Facing ligament injury issues and searching for a professional ligament reconstruction clinic in NY, your hometown? Look no further when you can have direct access to the internationally acclaimed foot and ankle “engineers”, accomplishing your ligament reconstruction job with excellence and expertise.
Located at the heart of New York, Advance Foot and Ankle Solutions is all ears and eyes to your ligament reconstruction stepwise approach. Book an appointment right away for the best results.
Ligament Reconstruction: The ‘What’ and ‘Why’ Of It
The Basic Anatomy: The role of connective tissues namely, ligaments and tendons, is vital to establish normal bone-to-bone and muscle-to-bone articulations, respectively. Both structures serve to hold the foot and ankle together. Towards the lateral side of the ankle, there are 3 major ligaments collectively known as the lateral collateral ligaments while on the medial side is present a complex network of ligaments known collectively as medial collateral ligaments.
The Function: Ligaments serve to check the movement of the ankle joint. They restrict joint motion beyond a certain angle, direction, or point. As such, they are flexible and elastic in their morphology and work best when used within their elasticity index.
The Anomaly: An injury to the ligament can lead to its overstretching or tearing away altogether causing a foot or ankle strain within them, only to be examined and prognosticated by a ligament reconstruction specialist for best advice on its effective treatment. Repeated episodes of sprain or an untreated injury lead to their gradual debility that ultimately culminates in instability of the ankle joint, requiring a ligament reconstruction surgeon to step in and carry out surgery for their revival.
The ‘Why’ Of It: Severely injured or sprained tissue often requires ligament reconstruction procedures owing to the rising inability to bear own body weight while standing or walking for several weeks at a stretch. The lateral collateral ligaments are more prone to wear and tear and thus, appear more tender and swollen.
Factors Leading To Ligament Reconstruction Surgery
Approaching a sprained foot treatment specialist for its reconstruction process is the most extreme form of its treatment. The most severely bruised ligaments require urgent supervision of a sprained foot treatment doctor or a specialist within the premises of a full-fledged sprained foot treatment clinic or a rehab center. Several factors can be listed that contribute to the need for an arthroscopic surgery or a ligament reconstruction surgery.
- Sudden and quick turn or twist of the foot occurring at the ankle that is often to an abnormally high degree, either medially or laterally, and is left unmonitored
- Continuous, strenuous exercise or other physical activities without appropriate intermediary breaks allow the ligaments to rest and revitalize.
- Repetitive physical exertion like standing up for long hours, walking or jogging briskly, or running exhaustively can all cause ligament fatigue and feebleness typically ending with a surgical procedure.
- Ligaments that have been torn or sheared either partially or wholly owing to an accident
- Recurring foot and ankle sprains, stiffness, pain, restricted motion, and limited foot usage give way to ligament reconstruction surgery
Signs and Symptoms Leading To Ligament Reconstruction
- Moderate to severe discomfort accompanied by inflammation in the wounded area
- Stiffness at the ankle joint turning walking difficult, painful, and impaired
- Restricted movement with joint instability
The Treatment
Depending on the severity of the situation your ligament reconstruction would decide on going for its surgery at an appropriate time. In less severe cases, ligaments are merely tightened and straightened again by reattaching them to their bone to let them regain their formal position.
In the most extreme cases where the tissue is weakened or destroyed, ligament reconstruction is the only way out. The surgery usually involves the replacement of the destroyed ligament with the peroneus brevis tendon by routing it through the ankle bones to provide support.
The Post-surgical Condition
After ligament reconstruction surgery has been performed, your foot should be able to regain its former motion and vigor. The surgery involves a few hours with a plaster cast extending from just below the knee and complete immobility at the ankle joint, for at least 6 weeks.
After the removal of the plaster, you’ll be exercising daily according to the guidelines provided by your ligament reconstruction specialist to help stave off disuse atrophy at the ankle region. Only thorough and focused treatment would be able to bring about rapid and complete healing, letting you resume your normal routine activities as soon as possible.