Skip to main content

Fracture, Lateral and Medial Malleoli, Sports Medicine

Jeremy Schmitz, MD, ABFM and Kenneth P. Barnes, MD, MSc, CAQSM, FACSM Reviewed 04/2019
 


BASICS

DESCRIPTION

  • Any fracture involving the most distal portions of the fibula or tibia, commonly known as the lateral and medial malleoli, respectively

  • Synonyms: ankle fracture

EPIDEMIOLOGY

  • Very common...

DIAGNOSIS

HISTORY

  • Elicit mechanism: inversion versus eversion and external versus internal rotation of the ankle and foot

  • Most frequent injury is inversion.

  • Occasionally caused by direct blow to the affe...

TREATMENT

GENERAL MEASURES

  • Acetaminophen at recommended age- or weight-based dosages every 6 to 8 hr as needed

  • Consider nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), although controversy exists as to t...

REFERENCES

1
Elsoe R, Ostgaard SE, Larsen P. Population-based epidemiology of 9767 ankle fractures. Foot Ankle Surg.  2018;24(1):34–39.
2
Derksen RJ, Knijnenberg LM, Fransen G, et al. Diagnostic per...

ADDITIONAL READING

  • Eiff MP, Hatch RL. Fracture Management for Primary Care. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: WB Saunders; 2011.

  • Rockwood CA, Green DP, Bucholz RW, et al, eds. Rockwood and Green’s Fractures ...

CLINICAL PEARLS

  • 70% are unimalleolar with lateral being the most common.

  • Ottawa Ankle Rules have been validated for 10-yr-olds and older.

  • Any open fracture or fracture with neurologic or vascular compro...

Subscribe to Access Full Content

Sign Up for a 10-Day Free Trial

Sign up for a 10-day FREE Trial now and receive full access to all content.

×