Ankle Ligament Reconstruction

A sprain is stretching or tearing of a ligament. Ligaments connect adjacent bones in a joint and provide stability to the joint.

An ankle sprain is a common injury and occurs when you fall or suddenly twist the ankle joint or when you land your foot in an awkward position after a jump. It most commonly occurs when you participate in sports or when you jump or run on a surface that is irregular.

Ankle sprains can cause pain, swelling, tenderness, bruising, and stiffness, numbness in the toes, and inability to walk or bear weight on the ankle accompanied by persistent discomfort.

Inadequate healing of a sprained ligament or incomplete rehabilitation of the affected ligament can result in instability of the ankle.

A complete medical history, including a history of any previous ankle injuries, and a physical examination is essential for an accurate diagnosis of the condition. Change that to- “A plain xray followed by an MRI may be ordered to confirm the diagnosis and exclude any complicating features.

Treatment

Acute injuries can be managed with conservative treatment measures such as RICE method (rest, ice, compression and elevation), medications, bracing, and physical therapy.

Surgical intervention to reconstruct the injured ligament may be considered in patients with a high degree of instability and in those who have failed to respond to non-surgical treatments.

Ankle Ligament Reconstruction will be performed under general anaesthesia and a local nerve block to assist with postop pain relief. Your surgeon will make a small incision on the outside of your ankle and stretched or torn ligaments will be shortened and repaired back to the bone .

Ankle Ligament Reconstruction can now be done arthroscopically by Dr O'Carrigan using a keyhole technique called the "Arthrobrostrom". This restores stability to the ankle whilst minimising soft tissue disturbance and scarring.

The recovery time after ankle ligament reconstruction is usually 6 weeks and the patient is full weight bearing in a brace for 6 weeks after which full unrestricted rehabilitation is commenced.

Specific complications of ankle ligament reconstruction include infection, nerve damage, ankle joint stiffness, and recurrent instability.