[Ankle impingement. Indications and arthroscopic therapy]

Ankle impingement syndromes are one of the most frequent chronic and posttraumatic pathologies of the ankle joint. Anterior and posterior impingement result from the abutting of anatomical structures leading to pain and limitation in the range of motion of the ankle joint. Ankle impingement can be classified based on the localization or the underlying cause. Besides chronic ankle pain, further symptoms are movement and load-dependent swelling of the ankle joint and limitations in dorsiflexion and plantar flexion. The clinical symptoms and physical examination play an essential role in diagnosing soft tissue impingement, whereas various imaging techniques are important for the diagnostics of bony impingement. From a therapeutic perspective, conservative treatment should be initially attempted. If non-operative treatment fails, arthroscopic resection and debridement of the underlying cause is nowadays the standard method of surgical treatment. With a current complication rate of approximately 3 % ankle arthroscopy is a safe operative method, which is associated with a high postoperative rate of patient satisfaction and significant relief of symptoms.