never re set nor put in a cast.

For years my ankle would go through periods of being so painful that I could hardly walk on it, it was as though there was no support to the ankle whatsoever. It would be painful like this for a few weeks at a time with various degrees of pain, and then it could be fine for months which made it very difficult to get to a doctor while it was actually giving me trouble.
It is still the same now only to a lesser degree, but much worse if I go running on it.
I hate being held back by this and I want to know if anything can be done to fix it?
Even if I have to pay for it?

Hi Robert,
The short story is that your ankle was improperly treated when you first injured it, thus there a few things that may be causing your chronic pain. The obvious is the fact that you mention a bone chip in the original accident. Chances are an xray taken today would reveal that the bone chip is still present and probably has not re-united with the ankle bone, thus every now and then it becomes aggravated and gives you those episodes of pain.
The other potential cause of your periodic painful episodes may be that you did damage to the ankle ligaments that connect your leg bones to the foot. These ligaments are almost always injured in the type of accident you describe. Since you were never immobilized there is the chance that these ligaments never properly healed and they too may be the source of your periodic pain.
Lastly, the actual fracture line may not have completely healed and you are left with what is known as a pseudoarthrosis, meaning you have a false joint created by the crack in the bone and again periodically you will inflame the old fracture line and have a period of pain.
My suggestion would be to have xrays and an MRI to get a full evaluation of the bones and the soft issue around the ankle.
Most of the potential sources of pain that I have mentioned could probably be addressed in a surgical fashion. This becomes a quality of life issue and I do not think it is a real stretch to suggest to you, that left untreated, the problem will get worse as you age.

Marc Mitnick DPM
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ADDITIONAL REFERENCES

Mayo Clinic

Johns Hopkins Medicine

MedlinePlus

Arthritis Foundation

University of Rochester Medical Center

Harvard Health

Drugs.com

American Academy of Pediatrics

Penn State Medical Center

National Institutes of Health

Columbia University Department of Rehabilitation

ScienceDirect

Stanford Health Care

Illinois Bone and Joint Institute

Mount Sinai Hospital

Institute for Chronic Pain

University of Florida Health

American Family Physician

Cedars-Sinai

University of Maryland Medical Center

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Poland

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anonymous

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Seattle, WA

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New Jersey

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location unknown

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Evansville, IA

Dear Marc

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Jackie

San Diego, CA

Dr. Mitnick, Just want to say thank you so very much for your quick response and very informative reply! After reading what you had to say, I called the doctor's office and was able to get in and see him the same day as my injury. Toe was x-rayed and luckily, it is not broken or fractured. Very badly bruised and will probably lose the toe nail. And although my toe and toe nail are still very black and blue and very sore, they ARE both starting to feel a little better. So again, thank you! I am so very happy that I came across your website. The service you provide is outstanding and immeasurable!

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Albany, NY

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Whichita, KS

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Boston, MA

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Colorado

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Colorado

Wonderful advice

by: Anonymous

This is the best site for foot problem info.

Thank you for this information. This description fits my pain and inflammation behind my 2nd toe perfectly.

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location unknown

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Canada

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location unknown

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Wisconsin

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North Carolina

Many Thanks Dr Marc!
Thank you for your response. It sounds like a good plan to me. He did not cut the wart out first ...

KG

location unknown

Thanks again doc for having this website and we STILL need qualified Podiatrists in beautiful sunny Tampa Bay (Bradenton) Florida.

Bessie Mae

Florida

Dear Dr. Mitnick, Thank you so very much for taking your time to answer my question. You have greatly relieved my anxiety related to the continual tingly I feel in my feet. I will share your response with my podiatrist next week. God bless you for having this question and answer page on your website! Most gratefully,

Lynne T.

location unknown

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Robert

New Jersey

Thank you. you were more detailed than what others have told me they finally called from the last xrays and my son is now in a cast for 2 weeks he did have a fracture that was not noticeable.

a mom

location unknown

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Lenoir, NC

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Bellevue, WA

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Jodi

location unknown

Ankle pain from delayed treatment for ankle fracture

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