[메디컬투데이=조성우 기자] An ankle sprain is a condition in which the ligaments that support the ankle are stretched, partially, or completely ruptured depending on the degree of external impact and the shape of the foot when sprained. The ankle is composed of medial and lateral ligaments, and when injured, the ankle usually inverts and is injured, so the lateral ligaments are more likely to be injured than the medial. In fact, among patients who visit the hospital with ankle ligament damage, lateral ligament damage accounts for a large proportion of all ankle sprains.
If ankle ligament damage is not treated in time or you return to daily life with the damage remaining due to an arbitrary judgment of cure, the affected area may heal again in a damaged or stretched state, leading to chronic ankle instability. If you frequently sprain your ankle, feel unstable when walking on uneven surfaces such as mountain trails, or have particularly severe ankle pain after walking for a long time, you should suspect instability. This requires appropriate treatment.
Park Eun-seok, director of the Podiatry Center at Yeson Hospital in Bucheon, said, “For first-degree injuries with simple inflammation and second-degree injuries with partial rupture, symptoms can improve if simple cast treatment is applied for 3 to 4 weeks along with conservative treatment such as medication and physical therapy. You can expect it. However, for completely ruptured third-degree injuries, surgical treatment must be considered in some cases.”
He continued, “Surgical treatment for a complete rupture occurs when two or more of the three lateral ligaments are ruptured, when there is an avulsion fracture of the anterior talofibular ligament, or when chronic lateral ligament instability remains. It is known that the prognosis is good if surgical treatment is performed when there is simultaneous damage to the anterior talofibular ligament and calcanofibular ligament among the lateral ligaments. “If instability remains, it is advisable to perform suture surgery because frequent ankle sprains can lead to future ankle cartilage damage and progression to arthritis,” he said.
The existing common procedure is open, which involves making an incision of about 3 to 4 cm in the skin and suturing the ligament. After surgery, the patient has to endure a long recovery period of about 8 to 9 weeks including immobilization with a cast for more than 4 to 6 weeks and rehabilitation treatment. . However, with the advancement of medical technology and improved surgical techniques, minimally invasive ankle ligament surgery, which sutures the ligament through an endoscopic hole with a diameter of less than 2 mm without a skin incision, has become possible, reducing the treatment burden on patients.
Minimally invasive ankle ligament surgery is a surgery that uses an arthroscope to minimize damage to tissues around the anterior talofibular ligament and directly reaches and sutures the ligament. It is a method of firmly suturing not only the ruptured ligament but also the surrounding soft tissue while looking inside the joint. . It can reduce the pain that occurs after surgery, reduce joint adhesion, increase ankle stability, and shorten the recovery period. After surgery, you will be able to carry out your daily life to some extent by wearing a half cast for two weeks and then wearing an auxiliary boot. Being able to return to daily life means that early rehabilitation is possible, so if you practice it consistently, you can recover about twice as fast as you can before returning to daily life.
However, no matter how minimally invasive the ankle ligament surgery is with a quick recovery, we must not forget that it is surgery. After surgery, continuous rehabilitation is necessary to ensure ankle joint flexibility and quick recovery. In addition, to prevent recurrence of ankle sprains, appropriate weight control and wearing shoes appropriate for the activity are helpful.
Meanwhile, before considering a procedure or surgery, sufficient consultation with a specialist is necessary regarding accurate diagnosis, treatment process, possible complications, and other treatment methods. Additionally, in order to obtain satisfactory treatment results, it is important to select a medical staff with extensive clinical experience at a hospital with a systematic treatment system.
Medical Today Reporter Jo Seong-woo (ostin0284@mdtoday.co.kr)
[저작권자ⓒ 메디컬투데이. 무단전재-재배포 금지]
