Ankle injuries can undoubtedly be one of the most problematic injuries a runner can get, though such injuries affect a lot of other people too. The simple reason being is that the foot has a significant impact on the “kinetic chain” and everything above the foot/ankle. The foot and ankle are also load bearing joint complexes, with loads increasing with certain types of activity (jumping, fast changes in direction, carrying heavy equipment). Furthermore, ankle injuries affect a wide variety of tissues within the injury area including fascia, ligaments, tendons, muscles. The most severe cases can also lead to joint dislocations and bone breakages Unresolved Ankle injuries can frequently lead to other injuries/conditions such as Plantar Fasciopathy, Achilles Tendinopathy, Shin Splints, Knee, Hip and back problems. Again, this is in part due to the “Kinetic Chain”, and the impact on unresolved ankle injury has on other joints structures and tissues. The author knows much of this all to well from bitter experience of ankle injuries during his time within the British Military. Ankle injuries were relatively common due to a combination of factors including, terrain, extreme loads, weather, the speed of movement and general fatigue. The author has had multiple ankle injuries and at least two grade two ankle inversion injuries on the same ankle over the years.
Types of Ankle injuries
The two most prevalent types of ankle injury are Ankle Inversion and Ankle Eversion injuries, though other types of damage can occur. This article is going to concentrate on the two commonest with ankle inversion injuries being the most common. The design or makeup of the foot, ankle joint complexes and lower leg helps explain why inversion injuries are more common. An inversion injury involves rolling over the outside of the ankle, which in essences stretches tissues the on the lateral aspect of the lower leg. Ankle eversion injuries tend to be less frequent and involve rolling over the inside aspect of the ankle and lower leg. Eversion injuries tend to be worse when they occur, as the structure of the lower leg, ankle and foot make it harder to injure the ankle this way. Hence, usually, the force required to create an ankle eversion injury is higher, than that of an ankle inversion injury. Ankle injuries are relatively common in certain types of sports, which typically involve a one or a combination of rapid changes in direction, full body contact, jumping and landing, moving over uneven terrain and running. Examples of such sports might include, Basketball, Football, Tennis, Squash, Running, Rugby, Netball, some Martial Arts. That said it is relatively easy to sprain an ankle when walking or going about one's everyday activities. Another typical and non-sports related injury mechanism is high heels, which can quite quickly lead to either ankle inversion or eversion injuries and in some cases both. Mixing high heels and alcohol can increase the risks further, due to the effect that alcohol has on the cerebellum. The cerebellum plays a huge part in motor control, balance, spatial awareness and gait (our walking ability). Alcohol impairs functions of the cerebellum, which is why Police in some countries use sobriety tests as indicators of drink driving. Walking on high heels must be challenging enough for the cerebellum, even when it is functioning normally and without any additional alcohol impairment. Ankle injuries are typically graded from 1 to 3 in terms of severity, with 3 being the most severe. The following two images demonstrate the bone structure of the lower leg, ankle and foot complex without any connective tissues.
Images produced with kind permission of 3d4medical.com from Essential Anatomy 5
(Copyright © 2018 3D4Medical. All rights reserved.)
Shear complexity structures involved
Ankle injuries, rarely affect just the ankle and frequently impact the foot and lower leg too. The vast majority of lower leg muscles, pass over the ankle joint complex and attach to various parts of the foot via tendons. As was discussed in the Plantar Fasciopathy article, the foot is exceptionally complicated, consisting of 26 bones, 33 joints and around 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments. The two images below demonstrate the number of tissues and structures extremely well.
Any of these structures can become damaged during an ankle injury, and each part has an impact on lower leg mechanics and therefore movement. Furthermore, an injury can compromise the fascial system and specific fascial layers (lines), which again affects biomechanics. Fascia is discussed in more detail in the article on "Runners Knee, the ITB Syndrome version".
Images produced with kind permission of 3d4medical.com from Essential Anatomy 5
(Copyright © 2018 3D4Medical. All rights reserved.)
Any of these structures can become damaged during an ankle injury, and each part has an impact on lower leg mechanics and therefore movement. Furthermore, an injury can compromise the fascial system and specific fascial layers (lines), which again affects biomechanics. Fascia is discussed in more detail in the article on "Runners Knee, the ITB Syndrome version".
The human GPS and sensors
The human body also has multiple sensors within it which provide essential functions and are highly relevant to ankle injury rehabilitation. Everybody is aware of the five primal senses; touch (somatosensation), smell (olfaction), hearing (audition), taste (gustation), sight (vision). The human body also has other sensory receptors which detect; Temperature (thermoception), Pain (nociception), Chemical changes within the body (chemoreceptors), Mechanical pressure or distortion affecting the body (mechanoreception), Balance (equilibrioception) and Kinesthetic awareness (proprioception). An ankle injury is likely to involve all of these sensors at some point through the injury healing process. However, the impact an injury can have on Kinesthetic awareness and proprioception can be profound. Proprioreceptor sensors occur throughout the body, in muscles, joints and fascia and are a kind of GPS system for the body. The proprioceptors provide information to the brain about the position of various joints at any given point in time, and in the space, they occupy. The brain can process the information from the multiple proprioceptors to form a kinesthetic awareness of our surroundings and thus enable one to move around and perform tasks. Injuries generally create trauma to soft tissues which can impact joint position. Furthermore, injuries can also mess up the bodies Kinesthetic awareness and proprioception of the damaged area's position in the space it occupies. For example, after an ankle inversion injury, the foot tends to have a slightly altered position. The altered position often means that when the foot plants on the ground, it does so more on the lateral edge (the side with little toe) or supinates. As far as the body is concerned this post-injury foot position is normal or learnt as the new normal following on from the initial trauma. Everything else in the “Kinetic Chain” then has to alter or adapt according to the new foot position, which not only changes the loads but even the angles of load application. Hence, it is no surprise that lots of other types of injuries can occur due to unresolved historical ankle traumas. The altered position of the foot, post ankle injury also means it is more likely to get re-injured, as one would be running on the lateral aspect of the foot supinating. Walking or running on the lateral edge of the foot, positions the foot in a prime position for a further ankle inversion injury. In essence, this is why many people have a subsequent history of further ankle injuries.
Ankle Injury treatment options
As with many types of injury, there are multiple treatment options available. Ankle injuries can be severe, depending on the forces involved, the injury mechanism and the grade of injury/tissue damage. In less, severe injury cases Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation (R.I.C.E.) are often prescribed or advised within the first 72 hours post-injury. However, it is worth getting an ankle injury checked by a suitably qualified professional in the first instance. Any treatment or successful rehabilitation post injury is likely to have many aims or goals.
Critical goals of treatment:-
- Address the damaged soft tissues.
- Regain full or as near to full range of motion/mobility as possible.
- Retrain/relearn kinaesthetic awareness and proprioception.
- Regain strength muscle strength.
- Compensate for increased ligament laxity (in many cases).
It is complicated to attempt to self-treat an ankle injury, due to the steps required for successful rehabilitation. Treating the soft tissues and regaining full mobility of the foot, ankle and lower leg complex is best left to a professional with training in these areas. Useful skills can include soft tissue therapy education, joint mobilisation training and in some cases adjustive knowledge and experience. Hence, Osteopaths, a proportion of Chiropractors, and some Physiotherapists have training in all these areas. The remaining aspects of treatment are usually performed in conjunction with professional guidance and often as aftercare advice (homework). Typically the patient is required to complete specific proprioceptive exercises with a wobble board or rocker board etc. Graded conditioning exercises are usually prescribed to strengthen damaged muscle tissues and help compensate for any joint ligament laxity post-injury. Recovery times can vary according to the severity or grading of the injury, how soon appropriate treatment is sort and importantly if the patient follows the rehabilitation aftercare advice.
The next Running Related Article will cover Shin Splints.
The next Running Related Article will cover Shin Splints.
Article written by Dr Terry Davis MChiro, DC, B.Sc (Hons), Adv. Dip. Rem. Massag., Cert. WHS.