Ankle injury (sinus tarsi syndrome): symptoms and treatment

As the lowest part of the body, the feet are composed of various types of bones and joints that are strong to withstand the constant pressure of your body weight. That's why if you have an injury in your foot, especially in the ankle area, it can be difficult to walk even if you stand up. One of the most common types of ankle injuries is caused by a sinus tarsi injury.

What is a sinus tarsi injury?

Tarsi sinus injury, aka tarsi sinus syndrome, is an injury or trauma that occurs on the outside of the ankle. The sinus tarsi itself is a cavity around the ankle that is formed from several joints to connect the talus and calcaneus bones. Sinus tarsi syndrome can also occur when there is an injury or tear to one or more of the ligaments in the sinus tarsi.

What are the causes of sinus tarsi ankle injury?

The main cause of sinus tarsi syndrome is ankle injury or trauma that hits one or more ligaments in the sinus tarsi. For example, sprains, sprains, or falls while exercising or doing activities.

A ligament torn as a result of a severe sprain can cause inflammation and rupture of the synovial fluid sacs from the joint which acts as a lubricant for the joints and tendons.

Causes other than trauma such as a flat foot or incorrect walking can also cause repetitive stress. The talus and calcaneus bones of the leg that are too stressed together can result in damage and inflammation of the joints in the sinus area.

Signs and symptoms of sinus tarsi syndrome

If the injury affects the sinus tarsi area, the main symptom is pain, discomfort, and / or imbalance when standing. The pain that is a sign of sinus tarsi usually occurs shortly after an injury or after the leg has been bearing weight for too long.

The typical ankle injury in sinus syndrome is characterized by pain that develops on the outside of the ankle, whether it is moving or just lifting the foot. As a result, a person can feel unstable when he puts weight on the hind legs.

The breakdown of the sinus tarsi occurs slowly and the pain can become more serious when an already damaged joint of the leg prevents a person from walking normally or takes steps that are too wide. Movement that is not appropriate will again add to the area of ​​damage to the joint that is injured.

Pain similar to sinus tarsi syndrome can also be caused by sprains, arthritis, tendonitis and fractures around the legs. However, intense pain that is concentrated in the ankle area and causes imbalance when walking or standing is a major sign of sinus tarsi syndrome.

What can be done to treat an ankle injury?

The diagnosis of sinus tarsi syndrome is accompanied by other tests to rule out other leg problems. Such as doing CT-scans to rule out the possibility of fractures, and MRI to check the condition of the ligaments / tissues around the sinus tarsi that allow inflammation.

Tarsi sinus injuries can interfere with your daily activities, but the first treatment of these injuries is usually quite easy because they involve:

1. Protect the foot area the sprained to prevent further injury by using a brace. Or in the case of a sprained or sprained ankle, wear shoes that elevate and support your foot.
2. Get plenty of rest for the injured leg. Do not place heavy weights on the sprained area for 48 hours, avoid standing too long, walking too fast or other activities that can put too much pressure on the ankle.
3. Use comfortable footwear to absorb pressure or impact vibrations around the heel. Pain can be reduced when vibrations are reduced by using thick, stiff footwear and curved shoe contours to reduce pressure.
4. Take pain relievers such asibuprofen or paracetamol to relieve pain and inflammation.
5. Injection corticosteroids to relieve pain in the affected area, but only done under the supervision of a doctor

If the above treatment efforts fail, then the next step is surgery to reconstruct the bone arrangement in the leg. However, surgical steps may only be needed when the leg bone structure is out of order.