 [ Symptoms ] what happens if a broken leg is not ever set in a cast  a psychiatric patient who is anxious and uncooperative with caregivers decides not to go to an orthopedic doctor for evaluation of an already diagnosed broken leg and ankle he stepped in a pothole outside fell and broke lower leg and ankle and had it put in a stabilizer boot only he refuses to go have it further examined and set in a cast what is his prognosis [ Disease ] unless i was able to examine the legankle and have an x ray as a guide there would be no way to guess at an prognosis or outcome some minor fractures can be managed in a boot but i would not know if this treatment would be appropriate for this particular patient    all fractures are different