Ankle and Foot Injuries

Ankle sprains: Ankle sprains are some of the most common sports injuries. An ankle sprain is an injury to the ligaments (bands of tissue that connect bones) that help to keep the ankle stable. plantar flexion and inversion of the ankle is the main mechanism of lateral sprain. It may be caused by catching the lateral side of the foot on the ground, awkward landing on the opponent’s foot, or contacting with the inside of the opponent’s supporting leg during a slide tackle.

Symptoms: The patients typically complain of lateral ankle swelling (local or diffuse), pain, bruising, and limited range of motion. In a typical lateral ankle sprain, ecchymosis and tenderness are located over the ATFL and calcaneofibular (CFL) ligaments.

Achilles tendonitis: Achilles tendinitis is an overuse injury of the Achilles tendon, the band of tissue that connects calf muscles at the back of the lower leg to your heel bone. Achilles tendinitis most commonly occurs in runners who have suddenly increased the intensity or duration of their runs. Strenuous activity involving the leg, including running, sprinting, or jumping, can cause Achilles tendonitis.

Symptoms may come on gradually during your activity. Sudden, extreme pain in the tendon, resulting in an inability to put weight on the foot, can indicate a rupture in the tendon.

Shin splints: also known as medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS). Shin splints are caused by overuse of muscles that attach to the tibia, which then becomes inflamed. Frequently, shin splints begin after initiating or modifying a running/exercise program. With shin splints, pain will be over the inner part of the shin and will worsen with activity. In sport, MTSS is said to be most common in runners and in ballistic sports, particularly sprinting, hurdling, gymnastics, the football codes, hockey, basketball, and dancing.

Symptoms: Tenderness will be palpable over the distal one third to half of the posteromedial tibia, with or without mild swelling. There will also be tenderness in the surrounding soft tissues.

Plantar fasciitis: Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common injuries found with athletes. It occurs more often with those run in their sport. In fact, plantar fasciitis is so common in running that is it nicknamed “Runner’s Heel”. This injury is defined as a sharp pain in the heel and in the arch of your foot. PF is experienced in both recreational and élite athletes and is reported in different sports. Plantar fasciitis (PF) is reported in different sports mainly in running and soccer athletes.

Stress fractures: Stress fractures of the foot and ankle are a common problem encountered by athletes of all levels and ages. These injuries can be difficult to diagnose and may be initially evaluated by all levels of medical personnel. Clinical suspicion should be raised with certain history and physical examination findings. Stress fractures of the medial malleolus are uncommon and generally found in athletes involved in running, jumping, and kicking sports, although abnormal forces at the ankle due to tibial and talar osteophytes have also been implicated.Athletes and military recruits performing repetitive axial loading activities are most prone to Talus stress fracture. In Navicular stress fracture, patients are usually involved in explosive sprinting or jumping activities and complain of pain at the dorsum of the midfoot or along the medial longitudinal arch with activity.Metatarsal stress fractures occur most frequently in the second and third metatarsals and are relatively common. Common in runners, military recruits, ballet dancers, and basketball players, like most, patients will report a recent increase in training. Forefoot pain with weight bearing, inability to toe walk, point tenderness, and swelling are present on examination. Metatarsal base stress fractures are most common in female ballet dancers.Repetitive adduction force with the ankle in plantarflexion often causes 5^th metatarsal stress fractures due to the pull of the plantar fascia. As such, they are frequently seen in basketball players. A description of lateral foot pain, tenderness about the fifth metatarsal base, and pain with passive inversion stretch are clues to the diagnosis.

The incidence of calcaneal stress fractures is highest in military recruits and long-distance runners.

Symptoms: Patients typically present with a progressive onset of pain with weight bearing activity over a period of days to weeks. Rapid increase in mileage, intensity, or duration of activity; changes in playing surface or sport or inadequate rest periods should raise the suspicion of a stress fracture.

Turf toe: it is a sprain of the main joint of the big toe. The injury happens when the toe is forcibly bent up into hyperextension, such as when pushing off into a sprint and having the toe get stuck flat on the ground. Although often associated with American football, turf toe occurs in a wide range of sports and activities. The term turf toe refers to an injury of any soft tissue structure in the plantar complex, such as the plantar plate or a collateral ligament. These injuries can vary in severity — from stretching of the soft tissue to partial tearing, and even total dislocation of the MTP joint