Arthroscopic Treatment of Anterior Ankle Impingement

Arthroscopic reduction of tibiotalar osteophytes results in good to excellent results in the vast majority of patients. Pain is primarily due to synovial hypertrophy and anterior tibiotalar entrapment associated with the osteophytes. Osteophytes may be due to repetitive trauma such as sports, or associated with subtle or overt ankle instability. A minimally invasive approach results in rapid recovery and less risk than open interventions. In cases where anterior osteophytes have coexisting ankle instability and in many cases ancillary procedures such as ankle stabilization are performed.