Arthroscopic surgery of the ankle.

Ankle arthroscopy is a useful technique, especially for intra-articular problems and osteocartilagenous lesions. Indications for this diagnostic and therapeutic technique include: ankle sprain unresponsive to the usual course of treatment, complaints of intermittent locking, pain and clicking, limitation of motion, and painful conditions with no obvious etiology (especially in a worker's compensation beneficiary). A review of arthroscopic, radiographic, and clinical data of all patients undergoing ankle arthroscopy at our center provided the following diagnoses: talar dome osteochondral fractures, loose bodies, accessory ossicles, talar dome cyst with loose bodies, and chronic synovitis. The anatomy of ankle arthroscopy is demanding; while the technique incorporates the same instrumentation as is used for knee arthroscopy, awareness of the neurovascular structures is essential to avoid complications. Although infrequent, complications can include sinus tract formation, sensory nerve damage, synovitis, infection, instrument breakage, and calf compartment syndromes due to extravasation of irrigation fluid.