There are several common symptoms associated with lateral ankle fractures, including severe pain, an inability to bear weight and swelling and bruising. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons or AAOS, a fractured ankle can range in severity from a simple break to multiple fractures. A lateral malleolus fracture is a fracture of the fibula—the smaller of the two shin bones—on the outside aspect of the ankle. The AAOS states that the fracture location directs the treatment.
Severe Pain
According to the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons or ACFAS, lateral ankle or malleolus fractures typically involve severe pain at the fracture site, and in some cases the fracture-related pain can radiate from the foot to the knee. A person who sustains a lateral ankle fracture will often experience a sudden onset of sharp, intense pain on the outside aspect of his ankle or lower leg immediately after the injury. In some cases, lateral ankle fracture-related pain may settle quickly, leaving patients with a throbbing pain or ache at the injury site that's felt most acutely at night or in the early morning. If the person who suffered the ankle sprain or a health care practitioner palpates or examines the affected area, he can usually illicit pain when applying compressive force to the fracture site. Lateral ankle fracture-related pain may worsen during certain movements of the foot and ankle.
Inability to Bear Weight
An inability to bear weight is a common symptom associated with lateral ankle fractures. According to Orthopaedia.com, ankle fractures, including lateral malleolus fractures, typically are caused by low energy torsional forces and result in the inability to bear weight or ambulate without assistance. In fact, the inability to bear weight following an ankle injury is one of three indications that help predict a fracture, along with an age greater than 55 years and tenderness at the tip of the malleolus—the bump on the outside aspect of the ankle. If all three factors are present, radiographic imaging or X-rays are indicated to screen for fracture. The Health Central website states that, with an ankle fracture, a person will usually be unable to move his ankle through a full range of motion, and that, although some people may be able to bear weight on an injured ankle, a fracture may still be present.
Swelling and Bruising
Swelling and bruising are common symptoms associated with lateral ankle fractures. According to the Sports Injury Clinic website, fractures of the lateral ankle or malleolus are more common than fractures of the medial ankle or malleolus, and they result in considerable swelling and bruising around the involved area. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center—a non-profit academic medical center in Los Angeles, Cal.—states that a fractured ankle or a significant sprain will cause immediate swelling and reduced ankle range of motion, but that most sprains will heal in one to two weeks, whereas an ankle fracture will hurt until it is treated. During an ankle fracture, blood vessels may be damaged, causing blood to flow into the injured area. This can cause a bruise or skin discoloration at the injury site, which subsides only after the tissue repairs itself.
