Medial Ankle Impingement Syndrome in Female Gymnasts

In the current study we reviewed patients diagnosed with medial ankle impingement syndrome and identified those involved in competitive gymnastics presenting to our referral orthopedic foot and ankle center. We hypothesized that competitive gymnastics would be a relatively common characteristic of those patients presenting with this pathologic process. Chart review was used in this retrospective case series. Our review involved 789 patients presenting to our center with a chief complaint of medial-sided ankle pain, diagnosed with medial ankle impingement syndrome between January 2001 and December 2007. A total of 115 patients met our initial age-based inclusion criteria. Twenty-two patients (19%) presenting with a diagnosis of medial ankle impingement syndrome were identified as being actively involved in competitive gymnastics. The average age of this subset of patients at presentation was 19 years. All patients were treated with an open ankle arthrotomy and tenosynovectomy. Inspection of the ankle joint revealed evidence of 19 patients (86%) with concomitant ankle lesions. The predilection of symptomatic medial ankle impingement in defined athletic populations has not been previously published. Our series suggests a relatively common occurrence of medial ankle impingement syndrome, with concomitant ankle pathology, in competitive gymnasts. After surgical intervention, a return to competitive gymnastics may be expected.

Keywords: ankle, gymnastics, pain, gymnasts, female, impingement