Treatment of a torn ligament in the ankle/ankle/foot

Traumatic injuries to the ligaments of the ankle joint are the most common sports injuries. The ligaments can only be torn (distortion) or completely ruptured. If the ligaments are torn due to sudden overstretching, they are treated conservatively.

Depending on the pain, the patient should put weight on the affected foot. Regular cooling and elevation of the foot promotes the decongestant effect. A compression bandage can be applied to support walking, which provides additional stability.

A conservative therapy is also planned for a rupture of one or more ligaments. In this case, the patient should take good care of the foot for 6 weeks by bending and stretching the affected foot by a maximum of 20 degrees. An inward rotation (inversion) should be avoided completely for this time.

A splint can significantly minimize immobilization and the risk of a new injury. This is followed by physiotherapeutic exercise treatment, which promotes stable bending in the ankle joint. Further measures include strengthening the peroneal muscles, elastic bandages and a shoe outer rim elevation.

If the conservative therapy is not successful and the instability of the ankle ligaments threatens to become chronic, a reconstruction can also be carried out here. Often parts of the nearby peroneal tendon are used for this purpose. The Achilles tendon is the strongest tendon in the human body, but it can also tear.

The injuries are often caused by sudden kicks, squash players or tennis players, because especially fast abrupt movements put enormous strain on the Achilles tendon. Often a pre-damaged tendon is also present. In this case, standard therapy for Achilles tendon rupture includes the tendon suture, which can be additionally strengthened.

This reinforcement takes place in the area of the tear by different plastics. If sonography shows that the ends of the tendon can still be brought together, conservative therapy may be sufficient. For this purpose, the foot is plastered in an arched position so that the tendon ends can adapt and grow together. The patient then wears a shoe orthosis according to the treatment plan. and torn ligament at the ankle

Treatment with a splint

A torn ligament can also be treated conservatively in many cases, for example, if there is only overstretching or a small rupture that is expected to grow together on its own without further complications. In this case, the patient receives a special walking splint, also called an orthosis. It is available in matching sizes and is selected to fit perfectly around the upper ankle joint of the foot.

It thus provides optimum support for the injured ligament structures and enables early mobilisation. The patient can unroll the foot normally and muscular atrophy is thus prevented. The splint is usually worn daily for several weeks, sometimes also at night.

It can also provide the necessary stability in the initial phase of resuming sporting activities to prevent the foot from twisting again. In addition, the splint is not only used for conservative treatment of torn ligaments, but is also frequently used after surgical treatment. In this way, the healing of the surgical area can be optimally promoted and the foot has the necessary stability to constantly increase the load after the operation.