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Ankle - ATFL

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Premiership Player
Veteran BeanCoiNFT Investor Pokemon is Life Pantskyle
Sep 28, 2007
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Essendon
Around 2 weeks ago I rolled my ankle playing soccer.

I am still waiting to here from a specialist in regard to whether or not I need surgery so thought I'd come here and see if anyone has had the same injury.

I've been told I have a 'high grade, or more likely complete tear of the Talofibular Ligament (ATFL). Haven't been able to walk since that day and have lived in my bedroom resting up.

Anyone had this injury and had surgery as a result?
Recovery time?
 
most ATFL injuries should be 2-4 weeks. if you're not walking after a few days there are a few things that could be a possibility. avulsion fractures of the talus, fibula or calcaneus. complex regional pain syndrome. you could have also strained the interosseous ligament if weight bearing is a problem.

Xray might not show a thing though. still get one if you arent able to walk yet. or your doc might order an MRI or CT for a more definitive diagnosis.

something as bad as yours might be 2-3 months for full recovery. i'd get weight bearing as early as possible and moving it as much as possible. if land activities are too painful, get into a pool and do some walking
 
hi j2kboiz,

i am a podiatrist and i deal with this injury on a daily basis (often several times daily) very common in ball sports. i am happy to give you some advice over the phone or you can call one of my clinics: forest hill - 8804 1900 or narre warren - 9771 2000

nobody will know if you need surgery until imaging is done. get an MRI (cheaper than they used to be) or US (however some sonographers are better than others aka some will pick up the rupture and some will not) get an xray just for the sake of it.

important to deal with this sort of injury quickly. too often i see people who play on to be 'tough' and end up with chronic tendonosis. trust me you dont want this hanging around. i see people who injured their ATFL 15 years ago and fought through who still have symptoms
 
deeman94 said:
hi j2kboiz,

i am a podiatrist and i deal with this injury on a daily basis (often several times daily) very common in ball sports. i am happy to give you some advice over the phone or you can call one of my clinics: forest hill - 8804 1900 or narre warren - 9771 2000

nobody will know if you need surgery until imaging is done. get an MRI (cheaper than they used to be) or US (however some sonographers are better than others aka some will pick up the rupture and some will not) get an xray just for the sake of it.

important to deal with this sort of injury quickly. too often i see people who play on to be 'tough' and end up with chronic tendonosis. trust me you dont want this hanging around. i see people who injured their ATFL 15 years ago and fought through who still have symptoms
Click to expand...

Hey Deeman

I've had an x-ray done at the Epworth and had a MRI done the other day at the Avenue. The issue is I'm going to Africa in roughly 5 weeks time for over 3 weeks and i'm going to need my foot!

I just got call a few hours ago confirming I'm seeing someone next Thursday. Its come at a terrible time though. I've got exams on the next two weeks and I'm going to Africa just after that. I've already lost 3 days of study time due to this damn injury!
 

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did they tell you what the imaging said?

for the time being, ice as much as possible, when you go to bed put a pillow under your foot to drain any fluid from the area and stay off it as much as possible - i would recommend hiring crutches (only 10 bucks a week from most chemists)

if it is so that you have a complete tear, then this is a significant injury and the ATFL does take quite some time to heal as it has very poor blood flow. unfortunately if you have torn this tendon then its highly likely that you have torn CFL as well (very near by). if its blown out its likely you need surgery - and you wont get into an orthopod within time of your trip (long waiting lists). luckily the ankle reco operation which you may need is the simplest surgery of the foot as its basically grabbing the tendons and tying them together.

this is clutching at straws without me looking at it and the imaging, but until then i want you to ice it as much as possible, rest constantly (NO sport) and elevate it. i can get you in to see the surgeon quicker than most too.

touch wood its just a strain in which case 2-4 weeks of rest. i can get you a medical certificate and write you an application for special consideration for your exams too.

fingers crossed
 
Yes I have the results here with me.

I have also got crutches now which I'm using as much as I can.

My CFL and PTFL are intact. There is small ankle joint effusion. There is a high grade or most likely complete tear of the ATFL. Extensive overlying subcutaneous oedema over the lateral malleolus. Extensive bone oedema deep to its insertion within posteromedial aspect of the talus. There is no evidence of a talar fracture. Chondral surfaces are normal in appearance.

Comments were:
High grade or more likely complete tear of ATFL
Grade II deltoid injury involving the tibio-talar component.


I'll speak to the specialist on Thursday and see what they say and I'll get back to you.

Thanks for your help!
 
in all, you should then be ok for africa. not suprised about the oedema, and the deltoid ligament always gets squished in these things.


tell the specialist that you are going to africa. a fantastic treatment for speeding up the healing of tendons like the atfl is prolotherapy. it is an injection into the tendon which causes an immune response and can greatly increase healing time.


good luck
 
Hey was just wondering if anyone had some helpful information for me. On the weekend while playing football ive gone to change direction, in the process ive lost my footing/rolled my ankle and had a player land on my leg. In the process of this happening ive heard a 'popping noise' which is the part thats concerned me the most.

Since the injury has occured i havent been able to put a great deal of weight on that leg and basically dont have a great deal of movement with it. Their is no brusing at the moment but its quite swollen.
 
Well, I had a trip to the Physio this afternoon and suprise suprise I've done the same injury as the op. Mines only a minor strain/grade1-2 injury and I'll be out of action for 2-3 weeks. At this stage I've lost all strength and movement and have started my rehab.
 
I kept rolling my ankle every time i played but kept playing on with it, sometimes it would happen 2-3 times in a game. Anyone think they may know why this tends to happen or what might be wrong??

Anyway i finally broke my ankle not long ago, the end of the fibula but this time it was due to it getting caught under some player when he fell on my leg while standing up.

I have a feeling ive been playing with stuffed ligaments for a while.
 
BiTeGumsux said:
I kept rolling my ankle every time i played but kept playing on with it, sometimes it would happen 2-3 times in a game. Anyone think they may know why this tends to happen or what might be wrong??

Anyway i finally broke my ankle not long ago, the end of the fibula but this time it was due to it getting caught under some player when he fell on my leg while standing up.

I have a feeling ive been playing with stuffed ligaments for a while.
Click to expand...

I'm no expert but the specialist told me once you've rolled your ankle badly it is never the same. In my case the ligaments grow longer then they need to be. So he said in general if you roll your ankle a few times you will be more prone in the future to roll it again.

I'm supposed to have a seen a physio but haven't got around to it.
 

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Yeh certainly seems the case. I also got told a few years ago when i first rolled my ankle badly that the nerves in the ankle or something get affected and the signals going to the brain arnt right and you don't exactly know where your placing the footy or ankle. Thus prone to re rolling it. Dont know how true this is, but a decent physio told me this.
 
BiTeGumsux said:
Yeh certainly seems the case. I also got told a few years ago when i first rolled my ankle badly that the nerves in the ankle or something get affected and the signals going to the brain arnt right and you don't exactly know where your placing the footy or ankle. Thus prone to re rolling it. Dont know how true this is, but a decent physio told me this.
Click to expand...

Correct. That is exactly what my specialist said.
 
BiTeGumsux said:
Yeh certainly seems the case. I also got told a few years ago when i first rolled my ankle badly that the nerves in the ankle or something get affected and the signals going to the brain arnt right and you don't exactly know where your placing the footy or ankle. Thus prone to re rolling it. Dont know how true this is, but a decent physio told me this.
Click to expand...

yeah mate spot on the money. its called proprioception. once you do it your ****ed. well ... your probably gonna do it again. ive done both multiple times and my ankle ligs are sloppy as. if you youtube ankle proprioception exercises im sure there will be heaps to start retraining it.
 
Hey guys!

Just reading the thread and I did something pretty simliar.

Rolled my ankle pretty badly at indoor cricket and it turns out I fractured my ankle.

Doctor mentioned something about the ligaments tearing a little piece of bone off my ankle. I wasn't really 100% sure. Turns out I'll be in plaster for 4-6 weeks.

Will my ligaments heal while in plaster also? I'm pretty ignorant to the bodies natural healing process.

Any advice on speeding up my recovery? It is my right foot so I can't drive for at least 6 weeks, lucky I have an office job and my partner or mother can drive me to work.

Cheers
 
Just had an ultrasound done after a nasty sprain and I've completely torn my ATFL. Other ligaments are ok and no fracture, but the ATFL is ruptured. I've only been able to get snippets of advice from radiology and then the incoherent ramblings of a senile doctor who had no idea about the injury, and I can't find a whole lot of information on the net. Does anyone has any experience/knowledge about treatment options/recovery time for this injury? I have an appointment to see a sports doctor tomorrow.
 
Good thread. Kept rolling my ankle playing basketball which actually lead me to give it up. It got to the point where I was rolling it every game (was too lazy to strap it) Was playing footy at the time also which wasn't helping.

2 years on and it has gotten better but it tends to roll when sometimes doing the most basic of tasks and if I try to bend it I can still feel some pain. 2 years on!
 

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Well I made this thread last year and it took a good 3-4 months before my foot was better. I walked on it for a week thinking it was a rolled ankle initially and the pain was immense. I didn't get surgery in the end and used a moon boot as well as the ankle rap you can get. I highly suggest you get the ankle rap and wear it everyday it's kind of like a little show inside your shoe. It's annoying to do up every time but it makes it a lot easier to walk and helped significantly. I also did exercises like standing on my tippy toes and then putting your foot down then up again and rinsed and repeated. I can still feel that my ankle is a little weaker then my left foot but its alright.
 
BiTeGumsux said:
Yeh certainly seems the case. I also got told a few years ago when i first rolled my ankle badly that the nerves in the ankle or something get affected and the signals going to the brain arnt right and you don't exactly know where your placing the footy or ankle. Thus prone to re rolling it. Dont know how true this is, but a decent physio told me this.
Click to expand...


This is why proprioception work is vital once the joint is able to take weight bearing exercise again.
 

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