Anterior Ankle Impingement

Anterior Ankle Impingement is caused by repeated compression stress at the front of the ankle joint. It is characterized by chronic pain at the front of the ankle that is exacerbated when the foot is pulled upwards (dorsiflexed).

Sharp pain and popping sounds may be experienced during activities such as walking, running, squatting, lunging, stair climbing, jumping, hill climbing and calf stretching. A throbbing pain, dull ache, tenderness to touch, puffiness or swelling may be present at the front of the ankle. The ankle may feel stiff and weak, like it might give way during routine activities.

Symptoms are a result of a squeezing or pinching of abnormally thickened soft tissues (joint capsule and/or ligaments) between the lower end of the leg bones (tibia and fibula) and the ankle bone (talus) as the foot is bent upwards (dorsiflexed).

Excessive compression and irritation at the front of the ankle leads to the build-up of a mass of pain generating tissue, known as a menisoid lesion, which gets trapped during movement. The lining of the joint capsule may become irritated leading to a condition called synovitis.

Over time, excessive compression can lead to the formation of bone growths, called bone spurs or osteophytes, along the bottom edge of the leg (tibia) bone or on the upper surface of the ankle (talus) bone. Bone spurs can also jab into the thickened soft tissues along the front of the ankle joint, causing symptoms of anterior impingement.