Ankle Fracture
Investigations
How is it diagnosed?
This is made by examination and x-rays.
Often, your doctor can diagnose a broken ankle just by looking and feeling, however they will commonly order an X-Ray toconfirm the break and look for secondary breaks in the other bones.
When a fracture is subtle, or it involves the soft tissue (i
ligaments and muscles) around the joint, the doctor may order a CT or MRI scan of the ankle. Unlike an X-Ray, a CTs and MRIs give clear, detailed pictures of the soft tissues.
There are a number of vessels running around the ankle joint that are occasionally damaged. Usually, your doctor will assess any injury to these vessels from looking and feeling your foot, however occasionally special tests called angiograms are required. Sometimes, a specialist called a vascular surgeon may get involved.