Effectiveness of Ankle Arthroscopy in Treatment of Anterior Ankle Impingement

Context: Anterior ankle impingement (AAI) is a frequent cause of chronic distal limb pain and restricted range of motion. Aims: This study evaluated the clinical, functional, and radiological efficacy of arthroscopic debridement for AAI. Settings and Design: A quasi-experimental prospective study was conducted on 30 patients at Suez Canal University Hospitals presenting with refractory ankle pain. Materials and Methods: Assessment tools included the Visual Analog Scale, foot functional index (FFI), and Scranton and McDermott Classification. Patients were monitored at 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively. Statistical Analysis Used: Data were analyzed using the SPSS software version 20 (IBM Corporation, Armonk, NY; USA). Paired t -tests and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test were utilized to compare the longitudinal quantitative parametric and nonparametric data, respectively, with significance set at P < 0.05. Results: Soft-tissue impingement was identified as the predominant pathological type. Following the 6-month intervention period, median FFI subscale scores demonstrated highly significant improvements ( P < 0.001): the pain subscale decreased from 6 to 3, disability from 7 to 4, and activity limitation from 6 to 2. An overall improvement in the total FFI score was observed in 93.33% of the cohort. Postoperative complications were infrequent and primarily minor, with arthrofibrosis and transient neurological symptoms each occurring in 6.67% of patients. Conclusions: Arthroscopic management of AAI, whether involving osseous or soft-tissue impingement, is a highly effective therapeutic approach. It is associated with significant improvement in analgesic and functional parameters and maintains a favorable safety profile with a low incidence of minor postoperative complications.