Winter is a great time to try a new sport, but with it comes a whole new slew of potential injuries! Here at Feet First Foot Care Specialists, LLC, we often see a rise in ski and snowboard injuries around this time. One frequent injury we see is deemed the snowboard fracture – otherwise known as a lateral talar process fracture.

This type of fracture occurs on the outside of the lower ankle bone. It happens when the foot suddenly jams, forcing the lower ankle bone to push into the adjoining bone. This action frequently occurs during snowboarding actions like coming to a sudden stop, hence the name: snowboarder fracture.

Signs and symptoms:

A reason that these types of fractures are often misdiagnosed or ignored is that the symptoms can be easily attributed to a sprained ankle:

  • Extreme pain in the ankle area
  • Tenderness
  • Swelling
  • Difficulty or unable to bear weight on the injured ankle

A regular ankle x-ray may or may not reveal the lateral talar process fracture. Often, these types of fractures aren’t visible on an x-ray. If diagnostic tests stop at that step, then they often come to the conclusion that the patient has a bad ankle sprain. Our podiatrist Dr. Adam Mucinskas will thoroughly examine the injury – asking how it occurred and getting to the bottom of what it could be. Often an MRI or CT scan might be ordered as lateral talar process fractures can be more easily seen in these imaging tests.

Treatment

If the bones are severely displaced or shattered by the fracture, leaving painful bone fragments present, surgery might be necessary to clean out the injured area and reset the bone. If the break is less severe, ankle immobilization and avoiding weight bearing will allow healing to properly occur. With either treatment option, the patient will not be able to put weight on the ankle for 6 to 8 weeks. Not getting treatment or improperly following treatment instructions can lead to chronic ankle issues and a greater likelihood of future sprains.

If you’ve hurt yourself snowboarding, it’s time to give us a call. Our podiatrist here at Feet First Foot Care Specialists, LLC, Dr. Adam Mucinskas, can help to diagnose and treat your injury and get you back on your feet quickly. Our conveniently-located office serves the Cromwell, Connecticut area. Please give us a call today to schedule an appointment at (860) 632-5499.

Questions or Comments?

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Call Today (860) 632-5499

162 West St Ste K Cromwell, CT 06416