Ankle joint is the most important weight-bearing joint in the human body, but due to its physiological structure, it is easy to cause sprains. Some people continue to exercise or work after spraining their ankle without waiting for full recovery. They will often sprain their ankle in the future. Once habitual spraining ankle is formed, it will affect daily life and work in the short term, and may lead to osteoarthritis of ankle joint in the long term. It was usually believed that fractures would cause ankle osteoarthritis. According to the latest research, found that up to 95% of severe Ankle spraining will cause talus cartilage wear, and half of them eventually develop osteoarthritis. In severe cases, ankle replacement is needed.
Why does
Ankle joints and knee joints are different. Most knee osteoarthritis is deteriorated with age, while ankle arthritis is mostly caused by injury. After injury, the risk of osteoarthritis increases by 7 times. It is called traumatic arthritis . The primary cause is related to the degree of injury. Spraining ankle is divided into 3 levels from mild to severe:
- Level 1: ligaments are elongated, or there is a slight tear, accompanied by mild tenderness, swelling and stiffness. The ankle feels stable and can usually walk in mild pain.
- Secondary: partially torn ligament, but not complete tear, accompanied by moderate pain, swelling and bruising. The ankle is not very stable , but you can still bear the pain and feel weak when the injured part is touched.
- Level 3: ligament is completely torn, accompanied by severe swelling and bruising, ankles are obviously unstable, is difficult to walk, and there will be severe pain when moving the ankles.
Secondary and third-level injuries will cause ligament torn . If not actively and correctly treated, the ligaments cannot heal well and become loose. In the future, spraining ankle will often occur, the ankle becomes unstable, and the foot is dislocated, and the cartilage of the ankle will be damaged. The ankle is the largest weight-bearing joint in the body. When walks, jumps, and runs, it bears 2 to 3 times the weight. The cartilage is repaired very slowly after being damaged, which is more likely to cause progressive and irreversible joint damage, which will eventually lead to osteoarthritis.
Symptoms of ankle osteoarthritis
Ankle arthritis mainly manifests as swelling and pain in the ankle joint. It can cause ankle pain when walking, going up and downstairs, and running, and rest can relieve it. However, the symptoms worsen when bearing a little weight. In severe cases, it can affect the function of the ankle joint, resulting in deformation of the ankle joint and limited movement. In addition, there are the following symptoms:
- Pain and stiffness is more severe in the morning and after sitting for a long time.
- tenderness occurs when touching or squeezing the joint.
- swelling may occur around or on one side of the ankle.
- range of motion is reduced, and ankle bending is limited.
If the symptoms are mild, conservative treatment can be performed first, including taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as celecoxib or loxoprofen sodium , and injecting sodium hyaluronate into the joints. If it is already in the late stage, surgical treatment should be considered. There are two main surgical methods:
- Ankle joint fusion surgery is to remove the joint cartilage and then fuse the several bones that make up the joint into one. The bones grow together can relieve pain, but the flexibility of the ankle joint is limited.
- Artificial ankle replacement , replacing bones and cartilage with prosthetic material to maintain mobility of the ankle joint.
How to prevent ankle osteoarthritis
If a serious sprain occurs, you should actively treat it for the first time, strictly follow the doctor's instructions to complete the recovery, strictly brake, and the cast must be fixed to the specified time. You cannot immediately perform vigorous activities after removing the cast. You should avoid weight bearing, pay attention to reducing the pressure on the ankle joint, and try to maintain a healthy weight. If the first spraining of the ankle is not actively treated, ligament relaxation, ankle instability and habitual spraining of the ankle occur, ligament reconstruction should be carried out in time to avoid further aggravation of cartilage damage.
Medical science popularization, for reference only.
Reference:
"Osteoarthritis after ankle trauma: a unique clinical entity that requires new research methods", PMC, 2016.
"Artitis in the foot and the ankle", HSS, 2019.
