Dr. Brandon Nelson, A Board Certified Physician & Surgeon, Discusses Ankle Pain

Ankle pain is a large topic to discuss in a blog but I will focus on two of the most common causes.  The vast majority of ankle pain follows an injury like an ankle sprain or an ankle fracture.  When looking at an ankle sprain the most likely long term causes of pain are soft tissue issues.  When looking at ankle fractures with time bone or joint pathologies can occur.  Let us take a look at a common ankle sprain and what can be the long term results of untreated sprains.

Ankle sprains are one of the most common injuries that occur in the lower extremity.   The vast majority of sprain occurs in an inversion type fashion or a rolling in of one’s foot.  This puts a lot of strain on the ligaments and tendons on the outside of the ankle or the fibular side.  We often see ligament tears or tendon tears that develop. These can lead to pain with activities or with certain movements.  It is important to seek the help of a foot and ankle physician early with ankle sprains.  It is amazing the amount of issues I see that could have been avoided by seeing a physician when the sprain occurred.  It seems that the adage of “PRICE” or protect, rest, ice, compress and elevate just does not provide enough healing for athletes or active patients.

Ankle fracture on the other hand usually does seek medical intervention.  It really depends on the type of fracture some patients will require surgery to realign the bones and some will do find with just a period of non-weight bearing.  Ankle fractures usually have higher trauma velocities and therefore can cause more damage to the bones.  One of the most common long term effects of a fracture can be arthritis.  With fractures you can change the weight distribution in joints and over time this can wear away cartilage.  Having all fractures evaluated by a medical professional with experience in that area is key.

I cannot express the importance of early intervention and seeking the advice of a foot and ankle physician will improve outcomes and long term functionality.  If you have had an injury or are currently injured I can help.

If you are experiencing foot or ankle pain, please give us a call at 425-391-8666 or make an appointment online today. 

Sincelry,

Dr Brandon Nelson

Surgery of the ankle is a fairly common procedure. The majority of ankle surgeries have to do with the outside of the ankle or the lateral ankle complex. The lateral ankle complex is composed of the lateral ankle ligaments and the peroneal tendons. The ligaments on the outside of the ankle are the most important ligaments for stability. These ligaments are often injured with an ankle sprain or ankle fracture. The peroneal tendons work to dynamically stabilize the ankle with activities. These tendons can also be injured with repetitive use or chronic ankle sprains. It is important for anybody that has more than 1 ankle sprain a year to have the structural integrity of their ankle evaluated.

Evaluation of the ankle usually involves and x-ray and a physical examination. In addition, I will often order and MRI to get a better appreciation of the structural components of the ankle. I like an MRI because one can see what the ligaments and tendons look like. This is extremely helpful for evaluation of what needs to be repaired for surgery and what the tissue consistency looks like for the repair.

The surgical procedure itself, or the repair, can be relatively straight forward as in just a ligament stabilization or more complex included bone work. The most common ankle procedure is the lateral ligament reconstruction or the Brostrum procedure. This is a great procedure for anybody with chronic ankle sprains. With this procedure there is a chance you may need the tendons repaired as well.

If you are experiencing frequent ankle sprains or have pain on the outside of the ankle I can help. Make an appointment today and we will get you back on the road to recovery. Give us a call at 425-391-8666.