What is a foot or ankle sprain or fracture?

The feet and ankles work together to provide support and mobility to the body.  A foot or ankle sprain is an injury to the soft tissues rather than the bone.  Most often, a sprain occurs when an injury pulls, stretches, or tears the ligaments that connect bone to bone.  A fracture is actually a break in the bone.  Fractures can result from an injury, but can also result from repetitive motion or pressure on the bone and this latter occurrence is called a stress fracture.  A fractured bone is the same thing as a broken bone, as the medical term for a break in a bone is a fracture.  Foot or ankle sprains AND fractures all require treatment to allow for proper healing to occur and to help prevent future problems including repeat sprains and severe arthritis.  We treat sprains and fractures every day in our office, and can be reached at 586-298-1585.

Visit http://www.apma.org/learn/FootHealth.cfm?ItemNumber=982 for more info.