Footballer's ankle
Footballer's Ankle is a pinching or impingement of the ligaments or tendons of the ankle between the bones, particularly the talus and tibia. This results in pain, inflammation and swelling. Causes. A common cause of anterior impingement is a bone spur on anklebone (talus) or the shinbone (tibia). Repeated kicking actions can cause the anklebone to hit the bottom of the shinbone, which can lead to a lump of bone (or bone spur) developing. This bone spur may then begin to impact on the soft tissue at the front of the ankle, causing inflammation and swelling . The condition is most common in athletes who repeatedly bend the ankle upward (dorsiflexion), such as footballers, hence the name. Symptoms. - pain and tenderness over anterior ankle joint - pain on dorsiflexion and plantar flexion - band of pain across anterior ankle when kicking a ball - palpable bony lump on distal tibia or superior talus Treatment. - soft tissue techniques to stretch muscles crossing the ankle to relieve tension - mobilisation of ankle joint - steroid injection to reduce inflammation - surgery to remove bony spurs