Ankle joint is a hinge type of joint and the cartilage is susceptible to damage due to various conditions like arthritis due to injury, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, infection, collagen vascular disease, following a systemic viral fever like Chikunguniya, villonodular synovitis, and rarely due to Lyme’s disease, Painful ankle joint with fever, malaise and systemic symptoms indicates acute infection and is promptly treated with good antibiotics. If many joints are affected, it is called Polyarthropathy and is indicative of collagen
vascular disease. Pain, swelling, limited movement, inability to bear one’s body weight on the foot, inability to climb stairs, all these indicate that this part of the body needs urgent attention. Pain in the ankle joint and distal part of the foot is commonly seen in osteoarthritis and injury to the joint, as in sports activity. Strenuous walking, running, jumping, twisting of ankle joint and any activity that puts strain on the joint can result in injury. Person can feel a popping sensation in the joint, or as if two bones are rubbing against each other, grating sound or even crepitus, i.e. as though there is a small amount of air under the skin that moves on movement of
the joint.
Ankle pain is localized; person wakes up in the night due to pain. Lifting up the forefoot on the floor i.e. dorsiflexion causes pain. Walking, standing for long hours, climbing stairs is painful. There might be localized swelling. Pain is relieved by rest and heat. Due to pain in the ankle joint one is not able to climb stairs or walk comfortably, the range of motion decreases and with disuse of the joint, ankle develops adhesive capsuliitis. Just like frozen shoulder, this is known as ‘frozen ankle’.