Fracture of the Talus
Talus fracture is a painful condition where the talus, an important bone that connects the foot and ankle, is broken. A fracture of the talus is a serious injury that needs medical care. Learn more about talus pain, symptoms, treatment, and more from our Foot & Ankle experts.
What You Need To Know About Talus Fractures
What Is A Talus Fracture?
The talus is a bone that is positioned above the calcaneus (heel bone) and beneath the tibia and fibula (lower leg bones). When functioning properly, the talus connects the ankle joint to the lower leg. This joint allows you to move your foot up and down and from side to side.
A talus injury can cause intense pain and make it difficult to move your ankle. It may be difficult or impossible to walk or participate in daily activities. Because the joint is mostly covered in cartilage, talus fractures can be difficult to heal. Schedule an appointment with a Resurgens physician to get moving again.
What Causes Talus Fractures?
The most common cause of talus fractures is direct injury, usually due to high-energy impact. This could include an auto accident, a fall from a significant height, or a sports accident. Talus fractures are common among snowboarders, motorcyclists, athletes, or people who participate in high-energy physical activities.
Fractured Talus Symptoms
Talus pain is one of the most common symptoms of a talus injury. You may hear or feel a cracking or popping in the ankle when the injury occurs. It may be impossible to bear weight on your foot or ankle, making walking difficult. Other symptoms of talus bone fractures include:
Acute pain
Bruising
Swelling
Tenderness
Fracture blisters forming around the ankle
How Is A Fractured Talus Diagnosed?
The first step for diagnosing a talus injury is to schedule an appointment with a Resurgens Foot & Ankle physician. They will talk to you about your medical history and how the condition began. They will perform a brief physical exam to check your pain levels and range of motion.
After the physical exam, your doctor will order diagnostic imaging to better understand your injury and rule out other possible conditions. Then, they will give you a diagnosis and talk to you about a treatment plan for your recovery.
Fractured Talus Treatment
As with any type of fracture, both non-operative and operative treatment are considered for talus bone fractures. However, many talus injuries will require surgery to fix. Treatment will depend on the fracture's type, location, and severity.
Non-Surgical Treatment
For mild talus fractures, non-surgical methods may be used for recovery. Your doctor will immobilize the ankle with a boot or cast and give you crutches to get around. Once the cast or boot comes off, you will do physical therapy to help restore motion and reduce pain in the ankle.
Surgical Treatment
Most patients will require surgical intervention after a talus fracture. Surgery will restore the size and shape of the talus. The complexity of the procedure will depend on how fragmented the bone is.
If the bone is broken into several pieces, your surgeon will perform open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF). Using metal plates or screws, they will put the fragments back into place.
If there is too much swelling in the ankle for an ORIF, the surgeon will place you in an external fixator, placing large pins in the bone to hold them in place. These pins are visible outside your skin and are held together with metal bars. Once the swelling has reduced, the surgeon will try an ORIF to restore the talus.
If you're suffering after a talus injury, don't wait. Schedule an appointment with a Resurgens physician today.