In vitro measurement of intraarticular pressure in the ankle joint.

Ankle joint affections and injuries are common problems in sports traumatology and in the daily routine of arthroscopic surgeons. However, there is little knowledge regarding intraarticular loads. Pressures on the ankle were determined in a dynamic model on 8 cadaver specimens, applying forces to tendons of the foot over the stance phase under vertical loading. A characteristic course of loading in the tibiotalar joint with a rapid increase upon heel contact was observed. It increased gradually to reach a maximum after 70% of the stance phase, during the push-off phase. The major torque in the ankle joint is located anterolaterally. A dynamic loading curve of the ankle joint can be demonstrated. These observations explain phenomena such as the appearance of osteophytes on the anterior tibia in the case of ankle osteoarthritis and the relatively low incidence of posterior tibial edge fragments in the case of trimalleolar ankle fracture. Furthermore, the medial side of the talus is less loaded compared to the lateral side, which appears relevant to the treatment of osteochondrosis dissecans.