Ankle impingement syndrome

Ankle impingement syndrome can be defined as a painful proces of mechanical limitation of full ankle range of motion. The main causes of this syndrome are abnormalities or degenerative changes in either the bone or the soft tissue structures of the ankle joint region.

Abnormalities and changes inside the ankle joint which have lead to the above stated joint range of motion limitations are most commonly caused by synovial and capsular irritation that occurs post a traumatic ankle injury, infection inside the joint and rheumatoid or degenerative joint disease. Ankle impingement syndrome can be either congenital or aquired, but the leading cause of it are postraumatic injuries, most often ankle sprains or dislocations, that have not been treated and rehabilitated properly and have lead to a chronic pain and ankle range of motion limitation. Most common places of impingement inside the ankle are the anterolateral gutter, posterior parts of the joint and ankle syndesmosis (tibio-fibular joint in the ankle region).

Symptoms encompass pain, crepitation, ie. cracking sounds inside the joint during movement in it, inability and limitation of performing full range of motion in the joint, sweeling, etc. Tretment is commonly  done through a conservative approach by reducing the pain intensity and swelling, range of motion exercises, reactivation or correct activation of lower leg muscles and regaining of balance in the ankle joint. With more difficult cases, when calcification appears inside the ankle, a surgical approach is used to treat this syndrome.

Prevention: proper treatment of traumatic ankle injuries, stretching and strenghtening of all lower leg and foot muscle groups, choice of better footwear, avoiding a sedentary way of life, etc.