Ankle ligament tears: An expert guide

Written in association with: Mr Simon Moyes
Published:
Edited by: Conor Dunworth

Mr Simon Moyes is an experienced consultant orthopaedic surgeon, and an expert in the treatment of ankle ligament tears. In his latest article, Mr Moyes explains how this injury is treated in detail.

 

What is an ankle ligament tear?

A network of ligaments, tendons, and muscles supports and moves the bones of your ankle. Four ligaments join the bones together, and tendons attach muscles to bones.

When you roll over on your ankle, the supportive structures will naturally get stretched.

Because they are less flexible than tendons, ligaments are more prone to tearing than tendons. They may be torn partially or totally, or they may be completely yanked out of the bone where they were anchored.

Your ankle joint's ability to move and other structures may be impacted by a torn ligament. It's not unusual for an ankle sprain to coexist with bone fractures and cartilage damage.

 

What are the symptoms of an ankle ligament tear?

There are various symptoms of ankle ligament tears, including:

  • Swollen ankle joint
  • A sensation of instability
  • Bruising - can extend into your foot and up your lower leg.
  • Tender to touch
  • Ankle pain - happens when putting weight on it
  • Popping noise when the injury first occurred

 

When should I seek treatment?

If any of these symptoms appear, you ought to visit a specialist for treatment. Additionally, if you frequently "go over" on your ankle after having a sprain, you probably have a chronic ligament injury.

 

It is crucial to get treatment as soon as possible since ankle weakness and chronic instability can develop into more severe problems like ankle arthritis.

 

How are ankle ligament injuries treated?

An accurate diagnosis is the first step in any treatment for a torn ankle ligament. This often includes a physical examination to assess your range of motion, stability, and weight-bearing capacity as well as to evaluate the injury's history.

To evaluate ligament or other soft tissue injury, an MRI or ultrasound scan may be done, and an x-ray may also be required to look for a fracture.

Treatment options depend on the severity of the damage and include:

 

Non-surgical

Physiotherapy is an excellent way to treat partial ankle ligament damage. Exercises will be taught to you to strengthen the muscles in and around your ankle. This will increase stability and aid in avoiding further injuries.

However, a complete tear will require three weeks of immobilization in an Aircast boot.

Targeted massage can promote blood flow to speed up the healing process, reduce fluid retention, and lessen scar tissue thickening.

 

Injections

Mr Moyes offers injection therapy to reduce inflammation after a ligament tear.

 

Surgery

Surgery is usually only recommended if the ligament tear has caused damage to other structures of your ankle, or has resulted in long-term instability or the risk of other conditions such as arthritis.

Ligament tears can be surgically repaired by stitching them back together, re-attaching them to the bone, or replacing them with a graft (a tendon from another part of your body or from a donor).

Most ankle ligament surgery is carried out using keyhole (arthroscopic) surgery.

 

Mr Simon Moyes is a renowned consultant orthopaedic and sports medicine surgeon based in London. If you would like to book a consultation with Mr Moyes, you can do so today via his Top Doctors profile.

By Mr Simon Moyes
Orthopaedic surgery

Mr Simon Moyes is a highly in-demand consultant orthopaedic and sports medicine surgeon practising in his private clinics in London. He specializes in arthroscopic/minimally invasive surgery for the knee, shoulder, foot, and ankle.

Following his general medical and surgical training, Mr Moyes underwent specialist trauma and orthopaedic training on the Westminster Hospital Registrar programme and the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital Senior Registrar programme. In addition, he completed fellowships at both the North Sydney Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Centre and the Southern California Orthopaedic Institute in Los Angeles, USA

In 1994, Mr Moyes was appointed consultant orthopaedic surgeon at University College London where he developed the Sports Medicine service. From 1998, Mr Moyes has worked full-time solely in private practice. He founded the Shoulder units and Foot and Ankle units at the Wellington Hospital.

In 2019, having founded the Capital Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Group, he moved his practice to the renowned Cromwell Hospital in Kensington and the Basinghall Clinic in the City. He now works with a group of other orthopaedic surgeons and sports medicine physicians. Their biographies can all be seen on the Capital Orthopaedics web site.

Mr Moyes has special surgical interests in developing new arthroscopic/minimally invasive surgery, always aiming to improve techniques for reconstruction of the knee, shoulder, foot, and ankle and to ensure better treatment for his patients. He has a close working relationship with the Arthroscopy Association of North America in Chicago, regularly attending meetings there to stay involved in the most advanced medical techniques in his field.

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