Ankle conditions Flashcards
What is the epidemiology of lateral ligament sprain
5000 injuries in the UK daily
Suffered by over 50% of the population
25% greater risk of grade 1 sprain in female athletes than male
One of the most common mSK injuries
11% of any injury are ankle sprains
Most common sports injury
What is the aetiology of lateral ankle sprain
forced plantar flexion with inversion
Jumping / landing
Uneven surfaces when walking or running
foot to foot contact
greater risk if have postural sway
What are the commonly injured structures
in lateral ankle sprain
lateral ligament complex
ATFL is damaged in 65% of inversion sprains
Combined injury of ATDL and CFL in 20% of injuries
PTFL very rarely injured as very strong
Pathophysiology of lateral ligament injury
Bleeding and inflammation occurs
Proliferation occurs
ie growth of new capillaries and proliferation of fibroblasts producing collagen
remodelling phase begins
Diagnosis of Anterior tibiofemoral ligament
Active ROM, anterior draw test, palpation
Diagnosis of calcaneofibular ligament
medial talar tilt, palpation
diagnosis of posterior talofibular ligament
palpation
What are possible parts conditions for differential diagnosis with lateral sprain
Syndysmosis injury (squeeze test, external rotation test, shuck test)
Fracture (malleolar, base of 5th metatarsal, navicular)
Tendons (peroneal tendon leads to dislocation)
Osteochondral lesion of talar dome
When should tests occur for lateral ankle sprain?
Manual tests best 4-7 days after pain and spasm reduced
Should be kept simple initially
Area of maximal swelling and tenderness usually indicates injured structures
what kind of imaging should be done for lateral ankle sprain
X-ray to rule out fracture
MRI of talar dome
What are the aims at the acute stage for lateral ankle sprain
Reduce pain, reduce swelling, prevent further tissue damage
What treatment should be used in early stages of a lateral ankle sprain
PRICE (protection, rest, ice, compression, elevation)
What are the benefits of ice
- ↓Pain via ↓nerve conduction velocity.
– ↓Tissue metabolism.
– ↓Rate secondary cell destruction.
– ↓ oedema formation
– Vasoconstriction → ↓ oedema formation
what should be used during compression in lateral ankle sprain and why?
Compression pad and elastic bandage
Elastic bandages help to stop compartment syndrome
Felt pad is around ankle and helps to ensure swelling doesn’t remain around ankle
What kinds of medical management in initial stage are there for lateral ankle sprains and what are the benefits
NSAIDS (less pain, return to training faster, increase exs endurance on return to training)
what is the treatment and aims of intermediate stage of a lateral ankle sprain
Continue to decrease pain, swelling and risk of damage
Promote:
Healing and tensile strength + mobility of tissue
Restore normal ROM, flexibility, muscle strength and neuromuscular function to include balance and gait
What are possible exercises and focusses in the last stages of a lateral ankle sprain
jogging
agility drills
sprints
directional-change
plyometrics
Functional / sports-specific
what can reduce the incidence of sprains in sport in general
Taping
What is a osteochondral lesion of talar dome?
shallow, wafer-shaped lesion of articular cartilage and subchondral bone
what are the symptoms of osteochondral lesion of talar dome
Excessively severe or prolonged joint pain
Tenderness on anterior joint line palapation
May not appear on initial x-rays and MRI should be considered
What is the epidemiology of lateral ankle sprain
Common in athletes such as american footballers and downhill skiers
account for 1-11% of all injuries
Incidence of 29% in american footballers
What is the aetiology of syndesmosis injuries
Most commonly caused by extreme external rotation or dorsiflexion of the talus
what is the key anatomy involved in a syndesmosis injury
ligaments that bind distal tibia and fibula
what other injuries often occur with syndesmosis injuries?
Fractures of the malleolus or proximal fibular spiral fractures