Ankle Arthritis
Guided Injections.
What is ankle arthritis?
Ankle osteoarthritis (OA) is a condition in which the cartilage that lines your joint surfaces wears down, leading to pain, stiffness, and loss of mobility in the ankle joint. Cartilage degeneration reduces the space between joints, resulting in decreased function and movement quality. Ankle OA is less commonly due to age-related changes but rather previous trauma to the joint, such as fractures or severe sprains. Rehabilitation following a traumatic injury to the ankle can reduce your likelihood of developing ankle OA. (Bloch et al., 2015)
What are the common symptoms of this?
- Pain around the ankle and foot that worsens with weight-bearing
- Morning stiffness lasting less than 30 minutes
- Trouble moving the ankle after long periods of rest (i.e. sitting or sleeping)
- Swelling, tenderness around the joint line, and instability
- Gradual loss of range of motion in the ankle (Al-Mahrouqi et al., 2018)
How is this diagnosed?
To assess your condition, your physiotherapist will ask about your symptoms and conduct a physical examination, looking for the following:
- Reduced range of motion and movement quality of the ankle/foot
- Changes in the ankle, such as bone spurs and reduced congruity of the joint line
- Swelling and tenderness along the joint line
- Grinding /clicking with the movement of the joint
- Weakness/atrophy in the muscles of the foot and ankle
- Abnormal walking pattern
Your physiotherapist may also recommend imaging tests, such as X-rays, to assess joint surface integrity, joint space narrowing, bone growths, and other bone changes.
Treatment options
Guided Corticosteroid Injections
For persistent pain, corticosteroid injections may be recommended to reduce inflammation and provide short-term relief.
Guided Hyaluronic Acid Injections
Hyaluronic acid (HA) injections guided by ultrasound scans are a state-of-the-art treatment for osteoarthritis, cartilage degradation, and joint pain at MSK Clinic Physio.
Your Clinician
BSc Physiotherapy MSCP (Hons)
PGCert Independent Medical Prescriber
PGCert Soft Tissue and Joint Injection Therapist
PGCert Diagnostic Ultrasound
Bloch, B., Srinivasan, S., & Mangwani, J. (2015). Current concepts in the management of ankle osteoarthritis: a systematic review. The Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery, 54(5), 932-939.
Al-Mahrouqi, M. M., Macdonald, D. A., Vicenzino, B., & Smith, M. D. (2018). Physical impairments in adults with ankle osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. journal of orthopaedic & sports physical therapy, 48(6), 449-459.