Broken Ankle Recovery Time [Ankle & Fibula Fracture Tips]

🦶Have you wondered how low to recover faster from your broken ankle fracture?🦶 We will help explain is someone needs broken ankle surgery or no surgery, we go over the average broken ankle recovery time and how to speed it up with exercises and recovery tips! Whether you have a fibula fracture, bimalleolary ankle fracture or tibia fracture, this recovery guide is for you!

Dr. Tom Biernacki DPM helps guide you through fractured ankle recovery time and broken ankle recovery time. This will show the best exercises, whether to get a fracture boot or fracture cast for your broken ankle surgery!

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The bottom line is it depends on what type of break you have. If you just have a fibula fracture which is non-displaced, you could almost start walking right away in a brace or a fracture boot. By if you have a displaced trimalleolar or or bimalleolar fracture with the symptoms and signs of dislocation, you will need surgery and you will need a cast for at least 6 to 8 weeks.

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This is opinion only:
For the viewer or reader: Do not consider this video as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. We strongly urge you to contact your own podiatrist or physician with any questions you may have regarding your medical condition. If you are having an emergency, call 911 immediately or see your physician. Do not allow this information to let you disregard your professionals medical advice or delay seeking based on information from this content. Do not rely on information provided by an online video such as this.

Healthcare practitioners: The content here is for entertainment purposes only. The authors have done their best to provide the most up to date evidence-based information, but this content should definitely not be considered any type of medical standard, and it definitely does not reflect individual practices in other geographic areas.

This is strictly for medical education purposes only, it is not intended for diagnosis or treatment. The people involved in this film are consented for being filmed in the use of video for educational and promotional purposes. the information in these videos is the opinion of the author only and is not an official opinion of any organizations that the authors may be a part of.

This information is the opinion of Foot and Ankle Web Services LLC, this is not the opinion of the APMA, MPMA, ACFAS, ASPS nor any association that anyone present in the videos he may be a part of. Do not take any of this opinion as fact, this is for entertainment only. See your personal practitioner for specific advice.
Tom Biernacki is a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine with a degree title of DPM. He does not speak for any licensing college or provider of this degree. This is all opinion for entertainment and by watching this you agree to the above.

[normasnockers]

Best video and most useful explanation ive seen on youtube... ive been looking for a week, brilliant info Tom old chap! Regards from England.

[MV-qmru]

Had surgery for broken ankle in July - took a toll on me physically and mentally as I lost my independence and mobility . Broke three toes on other foot in addition which hurt worse than my ankle - fell of stairs. 3 months and going through therapy ; still walking with Air-booth. Worst part is the constant swelling and feeling the plate . Had screw removed a month ago . Keeping the faith that I will get back to normal life soon.

[magpie]

Ok, I am now 16 months post trimalleolar fracture with dislocation. It has been a physically and mentally challenging recovery. In some ways I am glad I did not know how long and painful the recovery would be, but on the other hand not knowing frustrated me. My physio was right, I have a new normal for my ankle. My job is on my feet for 12 hrs at a time, it took me 8😮 months to get back to work, I just couldn't stand for long periods without huge swelling and the accompanying pain. I wear compression knee high stockings at work and an ankle compression sock on top. This helps reduce swelling, because swelling is pain. In the hot weather it still swells. I have been told this will continue for a while. So I sit when I can.
My ankle doesn't hurt, it aches at times, it's stiff, particularly if I haven't run through my stretching for a couple of days.
My only real complication is with the amount of metalwork. It is prominent and causes radiating pain up my tibia in particular, so I am waiting to have it all out. Hoping for less aching and a better range of movement. However, the big shock was to be told that I will probably face more surgery on the ankle as the years pass.
This injury cannot be underestimated. It's a big injury that takes a long while to recover from. You have to learn to be patient, kind to yourself and not try to rush ( yep I tried, trust me it doesn't work!). Do you exercises regularly and accept it won't be quite the same but with luck not far from before your accident.

[ajseb]

Thanks doc, got diagnosed with a nondisplaced distal fibula fracture yesterday after slipping on ice. Went to urgent care and they soft casted me. Have an appointment with an ortho tomorrow. Wish me luck!

[bellagizmo]

Making an appointment with this guy next week. Pleasantly surprised that your office is close to home.

[StephenMorris-bo]

Trimalleolar fracture 7 weeks ago. I am 55. Plates and screws for fibula and for tibia. In Canada, broke ankle on Dec 17, reduction and first cast that day. Admitted and surgery Dec 19. Jan 5 second cast removed and the 36 staples removed. Had been doing the recommended physio exercises they sent me home with plus extra, did not lose any upper leg muscle but calf was much smaller than good leg. Went to Air Cast. Waited for sutures and staple holes to heel a week while continuing exercises and Jan 15 started hitting the swimming pool. Combination of water running, water polo drills, usual lap swimming drills (no flip turns and no pushing off with broken ankle). Gradually brought various weight bearing drills to shoulder deep then waist deep water. Could walk in Air Cast at 4 1/2 weeks. At 6 week check up things are healing nice, was told I can begin light weight bearing. X-ray looks good at 6 weeks, my father in law (retired Dr) drove me and he had a look at my copy and he said it looked good. My wife looked (also a Dr) and says it looks great. At 7 weeks I am getting there in terms of flexibility my plantar and dorsal flexion are about an inch and a half short of my good ankle, rotation circumference is also less but I can do water polo eggbeater kick and breaststroke kick. I use flutter and dolphin kick as gentle stretching of the ankle. I may be pushing a little ahead of the schedule.

[maryrodriquez]

Thank you for this video it really gave me some very good information. Wanted to encourage everyone out there that has a broken leg or an ankle, toes etc. what I did is I stayed in God‘s word I prayed healing scriptures for myself and had other people praying for me which was a really big help and of course seeing an orthopedic doctor and I am so thankful to God how he has given me the strength to get through all this. On September 19, 2022 I broke both my ankles ☹️ didn’t need any surgery so right now I am receiving PT. I am walking, it hurts, but I’m walking and doing my exercises. I know it can get very depressing and discouraging but hang in there you will get through this.
Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed, save me, and I shall be saved: for you are my praise.
Jeremiah 17:14

[EcHoPhAsE.]

Been non weight bearing since August 2022 thanks to a fun scooter ride. Broke my ankle in many places and many surgeries later, I am hoping this time it works. All the hardware inside and outside the foot definitely caused some depression and anxiety. I want to thank the Doctor for the informative video, its important to find the right information out there because you really dont want to constantly be calling the surgeon or their staff. If youre anything like me, you tend to let the mind wonder from the drugs your on for pain or just flat out in too much pain to fully listen. Getting it in paperwork helps but honestly, whos reading after trauma? I appreciate these videos, keep them coming! Possibly some post Op non weight bearing videos could help.

[ariannetaylor]

I broke my leg today in Jesus name I will be healed

[ulalaulala]

Hello from BKK, doctor
I had an ankle surgery a month ago. I'm watching while stretching my ankle. Thank you for sharing this.

[matthewtaylor]

Thank you for your super informative videos. Very easy to understand. Broke my ankle 11-15-22 I had my ankle surgery 12-2-22 . surgery included a plate a 6 screws... hopefully after a new x-ray in a few weeks I can move to a walking cast. Its been a real challenge as I am normally a very active person. Your videos are really helpful and I appreciate your expertise. On a side note, you're really entertaining to watch too; your annunciation and intonation are so "pronounced" for lack of a better term.

[tonygradillas]

This Dr. Is telling the truth. I broke my ankle in 3 places. I had surgery. 6/21 and I went Thur all this and now 10/ 5 /24 I'm walking again but doing P/T. For 2 months.

[Kiaramod]

Thank you so much for this video! I’ve learned a lot about my injury (three fractured bones 😢). At least, now I know what to expect... Thanks!

[lummylumyne]

I broke my ankle last week, had surgery and I'm with a cast now... I've been just so sad, I can't do anything and I can't help feeling like a burden to everyone 😭 this situation is just so shitty

[ladytennisplayer]

Excellent video. Broke my ankle in three places. I thought it was a sprain because I could still walk on it. Waited 3 and a half weeks before getting an xray. Wow. They tell me I need surgery. Eight more weeks of no tennis. I will take this time to learn new hobbies and maybe start reading again. Thanks again for the video.

[sadiemellow]

My ortho was god awful. My 1st broken bone. I received more information from the ER that my current specialist and they weren't any better.

[melodyhemberger]

I had to wait 2 weeks to get surgery on my displaced bimalleolar fracture. I also have low bone density. Super fun!!!

[saraswathisridhar]

Super b doctor even I had an ankle fracture, now I clearly understood in which placehe operation was performed. Regards from India

[wbyvlld]

Your videos are so helpful and are very much appreciated.

[spinachtriangle]

This is exactly what I was looking for. Have a proximal and distal right fibula spiral fracture. A close to finishing my first month in a full cast, have not put any weight on it and just hobble about on the crutches. Been taking as much bed rest with my leg horizontal as I have been working through it.