Ankle Impingement: A Critical Analysis Review.

JBJS Rev · May 2020 · Review

Carreira DS, Ueland TE

Peachtree Orthopedics, Atlanta, Georgia

Foot & Ankle Sports Medicine

SUMMARY — THE REDUCTIONThis critical analysis review covers ankle impingement, noting diagnosis is mainly clinical with imaging support, and arthroscopic treatment gives satisfactory outcomes with faster return to play and fewer complications than open surgery, though evidence is mostly Level IV.
Abstract, as published

Ankle impingement presents with painful and limited range of motion with dorsiflexion or plantar flexion, originating from pathological contact between bone and/or soft-tissue structures. Diagnosis is made primarily through clinical examination with adjunct radiographs and magnetic resonance imaging, with care taken to rule out a plethora of similarly presenting pathologies. Arthroscopic surgical approaches bring satisfactory short, mid, and long-term outcomes, with the current body of evidence dominated by Level-IV studies. Minimally invasive techniques offer improvements in time to return to play and complication rates relative to open approaches. Recent advances in the arthroscopic management of ankle impingement include long-term outcome studies, novel prognostic classification systems, and strategies for concomitant lesion management.

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