Question: Is there a sure-fire way to tell the difference between a broken ankle and just a bad sprain? I took my kid to the emergency room after a soccer injury and it turned out to be just a sprain, so it cost me a bundle.

Dr. Hibberd's answer:

It is always wise to be evaluated by a physician after an injury, particularly with children who may have growth-plate injuries or hard-to detect fractures.

A limp or severe pain can flag a bone break, but may also occur with a bad sprain.
Growth-plate injuries are sometimes are easy to miss, which may threaten bone growth and cause problems that are hard to correct later on.

The fact that your child can walk on an injured extremity does not necessarily mean a fracture is not present. I have seen many children who are able to walk even though they have fractured a bone.

Always remember that not all fractures will show up on initial injury films, so always have a repeat evaluation within two to three after an initial evaluation to be sure no fracture or dislocation has occurred.