Aside from pain, broken ankle symptoms may not be obvious.

Your ankle may be bruised andswollen, and you may have trouble bearing weight on it.

This article explains how to tell if your ankle is broken.

An illustration of a patient having their ankle x-rayed by a healthcare provider.

Illustration by Michela Buttignol for Verywell Health

Your ankle may seem deformed or twisted at an odd angle if it is severely swollen.

Bruising

Bruising is another common sign of a broken ankle.

Bruising or discoloration is from blood.

swollen ankle

Leslie Antonis

Usually, blood is contained in the blood vessels (arteries and veins).

Its the broken bits of bone grinding on each other with movement or manipulation of the injury.

To the person feeling for it, it can be described as a bag of gravel.

bruised and swollen ankle

Leslie Antonis

Also, compared to a sprained ankle, inflammation in a broken ankle tends to be more severe.

Intense Pain

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A broken ankle will cause immediate, severe pain.

The pain will also intensify if you make a run at bear weight on your ankle.

Elderly woman with swollen feet putting on shoes

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Summary

A broken ankle usually causes immediate, severe symptoms.

Upon injury, there is typically a sharp pain that may shoot toward the knee or foot.

A broken ankle that is grossly swollen or that has a protruding bone may also appear deformed.

Two runners help runner with broken ankle

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Hospital for Special Surgery.Ankle fractures (broken ankle).

American Academy of Orthopaedic SurgeonsAnkle fractures (broken ankle).

2021;8(06):5442-5446. doi:10.18535/ijmsci/v8i06.02

Beacon Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine.Broken ankle or a sprain?.

Young girl with broken ankle writes on cast

ediebloom / Getty Images

YaleMedicine.Broken ankle (ankle fracture).

Anita C. Chandrasekaran, MD, MPH