After an ankle fracture, the biomechanics of the ankle may change in a number of ways:
- loss of range of motion, particularly loss of dorsiflexion, can have a significant effect on gait and increases forefoot loading
- alteration in contact area and loading as a result of inadequate reduction and mortise incongruity can promote post-traumatic arthritis
- alterations in inferior tibiofibular movement could reduce functional ankle dorsiflexion, although this seems to be an uncommon problem in practice