untreated possible fibula fracture ... oops?

marleysauce

Hiya. I'm having a problem with my left ankle about 6 months after an untreated inversion injury. I was a dancer and have sprained the other ankle in the past, so I assumed this was a sprain since the swelling, pain, and bruising seemed similar immediately afterward. This time, I was unable to bear weight for a few days, and then used a brace for stability until the extensive swelling went down. Didn't give it a whole lot of thought after that as the pain was gone. Then about a month ago, I was sitting indian style and had some tenderness when my outer ankle was pressing into the floor. This prompted me to look and see that that bone (fibula, I think) is randomly in a completely different place (not sure how I hadn't noticed.) It is up higher than the other side and there is an indentation just above it. There's no swelling, but it feels unstable and the pain is increasing. It's uncomfortable to wear a brace and some shoes now, and the ankle feels achy after standing all day at work. I also occasionally have a burning/aching sensation that feels like it's in or very near the bone, usually when at rest. My best guess is that the initial injury was a fracture and it has now healed in the wrong position. Does this seem likely'? If so, is there any chance I could correct the problem without surgery? Thanks!