Your ankles are strong, designed to bear large amounts of weight and positions, but there may come a time when you injure the joint. Learning to identify the difference between a sprained or fractured ankle can help you decide whether you can take care of the injury at home or whether you need medical help.
Step 1
Research and know the difference between a sprain and a fracture. A sprain involves the ligaments of a joint. Ligaments attach to the ends of muscles and bones to hold the joints in their proper position. Ligaments stretch, but only stretch so far before they tear due to an excessive amount of pressure placed on them. A fracture involves bones and joints and results in the cracking, chipping or snapping of a bone.
Step 2
Examine your ankle for signs of swelling. You may feel mild or moderate pain in the immediate area of the injury, with a sensation of heat throughout the ankle joint because of a sprain or fracture. This heat is generated by a flush of blood rushing to the area. Your skin may feel warm or hot to the touch in the injured area and the ankle may hurt if you place pressure in the injured area. You may notice immediate bruising. If you have a sprained ankle, you may be able to stand or walk on the injured foot, although you may feel pain when placing your weight on the injured ankle.
Step 3
Pay attention to how your ankle looks. If your foot looks twisted or deformed in any way, with a bump or a protuberance, your ankle may be fractured. A fractured ankle may look deformed, depending on which bone has been affected. Even the slightest movement of the joint, depending on how many ankle bones are involved and the severity of the fracture, may cause extreme pain. Depending on the severity of the fracture, you may be able to walk on it for a short time, such as is the case with a hairline or greenstick fracture, but anything worse makes walking or standing on the limb extremely difficult and painful.
Step 4
Look at your skin around the ankle. With a sprain, bruising may appear within a few minutes to a few hours, again depending on the severity of the injury. Bruising in a sprain generally occurs beneath the ankle joint and may run along the foot. With a fracture, the bruising surrounds the joint and may appear bluish in color, especially if blood vessels have been torn or broken.
Step 5
Pay attention to any sensations of numbness or cold in the ankle or foot following an injury. These symptoms may indicate a fracture and tearing or injury to nerves in the ankle joint. If you believe your ankle has been fractured, schedule a visit with your doctor or seek emergency medical help immediately.
