Cause
Arthrosis of the ankle joint most frequently occurs after fractures of the upper ankle joint have healed into a malposition. Indoor athletes such as basketball or soccer players are particularly affected. They often compress or break their ankle joint during sports and thus have a significantly increased risk of developing arthrosis over the years.
Especially loose ligaments and tendons can also cause arthrosis. Due to the significantly lower stability, the ankle joint can no longer be held properly. If the bones of the joint no longer fit perfectly on top of each other, the cartilage is gradually lost due to the increased friction.
In addition to these traumatic causes, inflammation can also promote ankle arthrosis. For this reason, rheumatism is the second most common cause of arthrosis. Over time, the chronic inflammation of the joint mucosa and the entire ankle joint can lead to severe damage to the joint cartilage and, over time, destroy the entire joint.
Clinic
The arthrosis usually causes severe pain and thereby causes a painful restriction of movement, which hinders the rolling of the foot. In addition, cracking or rubbing noises can occur in advanced stages. Due to the formation of small bony protrusions in the joint, these can prevent a fluid gait.
Affected patients describe a feeling of blockage in the ankle joint and ankle pain. At the onset of osteoarthritis, the symptoms only occur during heavy exertion, for example during sports or long walks. The more cartilage is broken down in the joint, the more frequent and longer the pain in movement occurs.
In some cases, patients also describe starting pain. This means that the first steps after a long resting period are particularly arduous. The pain is often accompanied by malpositioning and swelling of the ankle joint. If the arthrosis progresses further, pain at rest or fatigue pain also occurs. The typical pains of arthrosis can be summarized simply:
- Start-up pain, which means stronger complaints at the beginning of a movement,
- Stress pain
- And pain when climbing stairs, running on unpaved paths or during sports.
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