- Dr Greisberg has performed more than 300 ankle ligament surgeries
Ligaments are the soft tissues that hold the ankle and foot bones together. One of the most common orthopaedic problems we see, is injury to these ligaments. Commonly called a sprain, ankle ligament injuries can be very mild, very severe, or anywhere in between. Almost all of these injuries can be treated well without surgery, beginning with a short period of rest, followed by progressive functional rehabilitation. Sometimes this includes braces, crutches, and physical therapy.
Even with appropriate treatment, some ankle ligament injuries just don’t heal well. This might be due to a hidden injury, such as a cartilage chip (osteochondral lesion). Other times the ligaments just may not recover. Surgery is then needed to restore good ankle function.
Surgery for ankle instability is usually centered around repairing the ankle ligaments. Sometimes a graft is needed to augment the repair.
Some ligament injuries, such as those of the arch or midfoot (sometimes called Lisfranc injuries), have more trouble healing. Early surgery sometimes is best in those cases. The treating doctor needs to assess alignment of those ligaments, since many Lisfranc injuries can be treated well without surgery.