Eli5 Whats the difference between a twisted, sprained, fractured and broken ankle?
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A twisted ankle is a sprained ankle. Broken and fractured mean the exact same thing.
A sprain occurs when the soft tissue bands (ligaments) that hold different bones together are damaged from straining, rolling , or twisting.
A fracture is when a bone itself cracks or “breaks”
What is actually damaged and the severity
Twisted- bruised or overly stretched ligaments
Sprained- overly stretched and possibly torn ligaments
Fracture/break- bone is broken
Twisted usually is immediate to 48hrs before you are recovered with no medical attention. Sprain and broken need medical attention. And can be anywhere from 1 week to multiple months to recover.
Edit: pardon the format, mobile
Twisted isn’t a medical term. It can be a strain, sprain or minor break.
Strain: Overly stretched muscle, here the calf. Usually simple to heal. Can also be tendon which is more serious but also usually a RICE injury. Rest, treat inflammation.
Sprain: Stretched or torn ligament. Come in grades ranging from 1 (RICE) to 3 (complete tear, surgery).
Fracture: The medical term for broken bone. Comes in a wide variety, always serious because it won’t heal effectively if used.
Twisted is a term for laypeople that describes more how the injury was received than what actual damage was done.
Sprained is a term describing damage to the ligaments (soft tissue that connect bones to other bones). This is compared to a strain which describes damage to the tendons (soft tissue that connects bones to muscles). Can be further graded by severity damage.
Broken layperson term for fracture.
Fracture is a break in the continuity of the bone. This does not have to deform the bone, nor does it require the damage to the bone’s outer surface (periosteum). It just requires a disruption in the bone’s normal form.
Twisted ≈ sprained
Broken ≈ fractured
Terms like broken and twisted are laymens colloquial terms used to describe injury’s such as a fracture (crack in the bone, could be a minor hairline crack or even a clean break into two half’s… both are still fractured) or a sprain (damage to ligaments around a joint from being overstretched or stretched in the wrong direction, leading to swelling and inflammation of the ligament, the stretching occurs often because one “twists” their ankle)
There are 26 bones in your ankle. I would assume fractured is the worst. How many bones are broken?
Ok I legit had to look this up bc a doctor of mine told me that I had a *fracture* not a *break* in my wrist.
(This was back when I was 12)
I remember this conversation so clearly, bc I was in pain and refused a shot. I asked if it was broken. My mom said “It’s not broken!” He said “Correct, it’s a dislocation and a small fracture not a break”
He went on to explain my growth plate being dislocated and pointed to a small crack in one of the biggest bones in the wrist.
Now I’m like…my mom *and* my doctor were wrong?
Wtf!? Somebody make this make sense for me! Please?
Fractured and broken mean that a bone has cracked. This may heal on its own but may heal crooked depending on if a part is displaced (not in it’s correct location.) Treatment could involve immobilization (such as a cast or splint), non weight-bearing (crutches or sling), reduction (moving the bones back into place), or even fixation (surgery to implant metal hardware into the bone)
Sprain is an injury of a ligament (a connective tissue which holds 2 or more bones together. These often heal on their own but may result in some permanent change (scarring).
Strain is an injury to a muscle or tendon (connective tissue which connects a muscle to another structure, often a bone, but sometimes another muscle or another connective tissue.) These also often heal on their own.
Rupture or tear is an injury to a tendon or ligament where the fibers have become disconnected in such a way that either part or all (depending on if it’s partial or full thickness) of the structure cannot maintain tension on the things it connects to. These usually don’t heal on their own without intervention, but don’t always require intervention if they are partial thickness or not essential. Sometimes these may just need the torn ends to be stitched together, particularly if repaired early. If some time has passed, they may need to be reconstructed with a graft.
Twisted is a casual term which I guess describes how the injury happened, but not what the injury is.
A twist or strain is an inflamed ankle caused by turning it. A sprain is a snapped or torn ligament, often caused by a turned ankle. A fracture or break is when a bone is cracked or snapped. The latter two can take a while to recover and will probably require physio, whereas the former is less serious, and just needs a bit of rest.
Twisted: “Ouch”
Sprained: “Ow, fuck, fuck, fuck”
Fractured: “Holy fuck, fuck this shit, knock med out please:
Broken: “Jesus, kill me now.”
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