Celebrating A Hole-In-One Can Dislocate An Ankle!

It may sound incredible, but golfer Tony Finau recently dislocated his ankle while celebrating a hole-in-one at this year’s Masters’ traditional Par 3 competition. Miraculously, Finau was able to pop his ankle back in place and continue to play without sustaining an injury. His results aren’t typical and more often than not, a dislocated ankle spells trouble.

The Ankle Joint is very important to overall foot stability, especially since it connects the bottom portion of the leg to the foot. When the ankle joint dislocates, the bones of the ankle that meet to form the joint become displaced and tendons get damaged. Moreover, these types of injuries generally occur from traumatic forces that cause the fracturing of bones or the tearing of ligaments. These traumatic incidents can include severe falls, car accidents or sports-related injuries.

Symptoms of a dislocated ankle or sprained ankle include:

· Severe pain

· Immobility of the joint

· Numbness caused by inflammation and damage to the nerves, blood vessels and skin surrounding the ankle joint

Arthritis may occur more readily after an ankle dislocation due to the disruption of the joint structure and the cartilage in that area.

Treatment for this condition includes:

· Use of splints on the ankle to stop any additional damage from a dislocation.

· Surgical procedures to set the bones back to their correct positioning and to assist with nerve and blood vessel proficiencies. These procedures will also be useful in stabilizing the ankle and minimizing damage. The scope of surgery will be based on the severity of the dislocation and the damage caused to the surrounding structure of the ankle.

· Recovery time could last for up to three months as the ankle joint sets into place and tendons are repaired. 

· High-intensity activity can be resumed near the end of recovery and can be combined with physical therapy to assist the ankle joint with regaining strength and range of movement.

This condition does not normally occur unless there is a significantly traumatic event involving the ankle. At Performance Foot & Ankle Specialists, LLC, located in Waterbury 203-755-0489 & Newtown 203-270-6724, Connecticut, our podiatrist, Dr. Joel S. Segalman, DPM, will provide the most advanced treatment to allow your ankle to have the best chance of making a full and lasting recovery. So, please call our office at any of the two numbers listed above to schedule an appointment for the benefit of your ankles!