Do you still ignore broken feet?

  People often break their feet accidentally in sports and daily life, and they don’t pay much attention to it after the injury, thinking that they will be fine after resting for a few days, or they go to the hospital and take a simple X-ray, and no fracture is found, so they think there is no problem, and they don’t go through formal treatment, and then they sprain it repeatedly, forming habitual broken feet.  A broken foot is generally referred to as an ankle sprain. The ankle joint mainly consists of the lower end of the tibiofibula and the talus and heel bone, and its stability is mainly maintained by the medial and lateral collateral ligaments and the surrounding related muscles. Since the medial collateral ligament is relatively strong compared to the lateral collateral ligament, ankle sprains are often post-rotation injuries of the ankle joint, mainly to the lateral collateral ligament, sometimes to other ligaments and even to the osteochondral damage of the talus.  So, what should you do after a broken foot?  If there is a doctor at the scene of the injury, let the doctor examine the injury immediately and treat it according to the doctor’s medical advice.  If there is no doctor nearby, it is recommended that the injured person immediately stop exercising, apply local ice, and apply pressure bandages. Then go to a hospital orthopedic department, preferably a sports medicine clinic.  An experienced doctor can determine if you have a fracture and a torn ligament based on a physical examination. In mild cases, X-rays are recommended to rule out a fracture. If a ligament rupture and other injuries are considered, an MRI is best.  The general management is as follows: ① If the diagnosis is a lateral collateral ligament injury and the joint is not loose, you can wear an ankle brace for 4 weeks.  ② If the diagnosis is a rupture of the lateral collateral ligament and the joint is loose, it should be immobilized in a “U” cast for 4 weeks. Then slowly perform functional exercises.  ③ If there is also osteochondral damage in the joint and free body in the joint, then arthroscopic surgery is needed to treat the ruptured ligament at the same time.  Even if you delay early treatment and form a habitual broken foot, you do not necessarily need surgery, but you should see a doctor. An MRI will be performed to clarify the diagnosis and rule out whether you want damage to the articular cartilage.  ① If it is a simple ligament injury, you can perform heel lift exercises, which are heel lift exercises, mainly to exercise the strength of the muscles and ligaments around the ankle joint to compensate for the lack of strength of the lateral collateral ligaments. Most of the injured people can recover the stability of the joint through exercises and continue to participate in sports and normal labor. If the joint stability is not restored after 3 months of exercise, then surgical treatment is required.  ② If MRI shows an accompanying damage to the osteochondral bone of the joint, surgery is the best option.