Skip to main content
Log in

Impingement syndromes of the ankle

  • Musculoskeletal
  • Published:
European Radiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Ankle impingement syndromes are categorised according to their anatomical site around the tibiotalar joint. Anterolateral, anterior and posterior ankle impingement has been extensively described in the orthopaedic and radiology literature with more recent studies describing posteromedial and anteromedial impingement. This article aims to demonstrate the potential spectrum of imaging findings for each ankle impingement syndrome as well as the relative contributions of ultrasound and MR imaging for diagnosis and image-guided treatment.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Ogilvie-Harris DJ, Gilbart MK, Chorney K (1997) Chronic pain following ankle sprains in athletes: the role of arthroscopic surgery. Arthroscopy 13:564–574

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Ferkel RD, Karzel RP, Del Pizzo W, Friedman MJ, Fischer SP (1991) Arthroscopic treatment of anterolateral impingement of the ankle. Am J Sports Med 19:440–446

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Bassett FH 3rd, Gates HS 3rd, Billys JB, Morris HB, Nikolaou PK (1990) Talar impingement by the anteroinferior tibiofibular ligament. A cause of chronic pain in the ankle after inversion sprain. J Bone Joint Surg Am 72:55–59

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Hamilton WG, Geppert MJ, Thompson FM (1996) Pain in the posterior aspect of the ankle in dancers. Differential diagnosis and operative treatment. J Bone Joint Surg Am 78:1491–1500

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Paterson RS, Brown JN (2001) The posteromedial impingement lesion of the ankle. A series of six cases. Am J Sports Med 29:550–557

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Robinson P, White LM, Salonen DC, Daniels TR, Ogilvie-Harris D (2001) Anterolateral ankle impingement: mr arthrographic assessment of the anterolateral recess. Radiology 221:186–190

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Robinson P, Bollen SR (2006) Posterior ankle impingement in professional soccer players: effectiveness of sonographically guided therapy. AJR Am J Roentgenol 187:W53–W58

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Messiou C, Robinson P, O’Connor PJ, Grainger A (2006) Subacute posteromedial impingement of the ankle in athletes: MR imaging evaluation and ultrasound guided therapy. Skeletal Radiol 35:88–94

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Robinson P, White LM, Salonen D, Ogilvie-Harris D (2002) Anteromedial impingement of the ankle: using MR arthrography to assess the anteromedial recess. AJR Am J Roentgenol 178:601–604

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Rubin DA, Tishkoff NW, Britton CA, Conti SF, Towers JD (1997) Anterolateral soft-tissue impingement in the ankle: diagnosis using MR imaging. AJR Am J Roentgenol 169:829–835

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Liu SH, Raskin A, Osti L et al (1994) Arthroscopic treatment of anterolateral ankle impingement. Arthroscopy 10:215–218

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Ferkel RD, Fasulo GJ (1994) Arthroscopic treatment of ankle injuries. Orthop Clin North Am 25:17–32

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Bagnolesi P, Zampa V, Carafoli D, Cilotti A, Bartolozzi C (1998) Anterolateral fibrous impingement of the ankle. Report of 14 cases. Radiol Med (Torino) 95:293–297

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Liu SH, Nuccion SL, Finerman G (1997) Diagnosis of anterolateral ankle impingement. Comparison between magnetic resonance imaging and clinical examination. Am J Sports Med 25:389–393

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Duncan D, Mologne T, Hildebrand H, Stanley M, Schreckengaust R, Sitler D (2006) The usefulness of magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of anterolateral impingement of the ankle. J Foot Ankle Surg 45:304–307

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Farooki S, Yao L, Seeger LL (1998) Anterolateral impingement of the ankle: effectiveness of MR imaging. Radiology 207:357–360

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Jordan LK 3rd, Helms CA, Cooperman AE, Speer KP (2000) Magnetic resonance imaging findings in anterolateral impingement of the ankle. Skeletal Radiol 29:34–39

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Hauger O, Moinard M, Lasalarie JC, Chauveaux D, Diard F (1999) Anterolateral compartment of the ankle in the lateral impingement syndrome: appearance on CT arthrography. AJR Am J Roentgenol 173:685–690

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Chandnani VP, Harper MT, Ficke JR et al (1994) Chronic ankle instability: evaluation with MR arthrography, MR imaging, and stress radiography. Radiology 192:189–194

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Helgason JW, Chandnani VP (1998) MR arthrography of the ankle. Radiol Clin North Am 36:729–738

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. van Dijk CN, Tol JL, Verheyen CC (1997) A prospective study of prognostic factors concerning the outcome of arthroscopic surgery for anterior ankle impingement. Am J Sports Med 25:737–745

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. van Dijk CN, Bossuyt PM, Marti RK (1996) Medial ankle pain after lateral ligament rupture. J Bone Joint Surg Br 78:562–567

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Tol JL, Slim E, van Soest AJ, van Dijk CN (2002) The relationship of the kicking action in soccer and anterior ankle impingement syndrome. A biomechanical analysis. Am J Sports Med 30:45–50

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Tol JL, van Dijk CN (2004) Etiology of the anterior ankle impingement syndrome: a descriptive anatomical study. Foot Ankle Int 25:382–386

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. van Dijk CN, Lim LS, Poortman A, Strubbe EH, Marti RK (1995) Degenerative joint disease in female ballet dancers. Am J Sports Med 23:295–300

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Martin DF, Baker CL, Curl WW, Andrews JR, Robie DB, Haas AF (1989) Operative ankle arthroscopy. Long-term followup. Am J Sports Med 17:16–23; discussion 23

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Tol JL, Verheyen CP, van Dijk CN (2001) Arthroscopic treatment of anterior impingement in the ankle. J Bone Joint Surg Br 83:9–13

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Cheng JC, Ferkel RD (1998) The role of arthroscopy in ankle and subtalar degenerative joint disease. Clin Orthop 65–72

  29. Berberian WS, Hecht PJ, Wapner KL, DiVerniero R (2001) Morphology of tibiotalar osteophytes in anterior ankle impingement. Foot Ankle Int 22:313–317

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Tol JL, Verhagen RA, Krips R et al (2004) The anterior ankle impingement syndrome: diagnostic value of oblique radiographs. Foot Ankle Int 25:63–68

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Karasick D, Schweitzer ME (1996) The os trigonum syndrome: imaging features. AJR Am J Roentgenol 166:125–129

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Bureau NJ, Cardinal E, Hobden R, Aubin B (2000) Posterior ankle impingement syndrome: MR imaging findings in seven patients. Radiology 215:497–503

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Abramowitz Y, Wollstein R, Barzilay Y et al (2003) Outcome of resection of a symptomatic os trigonum. J Bone Joint Surg Am 85-A:1051–1057

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Meislin RJ, Rose DJ, Parisien JS, Springer S (1993) Arthroscopic treatment of synovial impingement of the ankle. Am J Sports Med 21:186–189

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Wakeley CJ, Johnson DP, Watt I (1996) The value of MR imaging in the diagnosis of the os trigonum syndrome. Skeletal Radiol 25:133–136

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Peace KA, Hillier JC, Hulme A, Healy JC (2004) MRI features of posterior ankle impingement syndrome in ballet dancers: a review of 25 cases. Clin Radiol 59:1025–1033

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Mitchell MJ, Bielecki D, Bergman AG, Kursunoglu-Brahme S, Sartoris DJ, Resnick D (1995) Localization of specific joint causing hindfoot pain: value of injecting local anesthetics into individual joints during arthrography. AJR Am J Roentgenol 164:1473–1476

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Koulouris G, Connell D, Schneider T, Edwards W (2003) Posterior tibiotalar ligament injury resulting in posteromedial impingement. Foot Ankle Int 24:575–583

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Liu SH, Mirzayan R (1993) Posteromedial ankle impingement. Arthroscopy 9:709–711

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Mosier-La Clair SM, Monroe MT, Manoli A (2000) Medial impingement syndrome of the anterior tibiotalar fascicle of the deltoid ligament on the talus. Foot Ankle Int 21:385–391

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Philip Robinson.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Robinson, P. Impingement syndromes of the ankle. Eur Radiol 17, 3056–3065 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-007-0675-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-007-0675-1

Keywords

Navigation