Ankle Wound

Ankle wounds can arise from a traumatic accident or an underlying medical condition that limits blood flow. No matter what causes your ankle wound, you get exceptional care from Thomas Rambacher, DPM, FACFAS, FAPWCA, at Foot Ankle Leg Wound Care Orange County in Mission Viejo, California. As a double-board-certified podiatric surgeon and wound care specialist, Dr. Rambacher has extensive experience using the most advanced therapies to heal your ankle wound. Call the office today or request an appointment online if you have questions about — or need comprehensive care for — an ankle wound.

What causes an ankle wound?

Wounds occur when the skin on or around your ankle is damaged, whether due to an accident or medical condition. The most common ankle wounds include:

• Grazed skin (abrasions)
• Superficial cuts
• Puncture wounds
• Deep cuts
• Diabetic, arterial, venous, or pressure ulcers
• Compound fracture (bone sticking out through your skin)

You can usually take care of an abrasion or superficial cut at home, but these other wounds need prompt medical care from a wound care specialist like Dr. Rambacher.

Will I have other symptoms with an ankle wound?

You could experience many possible symptoms along with your wound, including:

• Pain
• Bleeding
• Oozing
• Bruising
• Redness and swelling
• Inability to bear weight on the injured ankle

If your ankle wound is infected, you have symptoms like:

• Thick, yellowish drainage
• Chronic swelling and redness
• Pain that doesn't improve
• Dark color around the edges of the wound
• Red streaks extending from the wound

Ulcers that develop from diabetes and blood vessel diseases also have their own symptoms, including:

• Itchy, red rash
• Reddish-brown skin
• Thickened skin
• Leg pain when active

Some ulcers are painless, shallow, and have irregular edges; others are quite painful, round, and go deep below the surface, looking like a punched-out hole.

How are ankle wounds treated?

All ankle wounds must be thoroughly cleaned. Some wounds need a deeper cleaning called debridement.

Debridement uses instruments, enzymes, and other specialized treatments to thoroughly remove dirt, bacteria, and infected or dead tissues. Dr. Rambacher may use a local anesthetic to ensure your comfort or recommend surgical debridement for severe wounds and fractures.

After cleaning your wound. Dr. Rambacher may use topical medications before applying a dressing and recommending additional treatments.

Depending on the type and cause of your wound, you may need surgery to repair and stabilize a fracture, casting or bracing, skin grafting, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections, or surgical wound repair, to give you just a few examples of ankle wound treatments.

Dr. Rambacher also refers you to a specialist if you have diabetes or vascular disease. Ulcers around your ankle keep reappearing if the underlying disease isn’t treated.

Call Foot Ankle Leg Wound Care Orange County today or request an appointment online to get exceptional care for ankle wounds.