Article Authors: Gordon Slater|Tandose Sambo
An ankle injury is statistically identified as a major point of weakness in an athlete’s ability to perform at their peak. Candidates who have ever suffered from chronic pain, are suitable for minimally invasive surgery. Minimally invasive procedures have a rapid turnaround time, and facilitate the ability for optimum restored mobility within a short span of time. Ankle reconstruction surgery is the ideal path for you if you desire a long span of time in your sporting activity. If you have attempted previous therapies and still suffer from chronic pain, this procedure is for you.
Envisioning your ankle as a hinge, the joint is supported by various tissues and muscles, cartilage, and over time wear and tear due to physical stresses can cause the joint to operate at less than its optimal capability. What minimally invasive surgeries do via ankle reconstruction, is to restore the ankle ligaments via tightening them. This provides the needed support, as well as the internal resistance needed to keep the joint in good working order. With the appropriate amount of tension within the joint, the ankle will be restored to its peak. Consult with your foot and ankle surgeon for full details of what your procedure would entail.
ANKLE LIGAMENT RECONSTRUCTION SURGERY
Within the ankle reconstruction sphere, there are various iterations of the Brostrom procedure which is a type of keyhole surgery that facilitates the tightening of the ankle ligaments. With time, the expansion of the treatment options also includes an option to repurpose a tendon, in order to facilitate the internal tension restoration in the hinge. Statistically, up to 85% of all ankle injuries involve the lateral ankle ligament complex. With the two aforementioned procedures, the prevention of downstream problems such as degenerative arthritis will be the ultimate advantage. With life expectancies increasing, mobility will be critical. Orthopaedic surgeons will be the key to ensuring that your feet are in good health.
Within your ankle, there are three main ligaments:
-the anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL)
-the calcaneofibular ligament (CFL)
-the posterior talofibular ligament (PTFL)
The most commonly affected during sprains is the ATFL. Using a little physics and engineering, your orthopaedic surgeon will assess in detail the extent of damage that has been experienced by the injury in question. Based on the dimensions of the feet, detailed calculations will be done, identifying what the restored dimensions of the feet should be. If there is adequate tissue to reconstruct the foot, the surgical procedures will be executed by your foot and ankle surgeon.
Advances in orthopaedic surgery have identified reconstructive techniques to be quite efficient. The ultimate results indicated by both the patient experience and their x-rays, have indicated that ankle instability is generally restored. The majority of athletes who underwent the treatment were able to return to their sport within a few months of the procedure. Treatment takes approximately three months. During this interim, there are plenty of activities that you can use to keep yourself engaged in the healing process. Gentle exercises will be prescribed by your foot and ankle surgeon that will facilitate your peak joint restoration.
Article reference: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3145865/
Ankle Reconstruction Surgery: https://www.mymosh.com/services/ankle/ankle-ligament-reconstruction/