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. 2024 Oct 11;14(20):2265.
doi: 10.3390/diagnostics14202265.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings and Potential Anatomic Risk Factors for Anterolateral Ankle Impingement in Children and Adolescents Suffering from Non-Overload Atraumatic Ankle Pain

Wolf Bäumler  1 , Josina Straub  2 , Johannes Weber  2 , Patrick Ostheim  3 , Julia Lenz  2 , Volker Alt  2 , Christian Stroszczynski  1 , Jan Reinhard  4 , Daniel Popp  2
Affiliations

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings and Potential Anatomic Risk Factors for Anterolateral Ankle Impingement in Children and Adolescents Suffering from Non-Overload Atraumatic Ankle Pain

Wolf Bäumler et al. Diagnostics (Basel). .

Abstract

Background/objectives: To assess magnetic resonance image (MRI) findings in children and adolescents with atraumatic non-overload ankle pain and to identify potential anatomic risk factors.

Methods: In total, 310 MRIs of 6- to 20-year-old patients were evaluated regarding detectable ankle pathologies. A total of 147 patients (68 males; 79 females) suffered from atraumatic non-overload ankle pain. The findings were compared to a control group (163 patients: 89 males; 74 females), including patients with ankle trauma in the 4 weeks prior to MRI examination. A t-test for unpaired samples and a binary logistic regression model were used to identify significant differences between both groups and determine potential anatomic risk factors.

Results: In the group with atraumatic ankle pain, 95 patients (64.6%) showed at least one pathology. Anterolateral impingement of the upper ankle joint was found in 29 patients (19.7%). Its occurrence was significantly higher in atraumatic non-overload patients than in the control group (p = 0.043). Moreover, a significant correlation between anterolateral impingement of the upper ankle and the presence of hindfoot valgus malposition (n = 25; 17.0%) could be proven in atraumatic non-overload patients (p = 0.035).

Conclusions: Anterolateral impingement of the upper ankle joint is frequently observed in children and adolescents suffering from atraumatic non-overload ankle pain, whereby a hindfoot valgus malposition seems to present an anatomic risk factor.

Keywords: adolescents; ankle pain; anterolateral impingement; atraumatic; children; hindfoot alignment; hindfoot valgus; magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); non-overload; risk factors.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests (including financial interest or any other conflicts of interest).

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Hindfoot valgus was evaluated by measuring the angle between the tibial shaft axis (A) (a) and a line adapted to the medial and lateral surfaces of the calcaneus (b).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Hindfoot varus was evaluated by measuring the angle between the tibial shaft axis (A) (a) and a line drawn at a tangent from the tip of the sustentaculum tali (S) to the plantar medial surface (P) of the calcaneus (b).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Illustration of the measurement methods of hindfoot valgus (a) and hindfoot varus (b) in a 3-dimensional model.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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