Definition
The ankle joint is exposed to a high weight load and is therefore susceptible to injuries and strong forces. A rupture of the joint capsule is a very painful clinical picture, which may cause movement restrictions even after a long time.
Causes
The primary cause of a capsule rupture is a strong sudden violent impact, triggered by strong pressure or pulling loads but also by blows or impacts on the joint. These violent effects can occur in sports, during heavy physical work, but also in everyday life. A typical injury in sports and everyday life is the twisting of the foot.
The ligament involved here is also a part of the outer ankle capsule and can also damage the capsule if it is torn. Sports that place particular stress on the ankle joint are basketball, soccer or jumping sports. Walking on uneven paths can also pose a risk to the ankle joint.
In some cases, the connective tissue of the ankle capsule may be pre-damaged by other pre-existing conditions. Connective tissue weaknesses can be genetic or acquired. Even extreme lack of movement, for example after an injury to the foot or leg, can make the capsule more susceptible to injury.
Symptoms
The most important symptom of a capsule tear at the ankle joint is pain. It occurs immediately with the injury and is difficult to localize, dull and throbbing in the ankle area. Shortly afterwards, swelling and redness develop in the area of the ankle, indicating the bruising.
The foot feels very warm. The bruise turns blue after a few days and finally green and yellow after a few weeks, which indicates that it is diminishing. The dull, throbbing pain develops after a few days into an easily localized, stabbing pain when moving.
In rare cases, the foot may be malpositioned in the ankle joint. This strongly indicates a bony involvement of the injury. The pain is the main symptom of the capsule tear at the ankle joint.
It often persists for the entire duration of the disease and can also remain chronic beyond that. The rupture of the capsule causes damage to both leaves of the joint capsule, but also to the joint cartilage and the bone itself. These structures and especially the inner layer of the joint capsule are extremely sensitive to pain.
After a few minutes, additional swelling develops, which in turn puts pressure on the pain-sensitive structures. In the following weeks, the pain develops into a stabbing and movement-dependent pain, so that the most important measure is to immobilize the ankle. The pain can be reduced with painkillers so that after about 2 weeks a slight increase in movement is possible.
Since a rupture of the capsule is an extensive injury to connective tissue that is supplied with blood, there is always an injury to smaller blood vessels. The blood vessels themselves can regenerate without any problems, but immediately after the injury, smaller bleedings can occur in the joint, causing unpleasant swellings. A pronounced swelling significantly restricts the movement of the ankle joint, aggravates existing pain and can have a negative effect on the healing time. To stop bleeding from the small vessels early after the trauma, the foot should be elevated, compressed and cooled as soon as possible.
All articles in this series:
