ankle

• Minor ligament injuries are usually treated conservatively by immobilizing the ankle for a few weeks and stabilizing it with physiotherapy.
• More severe ligament injuries involving other structures (e.g. syndesmotic ligament, cartilage or bone) often require surgical treatment.

If instability persists, this can lead to degenerative damage in the ankle joint in the long term. For the anatomical reconstruction of the lateral ligaments, the body's own tendons (e.g. of the M. peroneus brevis or the M. graciliswhich is taken from the knee joint).

Injuries to anterior syndesmosis are often overlooked during initial treatment after an ankle sprain. However, the syndesmosis is a crucial stabilizer of the ankle fork.

• Acute syndesmosis injuries We stabilize it using a pulley system with metal plates.
• Chronic injuries are reinforced by additional body-derived materials (e.g. periosteum strips or tendon tissue).

• Fusion (arthrodesis): In cases of severe joint wear, stiffening the joint can help to permanently eliminate the pain.
• Ankle prosthesis: In certain cases, the joint can be replaced with a prosthesis to maintain as natural mobility as possible.

In case of long-term overload or beginning degenerative wear the body produces more bony growths in the joint area (osteophytes). This occurs particularly frequently in football players and is referred to as soccer's ankle. The bony growths can lead to painful restricted movement and are usually removed arthroscopically.