Dislocation of the ankle joint (ankle)

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Dislocation of the ankle joint (ankle)
Dislocation of the ankle joint (ankle)
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Dislocation of the ankle joint (ankle)

Dislocation of the ankle joint
Dislocation of the ankle joint

Ankle dislocation is a displacement of the ankle joint due to torn ligaments. It happens that the joint is not fully displaced, and the ligaments are not completely torn. This condition is medically referred to as subluxation. It happens that the ligaments do remain intact, but the joint is displaced, this condition is called a dislocation without tearing the muscles.

Dislocation of the ankle is a fairly common situation. At risk are people of retirement age, due to the fragility of the bones. Also, athletes often suffer from dislocations, which is associated with the nature of their professional activity and women who prefer wearing high-heeled shoes. But no one is immune from getting such an injury both at home and at work.

Types of dislocations of the ankle joint

In medical practice, it is customary to distinguish the following types of dislocations of the ankle joint:

  • Incomplete or partial tearing of ligaments. Most often, it is the anterior peroneal muscles that are injured, but sometimes the deltoid, and calcaneal-peroneal, and tibiofibular muscles suffer.
  • Ankle muscle tear is strong. This type of dislocation is characterized by the fact that the leg does not lose its mobility, but nevertheless a swelling forms, when a person feels the damaged area, he complains of pain. Most often, blood accumulates in places of damage.
  • Complete rupture of ligaments with dislocation of the joint. This condition is accompanied by severe swelling and pain. The man is unable to step on his foot. Internal bruising is clearly visible in the ankle area.

In any of these conditions, the victim should be shown to the doctor as soon as possible.

Also, due to the occurrence, dislocations can be divided into two groups:

  • Acquired, which are post-traumatic (those that were formed due to an injury), pathological (those that are the result of pathology of the joints), paralytic (those that appear as a result of severe muscle paralysis), habitual (those that occur regularly).
  • Congenital.

Causes of ankle dislocation

Among the direct causes leading to ankle dislocation are the following:

  • Careless turn.
  • Fall.
  • Sloppy landing on the foot.
  • Strike.

But besides this, there are a number of other factors that contribute to the formation of such an injury:

  • High arch.
  • Weak ligaments that loosen up with age due to lack of regular training.
  • Underdeveloped peroneal muscles.
  • Having even a slight sprain.
  • Neuromuscular disorders.
  • Walking disorders. With improper foot placement, the muscles weaken over time, which can lead to a dislocation of the joint.

Also, some diseases can cause weakening of the ligaments, a decrease in bone density, and an increase in the load on the leg:

  • Obesity, and as a result, diabetes.
  • Oncological diseases.
  • Tuberculosis.
  • Osteomyelitis and arthrosis.
  • Inflammation of ligaments and tendons.
  • Muscle paresis.
  • Congenital pathologies that lead to the fact that during intrauterine development in the fetus, the correct formation of the ankle is disturbed. But it is worth noting that such dislocations are extremely rare.

Symptoms of a dislocated ankle

Symptoms of a dislocated ankle
Symptoms of a dislocated ankle

Symptoms of a dislocation are very similar to those of an ordinary bruise. That is why it is necessary to consult a doctor for a more accurate diagnosis.

But with a dislocation, all symptoms are more pronounced:

  • Sharp unrelenting pain. It increases with palpation of the damaged area. In this case, the pain may not appear immediately, or it may not be too intense. But after a while it will grow.
  • Unable to stand up due to severe pain.
  • Significant swelling and swelling in the lower leg and foot.
  • When injured, a characteristic crack or click was heard.
  • The formation of a bright hematoma, located not only on the lower leg, but also on the foot.

Diagnosis of dislocation of the ankle joint

When contacting a traumatologist for a patient complaining of characteristic pain in the ankle area, the doctor will first of all perform a visual examination and palpate the damaged area.

To clarify the diagnosis, the doctor will most likely prescribe an x-ray or an ultrasound scan. The picture is taken in two projections. Sometimes, when there is a risk that a sprain has caused chipping, arthrography of the ankle may be ordered.

Ankle dislocation treatment

Naturally, when a dislocation occurs, the doctor is often not around. Therefore, it is worth knowing how to provide first aid yourself. First you need to remove shoes and socks from the sore leg in order not to compress the resulting swelling. After that, you should put the injured limb on a pillow or roller and fix it in one position with the help of any bandage or bandage.

Even an ordinary scarf can be suitable for this purpose. If a bandage is applied, it is better to first wrap the diseased joint with a layer of cotton wool. Do not overtighten the bandage. It should fit snugly to the leg, but not block the blood flow in it. At intervals of a couple of hours, ice can be applied to the joint to relieve symptoms and relieve swelling.

The full list of measures for the treatment of dislocation of the ankle is to apply an immobilizing bandage, which allows the limbs to rest in one position. In the first three days, you can apply cold, after which warm compresses are used. For this purpose, you can always use special ointments for bruises and sprains. In addition to the therapeutic effect, it relieves pain to some extent and reduces swelling. They may include any analgesics, metnol (for cooling) and alcohol (for warming up).

Sometimes a dislocated joint may need to be reset. It should be understood that this is a complex and responsible event that can only be carried out in a medical institution. In order to put the joint in place, doctors use local or epidural anesthesia. When the bone is repositioned, another x-ray is needed for control purposes. Sometimes a small incision needs to be made to perform manipulations on reduction. If the dislocation is repeated repeatedly, then this may lead to the fact that the patient will need a total joint replacement.

If the reduction of the bone was successful, but an incision was made for this, then the patient is discharged from the clinic on the 5th day, when the swelling subsides. But at the same time, a cast will be applied to the leg, which will have to be worn for at least a month.

After the pain has passed, you can start visiting the pool. It is very useful for strengthening the muscles of the ankle.

Treatment of dislocation of the ankle joint
Treatment of dislocation of the ankle joint

But even if the dislocation seems quite insignificant, you should still show the damaged area to the doctor. It is the timely prescribed therapy and examination by a professional that will give a positive result in the aggregate. If pain is not well tolerated by the victim, then ibuprofen or ketoral can be used to eliminate them. It is advisable to take it twice a day, in a dosage corresponding to body weight and age.

Analgin, pentalgin, aspirin can also help. It should be understood that a serious sprain can be several times worse than a fracture with its consequences. That is why every experienced doctor, before prescribing this or that treatment, always establishes the degree of their damage. If in light sprains it is enough to apply a regular bandage, then in severe sprains, the leg is immobilized. The duration of wearing a bandage can be even a month. Left untreated, the ankle joint can become chronically unstable.

As an aid to the treatment of dislocation, the following procedures can be distinguished:

  • Purpose of electrophoresis.
  • Paraffin applications.
  • Diadynamic therapy.
  • Cryotherapy.
  • Receiving foot baths with radon.

Effective folk remedies that help the sore leg recover faster.

The following remedies can be used for treatment:

  • Receiving foot baths, decoctions of various herbs are used as filling for them. Infusions of celandine and calendula have proven themselves well.
  • You can make an effective compress at home and take equal parts of laundry soap, ammonia, oil and dry camphor. It is necessary to impose on a sore spot and hold for at least 15 minutes.
  • You can make lotions with apple cider vinegar diluted halfway with water.
  • It is also recommended to apply grated fresh potatoes and do healing clay wraps.

Recovery and lifestyle after a sprained ankle

Recovery
Recovery

To restore and strengthen ligaments, doctors without fail recommend physical therapy classes.

Complex includes:

  • To the extent possible, the patient should actively move the toes.
  • Rolling from toes to heels and back.
  • Walking with heels pointing in and out.
  • Rolling the cylinder or any of its substitutes.
  • Exercising on a stationary bike.
  • Swimming.
  • After the ankle muscles are strengthened, you can move on to more active exercises - to run and jump.

In any case, before giving the affected leg a heavy load, you should first consult a doctor about whether this will harm the joint. As physiotherapeutic procedures, UHF is most often prescribed. Treatment with an electric field is carried out in 10 sessions, lasting a quarter of an hour.

Depending on the degree of injury to the joint, a full load on the leg can be given in mild cases after a month, and in severe cases - after three months. Naturally, it is quite problematic for a person to stay for such a long time, so it is possible to use crutches. In this case, it is advisable to wear special shoes or arch supports, for up to a year.

Preventive measures that must be observed in order to protect yourself as much as possible from dislocation of the ankle joint are as follows:

  • Wearing shoes that are as stable as possible, with low heels.
  • Be safe in sports and at work and be careful when walking on slippery surfaces.
  • Using bandages, elastic bands and other devices during sports.
  • Sports to strengthen the muscles of the lower extremities.
  • If you suspect a dislocation of the joint, seek immediate medical attention.
  • Timely treatment of diseases that lead to the risk of ankle dislocation.

As for the prognosis, if you quickly seek professional help, it is favorable. If you strictly follow all the appointments made by the attending doctor, then the recovery will take place in the shortest possible time. With a slight stretching, the sick leave is closed within a week. If the ligament is severely damaged or torn, and the joint had to be inserted using surgical methods of treatment, then the doctor leaves the patient on sick leave until the end of the rehabilitation period.

Consequences of a previous dislocation of the ankle joint

It often happens that an ankle injury is accompanied by a complete detachment of the ligament and fractures of the ankle. In such cases, timely seeking medical attention is important, because a delay or self-treatment can lead to the fact that the tendons and ligaments do not heal properly, the foot is deformed, which guarantees its instability.

Against this background, the following problems may arise:

  • Regular ankle dislocations.
  • Progression or onset of disease such as arthrosis or arthritis.
  • Formation of scar tissue of dense consistency.
  • Formation and growth of bone osteophytes.
  • Difficulty in moving the injured joint after it has healed.
  • Inflammation of the soft tissues surrounding the ankle.
  • Chronic hemarthrosis.
  • Complete or partial atrophy of muscles, circulatory disorders in the limbs.

It should be understood that advanced cases can only be rehabilitated by surgery, otherwise a person may remain disabled forever.

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