Ankle Dislocation

What is an Ankle Dislocation

Ankle dislocation happens when the bones of your ankle are moved out of place.

Follow these instructions at home:

If you have a cast:

• Do notstick anything inside the cast to scratch your skin.
• Check the skin around the cast every day. Tell your doctor if something seems wrong. You may put lotion on dry skin around the edges of the cast, but do notput lotion on the skin under the cast.
• Do notlet the cast get wet if it is not waterproof.
• Keep the cast clean.

If you have a splint:

• Wear the splint as told by your doctor. Remove it only as told by your doctor.
• Loosen the splint if your toes tingle, become numb, or turn cold and blue.
• Do notlet the splint get wet if it is not waterproof.
• Keep the splint clean.

Bathing

• Do nottake baths, swim, or use a hot tub until your doctor says it is okay. Ask your doctor if you can take showers. You may only be allowed to take sponge baths for bathing.
• If your cast or splint is not waterproof, cover it with a watertight plastic bag when you take a bath or a shower.

Managing pain, stiffness, and swelling

• If directed, put ice on the injured area.
  • Put ice in a plastic bag.
  • Place a towel between your skin and the bag.
  • Leave the ice on for 20 minutes, 2–3 times per day.
• Move your toes often. This helps with stiffness and swelling.
• Raise (elevate) the injured area above the level of your heart while you are sitting or lying down.

Driving

• Do not drive or use heavy machinery while taking prescription pain medicine.
• Ask your doctor when it is safe to drive if you have a cast or splint on your foot or ankle.

Activity

• Rest your ankle as told by your doctor.
• Return to your normal activities as told by your doctor. Ask your doctor what activities are safe for you.
• Do notuse the injured ankle to support (bear) your body weight until your doctor says that you can. Use crutches or a walker as told by your doctor.

General instructions

• Do notput pressure on any part of the cast or splint until it is fully hardened. This may take several hours.
• Take over-the-counter or prescription medicines for pain as told by your doctor.
• If you have a boot, follow instructions from you doctor about when to wear it, when to remove it, and how to care for it.
• Do notuse any tobacco products. These include cigarettes, chewing tobacco, or e-cigarettes. Tobacco can delay bone healing. If you need help quitting, ask your doctor.
• Keep all follow-up visits as told by your doctor. This is important.

Contact a doctor if:

• You have:
  • Pain that is not controlled by your medicine.
  • A fever.
  • Tingling in your foot or your toes.
• Your foot or your toes turn cold or numb.
• Your cast, splint, or boot gets damaged.

Get help right away if:

• You have:
  • Very bad pain.
  • More swelling.
• You lose feeling in your toes.
• Your toes turn very pale or blue.
• You have:
  • Warmth, pain, and tenderness in the back of your leg.
  • Chest pain.
  • Trouble breathing.