What is the syndesmosis of the ankle?
The syndesmosis is a fibrous joint held together by ligaments. It’s located near the ankle joint, between the tibia, or shinbone, and the distal fibula, or outside leg bone. That’s why it’s also called the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis. It’s actually made up of several ligaments.
How long is recovery from syndesmosis surgery?
Return to most activities: 6-18 weeks. Full recovery: Up to 6 months. Every patient’s recovery is individual and depends on the severity of the injury and the complexity of the surgery.
How is syndesmosis treated?
Acute instability of the syndesmosis must be treated surgically by placing a syndesmotic screw or a suture button. Sometimes AITFL repair is all that is needed.
What does syndesmosis injury mean?
A high ankle sprain, also called a syndesmotic injury, occurs when there is tearing and damage to the high ankle ligaments. These injuries are much less common than a traditional ankle sprain.
Where is the ankle syndesmosis?
The ankle syndesmosis sits next to the ankle synovial joint, where the tibia meets the talus bone. The ankle syndesmosis is supported and held together by three main ligaments.
What makes up the syndesmosis of the ankle?
The distal tibiofibular syndesmosis, between the fibula and tibia, is formed by three major ligaments: the anterior inferior tibiofibular ligament (AITFL), the posterior inferior tibiofibular ligament (PITFL), and the interosseous tibiofibular ligament (ITFL).
How long after syndesmosis surgery can I walk?
After surgery, you may be immobilized in a splint for the first 10-14 days. You will typically be kept non-weightbearing for 6-8 weeks and then allowed to put weight on your foot in a cast or boot. Swelling persists for many months after this surgery. Stiffness can be problem and physical therapy often is necessary.
What does syndesmosis feel like?
The most common symptoms associated with a syndesmosis sprain are pain, inflammation, and lack of movement. You might also feel more severe pain when you bear any weight on the ankle. There are also different levels of pain and symptoms depending on the degree of the syndesmosis sprain.
Where does syndesmosis hurt?
Ankle syndesmosis injuries are often a result of trauma. Associated symptoms include: Pain across the front of the ankle joint that is aggravated particularly with external rotation of the foot. Pain and difficulty with walking and other weight-bearing activities.
How does a syndesmosis injury happen?
Injury to the syndesmosis occurs most commonly when the foot is weight bearing in a dorsiflexed position (as in a semi-squat position. This is the opposite of a plantar flexed position where the toes are pointed).
What are common injuries of ankle?
While ankle pain can result from a large number of ankle and foot injuries, the most common ankle injuries are sprains (low and high ankle), which involve ligaments and bones in the ankle. But you can also fracture a bone, tear muscles or over-stress a tendon when you sprain your ankle.
What causes swelling on the inside of the ankle?
Some common causes of ankle swelling include injury such as a sprained ankle, prolonged standing, and water retention.
What are the different types of ankle injuries?
The ligament will become injured if it is stretched too far and could result in a partial or complete tear. There are two different types of an ankle sprain. The inversion ankle sprain is the most common type of sprain and occurs when the foot falls inward and stretches the outer ligaments too far.
