How Does a Broken Ankle Affect Your Ability to Walk?

Reviewed by Tomas Diaz, MD

Emergency Medicine

A broken ankle causes pain and makes walking more difficult. The combination of pain, swelling, and the need to protect the injury changes your walking pattern.

Explanation

A broken ankle makes walking difficult due to injury in the bone and surrounding tissues. Pain and swelling force you to place less weight on the injured ankle, leading to shorter steps and slower movement to minimize discomfort. Your body adjusts its movement patterns, shifting weight to other parts of your leg or trunk to maintain balance. This modified walking pattern, known as an antalgic gait, can cause unsteadiness. Feelings of instability and fear of re-injury add to these walking difficulties. During recovery, doctors typically prescribe physical therapy or exercises to rebuild strength and coordination. With proper care, you can gradually resume a natural walking pattern—though full recovery takes time.

(References)

McKeown R, Kearney RS, Liew ZH, Ellard DR. Patient experiences of an ankle fracture and the most important factors in their recovery: a qualitative interview study. BMJ Open. 2020 Feb 4;10(2):e033539. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-033539. PMID: 32024789; PMCID: PMC7044932.
Hsu CY, Tsai YS, Yau CS, Shie HH, Wu CM. Differences in gait and trunk movement between patients after ankle fracture and healthy subjects. Biomed Eng Online. 2019 Mar 19;18(1):26. doi: 10.1186/s12938-019-0644-3. PMID: 30890177; PMCID: PMC6425625.
Keene DJ, Costa ML, Tutton E, Hopewell S, Barber VS, Dutton SJ, Redmond AC, Willett K, Lamb SE. Progressive functional exercise versus best practice advice for adults aged 50 years or over after ankle fracture: protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial in the UK - the Ankle Fracture Treatment: Enhancing Rehabilitation (AFTER) study. BMJ Open. 2019 Nov 2;9(11):e030877. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-030877. PMID: 31678945; PMCID: PMC6830709.

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