Talus fracture

How does a fracture occur ?

Any ankle injury can result in a fracture of the talus, even minor, which can occur during a fall from a height or when landing badly. It can also occur following an ankle sprain.

More rarely, a stress fracture can occur due to repeated excessive strain on the bone and can develop insidiously without the patient necessarily complaining beforehand.

What are the means of diagnosis ?

The patient may feel pain when putting weight on the foot during walking or find it hard, even impossible to put their foot on the ground. Edema or bruising can develop around the ankle.

The means of diagnosis remains an x-ray of the ankle.

The podiatrist can check for a pulse and tenderness to ensure there is no concomitant vascular or nervous damage.

What are the treatments proposed ?

In order to avoid any residual damage such as osteoarthritis or necrosis, various treatments are proposed.

Orthopedic treatment can be proposed with a plaster cast in the case of fractures with minor displacements, or surgery for displaced fractures or if there is a risk of poor healing.

Physiotherapy is important in order to progressively put weight on the foot and avoid stiffening of the joint. This can be facilitated with comfort orthotics.

If the patient subsequently suffers from osteoarthritis or stiffness, the podiatrist can prescribe custom-made orthotics adapted to the patient’s static morphology and to support the arch of the foot.