How do i know if i my ankle is broken or just a sprain?

Exam and X-rays : More severe ankle sprains can be difficult to differentiate from ankle fractures.The mechanism of injury can be very similar and some ankle fx. Pts can weight bear some and some bad ankle sprain pts. Cannot. A good physical exam to rule/ out other ankle injuries( peroneal tendon injuries, talus, 5th metatarsal base fxs, etc.) and x-rays will differentiate . Good luck!

Take a x-ray: A plain X-ray often will help tell the difference between a soft tissue injury ("sprain") and a fracture. AN X-ray coupled with an exam usually is sufficient. At times there is still a doubt and there are other radiology test that can help determine if there is an "occult' or compression fracture. These tests include: MRI, CT scan and bone scan.