Stiff ankle in child

[Boysdad]

What options along with physio have I for my 8 year old son who has a stiff right ankle resulting from a bad sprain two years ago and is now causing lots of leg movement problems he is very sporty and coordinated but I feel his legs are not developing as they should and am worried I may have left it too late, very concerned!

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[Fyzzio]

Hi,
a bad sprain does not usually result in a stiff ankle.
What does the Physio say? Why is the ankle currently stiff?
Have you considered seeng an orthopaedic or sports medicine consultant specialst?

Good luck,
Fyzzio

[Nordic Athletics]

Hey,

Sorry to hear about the problems your son is experiencing. When you say it was a bad sprain I'm assuming it was on the lateral (outer) part of the ankle? Was there a rupture or just a sprain? Any imaging done?

How is he experiencing the stiff ankle? Hard to squat or point his toes (flexion/extension in the ankle)? What type of rehab has he been through?

In general, when it comes to rehab in youth after a fracture, sprain and so on, I always want to make sure we have great mobility before focusing on strength. This is to ensure that we don't have any restricted mobility and a "contract" joint in the future.

There is some "easy" work that can be done in order to stretch the soft tissues of the ankle, but first it would be beneficial to know some more about the injury.

Take care!

/Eric
Sjukgymnastik, personlig träning, massage & akupunktur i Karlskoga

[Boysdad]

Hi Eric

yes it was a bad outer ligament tear, with little stretching or strengthening befor resuming his sports, he can't bend his knee with his ankle on the ground.
Will see physio next week to look at mobility, we have started nightly one legged balancing, squats and lunges a month ago but doesn't seem to be freeing up.
what is a contract of joint and can it be reversed?

much appreciated.