With a bimalleolar fracture, bones on both the inner and outer side of the ankle are injured.
It discusses how these fractures occur, and why these more complex ankle fractures typically require surgery.
The ankle joint is susceptible to injury and one common key in of injury is called anankle fracture.
Illustration by Alison Czinkota for Verywell Health
This leads to increased instability that, in most cases, will need surgical repair.
What Is a Bimalleolar Fracture?
They form the small bumps on the inner side and the outer side of your ankle.
Causes of Ankle Fractures
Most bimalleolar and trimalleolar ankle fractures are serious injuries.
They often occur from high energy injuries such as falls and motor vehicle collisions.
Sometimes these fractures can occur due to a weakening of the bone, most commonly in people with osteoporosis.
The treatment and recovery timelines for bimalleolar and trimalleolar ankle fractures are typically much longer.
Putting pressure on the injury can make pain worse if you have a trimalleolar or bimalleolar fracture.
Because both sides are injured, the ankle joint becomes unstable.
This means that the fracture disrupts the structural integrity of the ankle (joint).
Because the joint is unstable, it is susceptible to damage and early ankle arthritis if left untreated.
Therefore, the typical treatment is to surgically repair the fracture to stabilize the ankle joint.
Bimalleolar Equivalent Ankle Fractures
One special subset of these fractures is called a bimalleolar equivalent fracture.
Bimalleolar equivalent fractures need to be considered any time a lateral malleolus fracture has occurred.
Trimalleolar Ankle Fractures
Trimalleolar ankle fractures are another variant of this jot down of injury.
The typical bimalleolar fracture involvesbone injuryto the inner and outer side of the ankle.
Often, this does not change the treatment from that of a bimalleolar ankle fracture.
It is very important to repair the bones with proper alignment.
If not lined up perfectly there is a higher chance of developing early ankle arthritis.
One of the concerns of these complex ankle fractures is that they are usually accompanied by significantankle swelling.
Surgery is frequently delayed days or weeks if there is significant swelling.
As mentioned, infection and wound complications are the most worrisome concerns associated with ankle fracture surgery.
Other common complications include stiffness and long-term swelling.
Many patients notice swelling after ankle fracture surgery for six months, and may always have some increased swelling.
Lastly, even with appropriate care, surgical repair, and proper rehabilitation, ankle arthritis can occur.
Because of this, surgeons often proceed cautiously, allowing soft tissue to dictate the timing of surgical intervention.
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