Chronic Ankle Laxity

What is chronic ankle laxity?

Chronic ankle laxity is looseness and instability of the ankle joint.

How does it occur?

Chronic ankle laxity occurs because of previous ankle injuries. Ankles that have become loose or unstable usually have had several severe sprains where ligaments have been torn. The more sprains that you have, the looser your ankle will become. Because of the stretched or torn ligaments, the ankle joint doesn't have its natural support and may twist or sprain more easily.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms can include:

looseness of the ankle
feeling your ankle is giving way
recurrent swelling
pain
How is it diagnosed?

Your provider will ask you about injuries you have had and examine your ankle. The injured ankle may be looser, more swollen, or more painful then your other ankle.

Your provider may take an X-ray of your ankle. You may have a stress X-ray, which means that your ankle joint is stressed while the X-ray is taken. Your provider will look to see if the stress causes the bones to move apart. You may have an MRI or CT scan of your ankle to see it in closer detail.

How is it treated?

At first, chronic ankle laxity is treated with proper rehabilitation exercises. It is very important after an injury to do exercises that work on range of motion, strength, balance, and coordination.

To treat this condition:

Put an ice pack, gel pack, or package of frozen vegetables, wrapped in a cloth on the area every 3 to 4 hours, for up to 20 minutes at a time.
Raise the ankle on a pillow when you sit or lie down.
Use an ankle brace as directed by your provider
Take an anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofen, or other medicine as directed by your provider. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDs) may cause stomach bleeding and other problems. These risks increase with age. Read the label and take as directed. Unless recommended by your healthcare provider, do not take for more than 10 days.
If your ankle remains loose or unstable, surgery can be done to reconstruct the damaged ligaments. This will make the ankle more stable and stop the feeling that your ankle is giving way.

Without treatment, you may keep injuring and twisting your loose ankle. These repeated twists may eventually cause wear and tear to your ankle joint.

How long will the effects last?

You have ankle laxity because you have previously injured ligaments in your ankle. The laxity will only improve with on-going ankle rehabilitation or surgery.

When can I return to my normal activities?

Everyone recovers from an injury at a different rate. Return to your normal activities depends on how soon your ankle recovers, not by how many days or weeks it has been since your injury has occurred. In general, the longer you have symptoms before you start treatment, the longer it will take to get better. The goal of rehabilitation is to return to your normal activities as soon as is safely possible. If you return too soon you may worsen your injury.

You may safely return to your normal activities when, starting from the top of the list and progressing to the end, each of the following is true:

You have full range of motion in the injured ankle compared to the uninjured ankle.
You have full strength of the injured ankle compared to the uninjured ankle.
You can walk straight ahead without pain or limping.
How is chronic ankle laxity prevented?

The most important way to prevent chronic ankle problems is by doing proper ankle exercises after an injury. For some people it is important to continue the rehabilitation exercises for a long time after their injury.

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