What is ankle cartilage damage?
Cartilage is a tissue that covers the ends of bones in joints. This cartilage can be damaged in several ways and can cause you discomfort that is local to the point of damage or widespread throughout the joint.
Cartilage damage is more common in joints such as your elbows, shoulders, hips or knees but can still occur in your ankle.
What causes ankle cartilage damage?
There are lots of different ways that you might damage the cartilage in your ankle joint. Damage could occur by:
- Dislocating your ankle
- Ankle Fractures
- Tearing a ligament (often called a joint sprains)
- Direct impact to you ankle (e.g. from a fall)
- Infection
- Inflammation in your ankle joint (rheumatoid arthritis, gout)
- Wear and tear - with age or repetitive stress to a joint
- Lack of movement - prolonged inactivity or immobility
Above: Cartilage damage can cause pain and discomfort without effective treatment.What are the symptoms of ankle cartilage damage?
If you damage the cartilage in your ankle you are likely to experience:
- Swelling in your ankle/foot
- Pain in your ankle/lower leg
- Stiffness upon movement
- Limitations in your ankle movement
In some cases if the cartilage has broken off, your ankle may feel as if it has locked ??? there is a risk of this leading to bleeding within the joint. If this has occurred your ankle/foot/lower leg will appear bruised.
How is ankle cartilage damage diagnosed?
It is important that if you experience any of these symptoms to get your ankle assessed by a professional. At Liverpool Physio, our physiotherapists can provide a detailed assessment to find out if you have damaged your cartilage.
You may require a doctor to assess the extent of the damage, depending on the severity of your symptoms, MRI scans may be performed, or an operation called an arthroscopy can be done to inspect the cartilage in your joint.
What would a physiotherapy assessment for ankle cartilage damage involve?
Our assessments at Liverpool Physio will be split into two parts: Subjective and Objective.
Subjective
A conversation between yourself and our physiotherapist to investigate the cause of your injury and gain an understanding of your symptoms and your normal daily routine.
Objective
This will be followed by a more hands on assessment of your range of movement, muscle strength and various special tests to identify if there appears to be ankle cartilage damage.
What would a physiotherapy assessment for ankle cartilage damage involve?
Depending on the extent of the damage to your cartilage, Liverpool Physio can arrange you treatment sessions that may involve a range of the following:
- Advice on orthotics
- Muscle stretching
- Muscle strengthening exercises
- Balance training
- Functional exercises
- Hydrotherapy
- Massage
- Ankle mobilisations
- Heat treatments
- Temporary taping
Above: Ankle cartilage damage can leave an individual in pain and discomfort if not treated correctly.If the extent of your cartilage damage means you do require surgery our physiotherapists at Liverpool Physio would be happy to book you in for an assessment and treatments following your surgery.
How can I arrange a physiotherapy assessment for ankle cartilage damage?
If you are having problems with ankle pain or swelling, an assessment by one of our Physiotherapists could put you on your way to recovery.
Please contact office@liverpoolphysio.co.uk or call us today on 0151 558 0077 to make a booking.
Summary
As you bear weight through your ankle joint and are reliant on it to walk, left untreated, ankle cartilage damage could be detrimental to your lifestyle. At Liverpool Physio our physiotherapists will be happy to assess your ankle and provide you the most suitable treatment to prevent further injury and restore your ankle function.
To book an appointment, please email office@liverpoolphysio.co.uk or call 0151 558 0077.
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