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Anterior Ankle

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Manual of Musculoskeletal Ultrasound

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Abstract

Dorsal/anterior foot pain is common, but quickly evaluated by ultrasound. Inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and spondyloarthropathy involve this area of the ankle and foot, as does crystalline disease, particularly gout. The extensor tendons are infrequently damaged, but may still be subject to tendinosis, tenosynovitis, and tears. The anterior ankle joint, namely the tibiotalar joint, is where ultrasound can easily detect a synovial fluid effusion or synovitis, and it is relatively easy to aspirate or inject, particularly with ultrasound guidance. The presence of uric acid crystals can be seen over the cartilage of the talar dome as a double contour sign. Underlying osteophytes may also be detectable. Anterior ankle impingement syndrome can also be evaluated with ultrasound. Ultrasound is an excellent option for assessing this foot region after performing a history, physical, and perhaps radiographs.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, USA

    Mark H. Greenberg

  2. Division of Rheumatology, Columbia VA Health Care System, Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, USA

    Alvin Lee Day

  3. Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Advocate Christ Medical Center, Advocate Medical Group, Chicago, IL, USA

    Suliman Alradawi

Authors
  1. Mark H. Greenberg
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  2. Alvin Lee Day
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  3. Suliman Alradawi
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Correspondence to Mark H. Greenberg .

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Greenberg, M.H., Day, A.L., Alradawi, S. (2023). Anterior Ankle. In: Manual of Musculoskeletal Ultrasound . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-37416-6_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-37416-6_11

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

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