How do you break your ankle?

The most common causes of a broken ankle as reported by Mayo Clinic, are auto accidents, falls, twisting your ankle, and overuse or repetitive force. The severity of a fracture can range from a hairline crack, to a splintering of the bone severe enough to pierce the skin.

Mayo Clinic explains that hearing a crack at the time of injury does not guarantee that a fracture exists. Symptoms of a fractured ankle are throbbing pain at the onset of the injury, swelling, bruising, tenderness, deformity, problems walking, or pain that increases with activity and decreases with rest. If symptoms persist for more than two to three days, contact your physician.