Traumatic Ankle Arthritis

The ankle is a joint that connects the foot to the lower limb. The ankle has a simple structure, but it is also very easy to be injured. Also, due to its high mobility, once injured, it is difficult to recover. The ankles are mainly injured by external injuries. For example, if we accidentally sprain our ankle or engage in excessive activity, our ankles may be injured. What is Traumatic Ankle Arthritis? How to treat?

Anatomically, the ankle or ankle joint is the part of the human foot where it connects to the leg. It consists of seven tarsal bones plus the metatarsal bones of the foot and the bones of the lower leg. The foot is the second heart of the human body, and the ankle is an important gateway for blood flow to the left and right feet. The smoothness of blood circulation in the lower body has a great impact on the circulation of Qi and blood throughout the body. The ankles are an important part of the blood flow in the left and right feet. If the ankles are soft and elastic, the venous blood returning to the heart can pass smoothly through the ankles; if the ankles are stiff and aging, the blood returning to the heart will stagnate near the ankles, affecting the normal blood circulation. Therefore, keeping the ankles soft and flexible through gymnastics or massage is of great benefit to human health. If the ankles are soft and elastic, the venous blood returning to the heart can pass smoothly through the ankles; if the ankles are old and stiff, the venous blood returning to the heart will stagnate near the ankles like a "traffic jam", which will increase the burden on the heart and increase the risk of high blood pressure in the long run. By doing gymnastics or massage, the ankles can be transformed from stiff to soft and flexible. Especially for the elderly, this can not only allow the blood returning to the heart to pass smoothly through the ankles, but also relieve the symptoms of high blood pressure.

Traumatic arthritis, also known as traumatic arthritis and injury-induced osteoarthritis, is a disease caused by trauma, with the main pathological changes being the degeneration of articular cartilage and the subsequent cartilage hyperplasia and ossification, and the main clinical manifestations being joint pain and dysfunction of movement. The disease can occur in any age group, but is more common in young and middle-aged people. It often occurs in joints after trauma, unbalanced weight-bearing, and excessive weight-bearing activities.

Causes

1. Violent trauma

For example, falls, impacts, etc. can cause fractures in bones and joints, cartilage damage, foreign matter in the joints, etc., making the joint surface uneven, causing it to suffer abnormal wear and damage.

2. Unbalanced load-bearing

For example, congenital and acquired deformities of the joints and angular deformity of the bone fractures may cause the joint's gravity-bearing line to be incorrect, and the joint surfaces at the long-term pressure points may suffer excessive wear and damage.

3. Excessive activity and weight bearing

For example, certain occupations require frequent movements of certain joints of the body or frequent use of certain postures, or severe obesity, or unilateral weight-bearing on one limb after amputation, can all cause cumulative injuries, leading to excessive wear and damage to the articular surfaces of the corresponding joints.

Clinical manifestations

1. Symptoms

(1) In the early stage, the affected joints will experience pain and stiffness, which will be more obvious when the joints begin to move, and will be relieved after movement. However, the symptoms will be aggravated with more activity, and will be relieved after rest. There is a clear relationship between pain and activity.

(2) In the late stage, the joints swell repeatedly, the pain persists and gradually worsens, and there may be limited movement, joint effusion, deformity and loose bodies in the joints, and rough friction sounds when the joints move.

2. Physical signs

(1) Gait Different diseases may have their own special pathological gait. Traumatic arthritis has a pain-resistant gait. That is, when walking, after the affected foot touches the ground, the patient quickly switches to the healthy foot to start because of the weight-bearing pain, in order to reduce the weight, so the affected limb takes smaller steps.

(2) Deformities: Changes in gravity may cause deformities of the lower limbs, such as valgus or valgus of the knee joint. If the knee valgus angle is greater than 15° and the distance between the two knees is greater than 5cm, it is called genu valgus deformity. Among these diseases, varus deformity is the most common in clinical practice.

Traumatic arthritis examination

1. Laboratory examination

There is no specific test for traumatic arthritis. White blood cell count, hematocrit, and serum protein electrophoresis were normal. Except for systemic primary osteoarthritis and additional traumatic synovitis, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate is normal in most cases.

2. X -ray examination

It forms gradually over a long period of time after a fracture or acute joint injury. When an injured joint undergoes degenerative changes, the joint space will become narrower, the bone ends will harden, osteophytes will form at the joint edges, there may be loose bodies in the joints, and there may be limb deformities left over from growth and development disorders of the bone ends, or bone or joint injuries, sometimes accompanied by calcification or ossification in the soft tissue around the joints.

3. CT examination

The density resolution of CT is significantly better than that of X-ray films, and it is more conducive to clarifying the size, range and density changes of joint and soft tissue lesions, as well as the invasion of bone diseases into adjacent tissues.

4. MRI

The scope and internal structure of soft tissue and cartilage lesions can be observed. Although MRI has better resolution of soft tissue layers than CT, it is not as good as CT in identifying edema and calcification.

5.ECT examination

One scan can obtain a scintigraphic image of the entire body's bones, making it suitable for systemic screening examinations. ECT has a high sensitivity, so it can detect lesions at an early stage, which is beneficial for positioning and quantitative examination.