Check to see that pressure from fluids is not building up in the muscles of the leg, a condition called compartment syndrome.Check your pulse at key points of the foot to be sure that there is good blood supply to the foot and toes.In some cases, nerves may be injured at the same time that the bone is broken. Check to see if you can move your toes, and can feel things on the bottom of your foot.Examine your foot and ankle carefully to see if there are any cuts from the injury.Physical ExaminationĪfter reviewing your symptoms and medical history, your doctor will do a careful examination. Most people with talus fractures will go to an urgent care center or emergency room for initial treatment because of the severity of their symptoms. For this reason, they have a higher risk of infection and often take a longer time to heal. In addition, open fractures expose the fracture site to the environment, allowing debris from the outside to penetrate the wound. Open fractures often involve greater injury to the surrounding muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Open fracture: When broken bones break through the skin, the injury is called an open or compound fracture. They often require surgery to restore the alignment and give the best chance for a return to normal function of the foot and ankle. Highly displaced fractures are more likely to be unstable. The amount of displacement relates to the force of the injury. A displaced fracture occurs when the bone breaks and the pieces move out of their anatomic position. Surgery to repair the bones is not required.ĭisplaced fracture. In a minimally displaced fracture, the bones usually stay in place during healing. The broken ends of the bones line up correctly or almost correctly. Minimally displaced or stable fractures: This type of fracture is barely out of place. Talus fractures can be classified by how much the pieces of bone have moved out of their normal position. Lateral process fractures occur when the ankle is forced out to the side and are commonly seen in snowboarders. The talus may also fracture through a prominence on the outside of the bone called the lateral process. Reproduced and modified with permission from Fortin PT, Balazsy JE: Talus fractures: evaluation and treatment.

Medial talar dome