The pain shoots up and down, side to side, and you can’t think straight. In the moments immediately following an ankle injury, many people think the same thing, “Oh no, I hope it’s just an ankle sprain!” No one is glad to have pain in their ankle–whether it’s a sprain or a broken ankle (also called a fracture)–but it’s important to know what to do next and how to tell if your injury is a fracture or a sprain.
Maybe you stepped off a patio and landed on the side of your foot, stumbled over an unexpected object, or tripped while playing tennis. No matter how you did it, your ankle hurts! So, how can you tell if it’s a sprained or broken ankle?
What Is an Ankle Sprain?
Ligaments and tendons surround the bones that make up the ankle. The ligaments help the ankle by providing flexible stability so the ankle can move and support your body. When your ligaments are stressed or strained at an angle that is not natural for them and beyond their capabilities to stretch, they can tear, causing a sprained ankle.
What Is an Ankle Fracture?
There are three bones in the ankle. Ligaments and tendons support these bones. The three bones are the tibia, fibula, and talus. In its simplest definition, a broken ankle or ankle fracture is a fracture or crack to one (or more) of the bones. Some may have a tiny hairline crack in one bone, but others may experience fractures in multiple ankle bones.
One study showed that fractures are more common in women than in men. About 56% of the fractures observed were in women, compared to 44% in men. Regardless of gender, ankle fractures are painful and common. Comparing the pain of one fracture to another can be vastly different, which is part of why it is hard to tell if you have sprained your ankle or fractured it.
