Snowboarder's Ankle Health Video

Lateral talus fracture, or snowboarder's ankle is caused by a forceful twist of the ankle, such as by snowboards landing on an uneven surface. Learn more about the causes, diagnosis and treatment of lateral talus fracture in this health video.

Take Action

Wear proper snowboarding gear
Consult a doctor immediately
Take proper lessons

About this Author

Dr. Carolyn Cooper joined On Call Medical Group in 2007. She is a Board Certified Internal Medicine physician, and has been practicing in San Francisco for over seven years. She received a BS from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, and completed her medical education at the Welsh National School of Medicine in Cardiff, Wales. Dr Cooper completed her internship and residency at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. She has previously worked as a Clinical Investigator at Stanford University School of Medicine, and in private practice in San Francisco. Dr Cooper has participated in many research studies, and is also widely published.

CAROLYN COOPER: I'm Dr. Carolyn Cooper and I'm going to be talking about snowboarder's ankle, which is also known as lateral talus fracture. It is caused by a forceful twist of the ankle such as seen in snowboarders when they are landing forcefully on an uneven surface. So this condition is rarely seen in novice snowboarders who aren't yet jumping. The symptoms consist of pain and swelling on the outside of the ankle and pain with walking, weightbearing. The diagnosis is made by x-ray but often needs further imaging such as an MRI to actually diagnose this as these fractures can be very small and difficult to see on x-ray. Treatment depends on the severity of the fracture, but may often require surgery and prevention of this injury is by ensuring that equipment and boots are in good condition and that proper training has been pursued.

Snowboarder's Ankle Health Video

Take Action

About this Author

Member Comments