Torn ligament at the ankle joint in children | Torn ligament at ankle joint

Torn ligament at the ankle joint in children

Even children are not spared from ankle injuries. The special feature of children, however, is that the ligament structures are much more stable than in adults. If the ankle joint is bent or another pathological movement at this joint, for example due to sporting activities or similar, this does not usually lead to a torn ligament, but the ligament tears out a piece of bone or cartilage at its point of attachment and is therefore no longer functional.

Therefore, a classic torn ligament is rarely the case in children. Nevertheless, the outside of the ankle joint is affected more often than the inside. It should not be forgotten in children that in some cases they have genetically weaker connective tissue and thus also ligament structures.

In these children, a torn ligament in the ankle joint is by no means uncommon, since the instability in the ankle joint puts a lot of strain on the ligaments during movement and can be more easily injured. Since such injuries can be poorly depicted with an imaging measure such as x-rays, a joint endoscopy is necessary in case of doubt for further diagnosis. In children, it is important to initiate appropriate treatment afterwards to prevent deformation and instability of the ankle joint due to a torn or torn ligament. This would encourage further injuries due to movement and strain and restrict mobility, which should of course be avoided.

Forecast

If the torn ligaments heal completely, the ankle joint can be loaded again without restriction. However, repeated torn ligaments in the ankle joint can lead to a fundamental instability, making renewed torn ligaments more likely.

Prophylaxis

In order to additionally stabilize the upper ankle joint and thus prevent ligament injuries, external stabilizers can be worn or particularly sturdy shoes that go over the ankles. In sports, however, this can limit the performance. In addition to the external ligaments, the syndesmosis ligaments (connection between tibia and fibula) or the medial collateral ligament (deltoid ligament, inner ankle ligament) can also travel. These injuries are much less frequent, but often have a more protracted course and require more severe immobilization than injuries to the outer ligaments alone.