Abingdon, VA
A 18-year-old female asked:
Is it possible for a 4 month old ankle sprain to need surgery. at the 3 week point had an x-ray but only showed lateral swelling. still hurts and pops?
2 doctor answers • 3 doctors weighed in

Dr. Gregory Harveyanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Ankle sprain: Recommend you get an mri. You may have ligament tears that have not healed or joint surface damage that did not show on the x-ray.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago

Dr. Payam Rafatanswered
Podiatry 24 years experience
Have it evaluated: Possible cause of your pain may include sprain, bursitis, fracture, contusion, neuritis, but of course there are a multitude of other possibilities. Get the feet inspected by a professional to determine the cause of the problem, as treatment varies depending on the diagnosis. Popping may be due to instability of the joint or bordering soft tissues.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Similar questions
Abingdon, VA
A 18-year-old female asked:
Is it possible to need surgery for a 4 month old ankle sprain? It still hurts and pops a lot. Had X-ray 3 weeks after it only showed lateral swelling.
9 doctor answers • 10 doctors weighed in

Dr. Thomman Kuruvillaanswered
Podiatry 24 years experience
Yes: Yes, but first you need to get an MRI to assess which ligaments are involved. This is used in a combination of the physical exam and a determination of which lateral ankle stabilization surgical procedure will be utilized (example brodstrom).
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Last updated Dec 10, 2013
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