By Dr. Loren Colon DPM, FACFAS

Tim Hudson, the Atlanta Braves star, suffered a serious right ankle fracture last week as he was running to cover first base. His ankle rotated laterally after another player stepped on his foot. This injury will end his season and put him on a long path to getting back on the mound. An ankle fracture is a break in the continuity of one or both of the bones of the ankle called the fibula and the tibia. An ankle fracture can occur at the talocrural joint where the talus, tibia and fibula meet.

One of the most common causes of an ankle fracture is a supination-external rotation type of fracture. This type of fracture is often seen with rolling your ankle, tripping or falling, and rotation of your ankle. The symptoms of this type of injury include immediate severe pain, swelling, bruising, and tenderness to the touch. One major sign of an injury of this magnitude is severe swelling out of proportion, which must be reduced before any surgical intervention can take place.

Treatment modalities for an ankle fracture consist of conservative or surgical management. Conservative treatment of an ankle fracture that is non displaced consists of an unna boot with a cam walker non-weight bearing with crutches. Surgical treatment of a displaced ankle fracture consists of open reduction and internal fixation with a plate and screws.

Braves starter Tim Hudson had surgery a couple of days ago to fix a fractured fibula and the deltoid ligament in his right ankle. Physical therapy for an ankle fracture of this magnitude for a star athlete like Tim Hudson is paramount especially since athletes are anxious to get back to playing. Total recovery time for him looks to be about 4 months
If you have suffered an ankle injury, make an appointment with your Atlanta podiatrist at American Foot and Leg Specialists, PC.