Arthroscopy of the ankle

There can be many causes of pain in the ankle joint. In all cases, an operation/arthroscopy is not necessary. The cause of the pain is often ligament or cartilage injuries, which can occur after sprains or blows.

The pain can also be a consequence of long-lasting ligament injuries. The ankle joint may be loose, or the pain may be due to folds in the mucous membrane that can become trapped in the ankle joint.

Symptoms

Pain, swelling and looseness are the most common symptoms. They can arise acutely with sprains or gradually as a result of incipient wear.

Examination

The first thing that needs to happen is a thorough examination and review of your problems by one of our orthopaedic surgeons.                                                                                                                      It is often difficult to make the specific diagnosis by examining the ankle joint and with the help of an X-ray image. An MR scan of the ankle joint is therefore often performed, as it provides a better picture of the situation before we decide on a possible operation. In addition, in a number of cases we try rehabilitation before deciding whether an operation is necessary.

Treatment

During an operation/arthroscopy, the doctor can make a diagnosis or have a diagnosis confirmed. In many cases, surgery can be performed via the arthroscope, but the arthroscopy is not always curative in itself.

If there are, for example, extensive cartilage injuries, the disease cannot be cured. If, on the other hand, a loose body (loose cartilage fragments) or irritated mucous membrane folds are found, they can be removed immediately.        

During the operation, the arthroscope is guided into the ankle joint via two small holes (3-4 mm) at the front of the ankle joint. It is, however, sometimes necessary to make the holes into the ankle joint larger, for example if a larger loose body is to be removed.

The operation takes approximately 30-60 minutes, depending on the procedure.

You must be patient for a period of up to 6 months after an arthroscopy. In some cases, the condition slowly improves. After the operation you will be referred for rehabilitation with a physiotherapist.

Please be aware that if you get wounds or grazes on your foot, you must contact us, as this may mean that the operation has to be postponed.

After the operation

After the operation you will receive supplementary pain treatment if there is a need for it.

The aftercare also depends on which changes are found in connection with the operation, and which procedure is performed inside the ankle joint.

For the first 3 days after an arthroscopy of the ankle joint, you should keep yourself at rest. You may only put light weight on the foot, and you must avoid any form of movement in the ankle joint. Afterwards you can remove the support bandage, and you may begin careful movement training with increasing load.

The threads are removed after approx. 10-12 days in the outpatient clinic or at your doctor’s.

You can prevent swelling by keeping the foot raised during the first days after the operation.

A very small percentage are affected by a small nerve branch at the front of the ankle joint, and this can give a feeling that the skin of the foot is asleep in the area that the nerve supplies. This will, however, usually subside.

If you have questions about the treatment, you are always welcome to contact us here.