Anterior ankle impingement

Anterior ankle impingement presents as pain at the front of your ankle. You usually feel this pain at the end of dorsi-flexion range of motion. These are positions such the bottom of your demi-plie or when you land from a jump, requiring the front of your ankle to be compressed.

What causes the pain?

Anterior ankle impingement pain can be caused from either bony compression or soft tissue compression at the front of your ankle joint as you reach the end range dorsi-flexion position.

How can it be treated?

Most of the time the anterior ankle impingement pain can settle with rest, anti-inflammatories and ice. It is important that you address any biomechanical factors causing your impingement (e.g. tight hamstrings which can pull the fibula and ankle bone out of alignment, calf strength and flexibility).

What further investigations can be done?

Seeking an x-ray will rule in or out any bony factors that are causing your  pain. If there is a bony cause of the anterior impingement, an x-ray may report of an osteophyte. If this is found to be the case,  a specialist opinion should be sought. Some bony causes of anterior ankle impingement require arthroscopic surgery to remove the osteophyte.

Book here for an appointment if your symptoms don’t settle.

Measure your demi-plié flexibility and your calf endurance to see if these could be contributing factors.