Pure Ankle Dislocation Treated With Casting and Early Range of Motions and Rehabilitation

Ankle dislocations are a group of injuries requiring immediate orthopedic interventions to avoid subsequent neurovascular complications and impairments. In most cases, they are associated with a malleolar fracture in the ankle. However, in the sporadic cases, especially the ones due to high-energy traumas, ankle dislocations are not associated with malleolar fractures and are referred to as "pure ankle dislocations".

Here, we report a rare case of pure ankle dislocation in a 38-year-old female athlete with no previously established predisposing risk factors. The patient was referred to our emergency department following a catastrophic fall down during exercise, resulting in severe ankle pain and deformity. The patient was treated with urgent reduction of the displacement and 6 weeks of immobilization by casting followed by intensive physiotherapy.

At the end of the 3-month follow-up, no symptoms of instability were observed, and the patient could walk normally; at the 6-month follow-up, the patient could perform her sport activates similar to the initial level.