Fracture Dislocation of the Ankle in a High School Football Player: A Case Study

Dislocation with an associated fracture of the ankle is a rare injury. A medial dislocation of the subtalar joint is uncommon, because the normal direction of the subtalar dislocation is lateral. This paper discusses a fracture medial dislocation of the ankle in a high school football player. Initial treatment of the injury included on-the-field management and referral to a hospital and an orthopedic surgeon. Rehabilitation of this injury was very slow and conservative in the initial stage after surgery. This included range of motion exercises for the ankle, full leg conditioning, and ice. After the fracture site was found stable the injury was treated much the same as a Grade II ankle sprain. The goal of rehabilitation was to return the range of motion, strength, and girth measurements of the affected side to those of the contralateral side as quickly as possible, so the athlete could resume athletics. When the affected side met these criteria, there was little to no pain with activity, and the orthopedic physician granted clearance, the athlete was allowed to return to competition.