For example, the fractured tibias of patients who smoked took 62% longer to heal than non-smokers. Further, postoperative complications such as delayed healing, infection, and fracture non-healing (non-union) are much more common among smokers. How the bone was broken, how badly it was broken, what is needed to repair it and patient compliance all determine how close to the normal four months it will take the patient to heal. ; Any crack, break, or chip in the anklebone is considered a fractured ankle, while a sprained ankle is an injury where there is tear or disruption of the ligaments (the fibrous tissue that holds bone to bone in a joint). A further example from a study at Johns Hopkins University found that: A broken ankle is a fracture of one of the bones of the ankle, including the tibia, fibula, and talus. Ankle injuries play a major part in post multitrauma functional impairment thereby necessitating a detailed evaluation. Ankle fractures account for ~10% of fractures encountered in trauma, preceded only in incidence by proximal femoral fractures in the lower limb. They have a bimodal presentation, involving young males and older females. Certain kinds of fractures, and open wounds with exposed bone, need surgery. At this point, the body goes into action right away. 3 Fracture Healing Stages Inflammatory stage: The first phase of the fracture healing process starts the moment after bone breaks. Nonunions occur when the bones fragments do not grow back properly.Usually the process of rebuidling or regeneration of the broken bone fragments start immediately once the doctor aligns them in the right way. Ankle fractures are classified as stable if the fracture is non-displaced or minimally displaced and the medial structures (deltoid ligament and medial malleolus) are intact. You’ll go home with a splint and pain medications. This type of injury allows the talus to remain anatomically positioned within the mortise, preventing displacement of the joint. The procedure can usually be done in an outpatient surgical center. The surgeon will use an incision on one or both sides of the ankle and use metal plates and screws to hold the fracture in place for safe healing. The Healing Process of an Ankle Fracture October 27, 2017 8:00 am by Steven Sapoznik 1 Comment As all NBA fans know, the first major injury of the 2017-2018 season occurred to star guard of the Boston Celtics, Gordon Hayward. Each ankle fracture needs specific rehabilitation based on its injury type and fracture stability. Healing time for a fractured ankle can depend on a large number of factors. Unstable fractures will almost always require surgical stabilisation followed by physiotherapy to restore your range of motion, strength, proprioception, balance and function.The most common procedure is an Open Reduction with Internal Fixation (ORIF). A small blood clot, known as a hematoma, forms around the fracture site which then attracts molecules called white cells.