What is Footballer's Ankle and how can they be treated?

Anterior ankle impingement is most often brought about by activities that involve repetitive kicking or extreme upward or downward flexing of the foot. Football is not the only sport affected by ankle impingement.  Dancers are particularly prone to this condition and it also affects athletes in other sports such as volleyball, rugby and sprinting. Anyone who has had an ankle sprain can suffer from anterior ankle impingement.

• Pain: in the front of the ankle, particularly when the ankle pulled upwards (dorsiflexion), or step forward into a lunge. It can become painful on daily movements such as walking up or downstairs.
• Swelling: particularly after exercise.
• Clicking: a clicking, grinding or catching sensation as the ankle is flexed upward or downward.

Types of Footballer’s Ankle

There are two types of footballer’s ankle:

• Bony Impingement: during repetitive kicking the tibia jars against the talus and reacts by trying to heal itself – producing a bone spur. This bony lump can cause block movement and become painful as the bone spurs knock against each other or can trap soft tissues when the ankle is pulled upwards (dorsiflexion).

• Soft tissue Impingement: soft tissues such as ligaments or joint capsule can become pinched between the talus (ankle bone) and the tibia (shin bone). It can occur as a result of repetitive kicking or flexing, or after an ankle sprain – when a torn ligament heals with scar tissue formation which makes it thicker and more likely to catch during ankle movement.