Ankle Instability

How Does Ankle Instability Affect Your Body?

The giving way at the ankle occurs while walking or doing other activities, but it can also happen when you’re just standing. Ankle instability can also affect balance.

Ankle stability is dependent on the ankle bones, and supporting ligaments and tendons. While the bones and ligaments provide static stability, dynamic stability is allowed by the tendons.

The ankle joint is composed of three bones: the tibia, fibula and talus. The joint is protected by a fibrous membrane called a joint capsule, and filled with synovial fluid to enable smooth movement.

What Causes Ankle Instability?

Chronic or Repetitive Instability is often caused by repeated injury of the ankle ligaments on the same side is the most common cause of ankle instability.  When you sprain your ankle, the connective tissues (ligaments) are stretched or torn. The ability to balance is often affected.

Other causes include:

• Inadequate healing of the sprained ligament
• Incomplete rehabilitation of the affected ligament can result in instability of the ankle.

Recurrent injury of the ligaments further weakens them and aggravates the instability, predisposing the development of additional ankle problems.

Symptoms of Ankle Instability

Ankle Instability in the affected ankle joint is often characterised by:

• Tenderness
• Pain
• Swelling
• Persistent Discomfort
• Repeated giving way of the ankle

The ankle is unstable and may turn repeatedly while walking on uneven surfaces or during sports activity.

Non Surgical Treatment for Ankle Instability

Treatment for your condition can begin immediately and can include:

• Pain Medication - to treat pain or discomfort including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) can relieve some
• Inflammation Medication - may be prescribed to alleviate swelling including antibiotics for infection control
• Exercise - is recommended
• Bracing - may be recommended 
• Taping - may be applied
• Orthotics - may be prescribed

Surgical Treatment for Ankle Instability

In cases where either a conservative treatment has not resolved the problem or where a patient best or only treatment option is surgery. Surgery is recommended in patients with a high degree of instability and in those who have failed to respond to Nonsurgical treatments.

Commonly used surgical procedures involve repair or reconstruction of the damaged ligament. There are two types of ankle instability surgery:

• Anatomic Repair - involves shortening and tightening the stretched ligament is preferred in most cases of ankle instability.
• Non-anatomic Repair - uses a tendon as a graft to replace the damaged ligament and is performed in obese patients requiring increased stability or when tightening of the stretched and scarred ligaments is not strong enough, and needs to be reinforced with a tendon graft.

What if Ankle Instability goes Untreated?

Left untreated, an unstable ankle joint significantly affects function and overall quality of living. It can eventually lead to chronic pain and arthritis.