Did you know that ankle injuries are the most common sports injuries? Ankle sprains / strains are very common and can be a season ender. Yesterday I had the opportunity to review a case of one of my patients who has seen another podiatrist and an orthopedist in town prior to seeing me. Diagnosis of an ankle sprain and treated for 6 months as such to no avail. Hence she requested a third opinion, which is when I came into the picture. Reviews of records and old MRI imaging shows multiple bone bruises, which the former doctors passed as insignificant for 6 months. Patient presents to the office not able to walk and had significant nerve damage and ankle instability long with severe joint pain.

Having the benefit of previous records, and a thorough clinical exam shows nerve damage to the leg after this severe fall along w joint damage that can not be appreciated on the MRI reports.
MRI is not the end all, be all. Often clinical exam of the patient is crucial along with the history.
Moral of the story is to not depend on imaging as the sole diagnostic source

Ankle injuries can be debilitating, causing nerve, ligament, long term bone injuries such as osteochondral lesions (pot holes in the talus as I explain to my patients), and permanent joint damage to the subtalar joint (joint under the ankle joint).

If your ankle injury is still causing pain at 6 wks out, please have it rechecked with a second / third opinion.
We’ll be here to help at FFLC.
Board Certified that count.