Boozing and High Heels are a Dangerous Combination

Booze and high-heels definitely do not mix, says a new study out of Britain.

A top ankle surgeon says scores of young women are causing permanent damage, with some left unable to run ever again, reports the Sun.

"We've certainly seen a change in the injuries coming into A and E. The number of severe ankle injuries we're seeing is going up as heels get higher," said Chris Walker, a trauma surgeon from the Spire Liverpool Hospital.

"We're not just seeing sprains any more but young women who have completely shattered their ankle.

"A few years ago when heels were four inches high we'd see sprains that would become very swollen and painful but would usually heal in a couple of weeks.

"Now, with girls wearing this added platform, they can be between five and eight inches in the air. It's like walking on stilts and causes massive injury to the ankle when you fall.

"A combination of lots of alcohol and high heels is a common scenario for a broken ankle.

"Even though we do our best to put the bones back in place, the joints are often permanently wrecked, and more prone to arthritis later on," he said.

Walker explains that super-high platform heels cause the bones to break and be ripped out of the joint - technically called a fracture dislocation.

"The only way to fix it is with surgery. We place the bone back in position, then stabilise it with metal plates and screws on the outside of the joint," Dr. Walker said.

According to Walker, recovery takes around nine months and involves wearing plaster for six weeks and a brace for another four.

And that's not all, because this treatment is then followed by six months of physiotherapy.

But the damage can be permanent and some patients are left unable to run properly.

Most of these patients are in their late teens and early twenties.

Source: ANI