“Will I need surgery for a sprained ankle?”
I am a 57 year old female who sprained her ankle on a bumpy walk. Will I need surgery to correct it? I experience pain a week later.
23 Answers
PodiatristPodiatrist
If it is a sprain only, usually no surgery, likely immoblization, brace, physical therapy. however, an internal bony issue can mimick sprain can turn into a larger issue. I recommend you to have a consult with a podiatrist or orthopedic doctor.
Usually no, surgery on ankle sprains is not needed immediately. If you continue to have ankle sprains and your ankle feels loose then yes we would need to fix the ligaments and tighten them back up.
Experiencing pain a week after an ankle sprain is normal and not necessarily an indicator whether surgery will be necessary. You should rest, ice, immobilize the ankle with a ankle brace, and take some anti inflammatories to help with the pain. If pain persists seek professional treatment.
What you would normally need is immobilization.
No, you usually don't need surgery, unless all the ligaments as re torn which rarely happens. Immobilize for 6 weeks and then brace for another 6.
No really. You will only need surgery if there is torn ligaments or injuries to the surfaces of the ankle joints
Sometimes. We typically try -10 weeks of conservative therapy. If there is no improvement, we have great success with surgery.
Usually surgery is not necessary if conservative therapy is instituted immediately. You need to take Xrays and might need to be
immobilized and, if necessary, have an MRI taken.
Richard A. Nichols, DPM
immobilized and, if necessary, have an MRI taken.
Richard A. Nichols, DPM
Probably not. However, you should have it evaluated because there is possible fracture too. You may need to use an ankle brace or be put in a ‘boot’ walker for a short period, which will allow it to heal faster.
Sometimes physical therapy is needed to rehab the ankle.
Sometimes physical therapy is needed to rehab the ankle.
Treated early with correct diagnosis surgery can be avoided however without an accurate diagnosis appropriate treatment is unlikely increasing likelihood that surgery may be necessary at some point
Most patients that experience a grade 1 or 2 ankle sprain do not require surgery. A sprained ankle can take weeks to months to heal due to the poor blood supply of ligaments. Only in patients with a complete tear of the anterior talofibular ligament, ankle instability, or severe ligamentous laxity is surgery required. Good luck to you and thank you for your question.
Hello,
A sprained ankle requires immobilization and then a course of physical therapy. If the ankle sprain does not resolve with time then you may need surgery to repair the ligament sprain/tear.
Dr. Lui
A sprained ankle requires immobilization and then a course of physical therapy. If the ankle sprain does not resolve with time then you may need surgery to repair the ligament sprain/tear.
Dr. Lui
Not usually but some severe cases may need it.
Depending on the severity of the injury, conservative treatment can be successful. I would recommend an evaluation and X-rays of the ankle.
Jonathan M. Kletz, DPM
Jonathan M. Kletz, DPM
Generally, ankle sprains heal very well without surgery. Ligaments take 4-6 months to fully heal. My recommendation is to see your podiatrist, get X-rays, a brace, and go to PT. That's the fastest way to a full recovery.
You should not need surgery for this type of injury although it make take some time to heal. If it feels weak or unstable you can try an ankle brace for a while along with ice and rest. If you are unsure see your doctor for an X-ray and evaluation. Feel better.
I would see a podiatrist in your area as soon as you can because it is very common to get a fracture or a stress fracture from a sprain. I see it in my office very often.
If you've treated it for 6+ months conservatively and there is pain with no improvement and MRI shows continued damage, you may need surgery.
Not usually, unless complete rupture
If symptoms are still present 1 week after an ankle sprain, it is best to have it evaluated by a doctor. Your doctor will perform a thorough range of motion evaluation of the ankle and test each of the ligaments and tendons that support the ankle. An x-ray should be obtained just to ensure that there are no stress fractures in the bone. It is important to have the correct treatment for a sprained ankle to avoid surgery in the future. Most ankle sprains, with correct treatment, do not require surgery
Ankle sprains and soft tissue injury (like ligament sprains or ruptures) can take longer to heal than a fracture sometimes. If your ankle sprain involved an ankle FRACTURE, then you have about a 40-60% chance of needing surgery. If it is just ligament strain or rupture, you should have conservative treatment for at least 3 months, and if the pain has not resolved after a couple months, then have an MRI to evaluate the extent of the damage from the injury. But, no, most ankle 'sprains' do not need surgery
I assume an X Ray was taken and let us assume there is no break in the bone seen on x ray, then we believed there is soft tissue injury which is never seen on X Ray. The most common ligament affected after an ankle sprain is the anterior talo fibular ligament. For an acute ankle sprain, the first step of treatment is the RICE therapy and immobilization, to help reduce pain and swelling. In terms of healing, a bone break is more predictable than a ligament sprain. Ligaments usually takes longer to heal (about 6-8 weeks) and even after that time period, some patients continue to have lingering pain and some ankle instability. Conservative therapy are also involved before any surgery such as an using an ankle brace, ankle exercises, some patients also benefit from physical therapy. If ever a decision is made to go to surgery, then various surgical procedures are done for lateral ankle instability from the direct repair called Brostrum to using various implanted devices to help reconstruct the tendon.
Surgery may or may not be needed. I recommend you make an appointment with a foot and ankle surgeon (podiatrist) to determine the extent of the injury and the appropriate course of treatment
