Ankle Ligament Injuries

If you have a severe ankle injury it is best to get professional advice immediately. Things that suggest a severe injury include:
• Your ankle is so painful that you cannot walk on it at all
• The ankle looks deformed
• The skin over the ankle is broken
• The injury was caused by a severe force such as a fall from a height or a blow from a heavy object
• The pain and swelling seem to get worse rather than better over the first 3-4 days (the bruising often gets worse for a week or more before it starts to fade)

Most simple sprains get better without any special treatment. However, if you have a severe injury or the initial injury does not recover normally, it is usually best to see a physiotherapist. The hospital emergency department or orthopaedic department, your own GP or your sports club can arrange this. Physiotherapists also advertise in Yellow Pages.

The majority of ankle injuries get better completely and cause no long-term problems. Unfortunately occasionally there is permanent damage to the ankle. The ligaments may fail to heal properly and become weak – leading to ankle instability, or there may be damage to the joint itself or some other structure nearby
– leading to ankle pain and swelling.

Your doctor or physiotherapist will examine you and look for any sign that you have some other problem around your ankle, such as damage to the joint surface. They will stretch your ankle to see if the ligaments are abnormally weak. An X-ray will usually be taken to see if there is any damage to the bones of your ankle. Ligaments do not show on X-rays. Ligament damage can be shown by taking X-rays with your ankle stretched in various directions (“stress views”) or with a magnetic (MRI) scan.

Most people with ankle ligament instability have damage to the ligaments, which can be overcome with appropriate physiotherapy rehabilitation. The rehabilitation may include:
• Strengthening the muscles around the outside of the ankle.
• Improving your balance, with the use of a “wobbleboard,” or a “trampette.”
• If your ankle or Achilles tendon are stiff, you will also be shown exercises to stretch these.
• If your foot shape makes you prone to extra stress on the ankle ligaments, a moulded insole may be advised for your shoe to reduce these stresses.
• Trial of a brace, or strapping for activity or sport.

Most people will find their ankle much more stable and comfortable after physiotherapy. However, in some people problems continue. At this point the opinion of an orthopaedic foot and ankle surgeon may be helpful, and your general practitioner may refer you for further treatment. The surgeon may also suggest an exploratory operation on your ankle (arthroscopy) to check on the state of the joint. If these tests suggest weakness of the ankle ligaments, an operation may be advised.

Most people with ankle instability will not need an operation. Even if your ankle still feels unstable after physiotherapy, you could try a brace rather than having an operation to tighten up or replace the ligaments.
However, if no other treatment makes your ankle comfortable and tests show that the ligaments are weak, an operation may help.

There are two main types of operation:
• The damaged ligaments are tightened up and reattached to the bone.
• One of the nearby tendons is used to replace the damaged ligaments.

Following surgery you will be in plaster for three to six weeks. Physiotherapy treatment is usually required. After 3 months you will work with your physiotherapist to regain the strength, and mobility of your ankle. You can start light exercise at 3 months, but sports involving twisting (such as football, rugby, running on rough ground and squash) are not allowed until 6 months after
the surgery.

The complications which may occur after a ligament reconstruction operation include:
• Pain in the ankle, because of damage at the time of the original injury or because the ankle is now tighter than before
• Numbness or tingling down the side of the foot due to stretching of one of the nerves either at the time of the original injury or the operation
• Persistent swelling of the ankle
• Stiffness of the ankle, restricting the range of movement
• In 5 to 10% of people the surgery does not work, and the ankle remains unstable.

You can’t absolutely prevent another injury, but there are things you can do to reduce the risk. Obviously, take care when walking to avoid catching your foot on uneven bits of pavement (especially when you are in a hurry or have had a few drinks). High-heeled shoes put extra stress on your ankle and should be avoided. If your ankle or Achilles tendon is stiff this puts extra stress on your ankle ligaments when you walk or run, and exercises would probably improve this. If you play sport, you should take extra care to warm up and down properly, with plenty of stretches to your ankle and Achilles tendon. Strapping your ankle or wearing a sports ankle support (which can be bought at most sports shops) may reduce the risk of another injury.