Anterior meniscoid of the ankle

Findings

A persistent pain after an ankle injury, which is worse on active and passive dorsiflexion of the talar joint. There is tenderness to local palpation at the anterior, superior lateral, or superior medial corners of the talus.

Cause

This is a name given to a mesh of vessels and connective tissue that lies over the front of talar joint, and is contiguous with the synovium of the talar joint. It becomes hypertrophied and inflamed after injury of chronic impingement.

Navicular stress fractures can appear tender to palpation over the talus and therefore can be misdiagnosed.

Treatment

Injection of cortisone into the meniscoid and, if this fails, surgical debridement.

Sports

May be undertaken, as there is no long-term damage, but plantar and dorsiflexion of the ankle will flare the lesion. NSAIDs may help.

One to two cortisone injections and correction of foot biomechanics should be sufficient to help the athlete.

"Concise guide to sports injuries, 2^nd edition",Churchill Livingstone, Malcolm T.F. Read,  foreword by Bryan English