The Role of Ultrasound Imaging in Ankle Impingement

Abstract
Background: Ankle impingement is a clinical condition of chronic and painful limited range of joint movement. It presents a significant clinical concern athletes and young population.
Aim of Study: To study the value of US in the diagnosis of soft tissue and bony ankle impingement, using combined plain radiography and MRI as a reference for diagnosis.
Patients and Methods: The study included 20 patients (8 male and 12 female), mean age: 35. 1 years, suspected to have ankle impingement by clinical examination. The included patients underwent US ankle examination. The diagnosis of impingement was classified according to the anatomical compartments and categorized according to the underlying impinging factor as bony or soft tissue impingement. We calculated a p-value to evaluate the role of US in diagnosis of bone and soft tissue impingement.
Results: Eight patients had single compartment impinge-ment and 12 patients (60%) had multi-compartments impinge-ment with a total number of 40 compartments impingement. The observed impingements were categorized into 22 soft tissue and 18 bone impingements. Ultrasound could detect 11 out of 18 bone impingements (p-value=0.011) and 21 out of 22 soft tissue impingements (p-value=0.005).
Conclusion: Ultrasound is a helpful diagnostic tool in cases of bone and soft tissue ankle impingement.