This article will detail the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of posterior ankle impingement syndrome.
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Who Is at Risk?
Posterior ankle impingement syndrome is most commonly seen in athletes who participate in activities that involve repetitive ankleplantar flexion.
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Cross-country or trail runners who do high volumes of downhill running are also at a higher risk.
The condition can also arise in nonathletes, though this is much less common.
Symptoms
Several hallmark characteristics help differentiate posterior ankle impingement syndrome from other pain-causing conditions.
Swelling and redness may also be present in the hindfoot area if a more acute plantar flexion injury occurs.
Typically, a healthcare provider will begin with a physical examination of the ankle.
The absence of symptoms during this technique makes a PAIS diagnosis much less likely.
During this operation, the symptom-causing section of the bone is cut away or removed.
Conservative care effectively treats many PAIS cases, though surgery may be needed if the pain persists.
A thorough physical exam and imaging are usually necessary to properly diagnose this issue.
This typically involves ice, rest, activity modification, pain-relieving medications or injections, and physical therapy.
About 40% of the time, however, these treatments are ineffective, and surgery is warranted.
It can be sharp during activities that involve repetitive plantar flexion, though dull pain can continue afterward.
2021;3(4):e1077-e1086.
