Ankle Cartilage Injury
If an ankle sprain won't heal and keeps coming back, suspect cartilage damage.
Many young people come in with aching around the ankle joint, and many of them have cartilage damage inside the joint. It occurs on the inner or outer side of the talus and is closely linked to sprains and heavy use.
Common causes
01
Part of the bone under the cartilage loses blood supply and dies
02
Degenerative changes cause the cartilage to separate
03
Trauma makes cartilage surfaces collide
Signs to watch for
- Swelling, pain and a sound from the bone after injury
- Unsteady walking or ongoing pain and swelling after injury
- A catching or locking feeling inside the ankle
How we diagnose
X-ray
The basic first test. Further tests may be added for a definite diagnosis.
MRI
Shows soft tissue that X-ray cannot, such as muscles, ligaments, discs, cartilage, nerves and blood vessels.
How we treat it
Early on, limit weight on the ankle and rest. If severe pain or restricted movement continues and disrupts daily life, surgery is needed.
Non-surgical injection therapy
Prolotherapy injects directly into weakened ligaments or tendons to reinforce the fibrous tissue, or a hyaluronic acid injection, a main component of joint fluid, is placed into weakened cartilage.
Stem cell transplantation (surgery)
Surgery for cartilage defects from degenerative or post-traumatic arthritis. A single operation can regenerate cartilage, and it has been shown to work for older patients and for large lesions.
Arthroscopy
Through a minimal incision under about 5 mm, an arthroscope with a tiny camera and special instruments is inserted into the joint. It shows areas that are hard to see on X-ray, allowing accurate diagnosis and treatment at the same time.
When surgery is consideredIf you keep rolling the ankle despite non-surgical care, with pain and instability that disrupt daily life, the damaged ligament is repaired or reconstructed arthroscopically.