Ankle Impingement

Ankle impingement occurs when two of the ankle bones (the talus and the tibia) repetitively against one another. This may lead to pain because of bone spurs that form or because the ankle joint lining gets irritated (synovitis).

A physical exam may reproduce symptoms with specific maneuvers. X-rays may show bone spurs, and an MRI will usually show synovitis. Rest, anti-inflammatories, therapeutic exercises, and sometimes a steroid injection may successfully treat it. Arthroscopic surgery is also successful in treating this problem.