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Syndesomosis Ligament Or High Ankle Sprains
Hearing the words high ankle sprains can be somewhat misleading. Typically ankle sprains involve the ligaments around the ankle joint.
The high ankle sprains actually are injuries to the ligaments that attach the two legs of the bone together just above the ankle. This ligament is known as the Syndesomosis ligament.
The two bones that it connects together are the tibia and the fibula. The tibia is more commonly known as the shin bone.
Both of these bones extend from the knee to the ankle. The difference in symptoms between an ankle sprain and high ankle sprains is that the high ankle sprains actually causes pain when the ankle is rotated an extreme amount to either side or especially when the calf is squeezed.
High ankle sprains are not as easily healed as typical ankle sprains. They should definitely be taken more seriously than common ankle sprains. When a physician is diagnosing a high ankle sprain, it is necessary to determine whether the injury is stable or unstable.
If determined stable, the injury or ankle must be kept in a cast for about six weeks. This is to ensure proper healing and rest of the ankle. However, if the injury is described as unstable, then there is a screw that can be surgically placed to hold together the tibia and fibula to allow the Syndesomosis ligament to heal.
The screw is only in place until the ligament has totally healed. This usually takes about three months. The tricky thing about placing this screw in the bones is that the screw can break if someone walks on the leg which has the screw in it.
This is why sometimes people are not allowed to walk on the leg until the screw has been removed. It has been done where the screw is placed in the ligament and then the person is allowed to walk on it.
This is because a broken screw in the ligament does not seem to cause any troubles. High ankle sprains therefore should be taken seriously. Someone should always see a physician if high ankle sprains is suspected. Either of these options should be discussed with the doctor or surgeon.
The treatment for these injuries usually involves some kind of immobilizing with either a cast or a screw. Therefore, when high ankle sprains are sustained, it is necessary to seek the advice and help of a doctor.
They can be quite painful and so pain medications are often prescribed as well. The ankle is an important joint in the body and therefore injuries should be handled with the utmost care.