Do I need surgery for a lateral ligament injury?

In the majority of cases your initial treatment is non-operative. This involves a period of time in a CAM boot or shoe-wear with ankle support designed to prevent further injury. After a short period of rest, pain-killers and elevation, physiotherapy and rehab are useful to strengthen the structures around your ankle to prevent further injuries. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon to have ongoing issues and if so we can discuss further options and strategies with you. We stabilise your ankle by repairing the ligaments whilst also adding further reinforcement if necessary. If you have potential problems with the ankle joint we use a camera that is inserted into your ankle arthroscopically (via a very small hole) to assess and address the problems in your ankle. If your ankle is stable after rehabilitation then you may be fine doing everyday activities. However, if you continue to roll your ankle there is a risk of doing further damage to the cartilage and ligaments around your ankle. This can lead to chronic problems like ankle arthritis.