The causes of ankle disorders vary, and can include running, jumping, and overuse. Other common causes of ankle sprains and fractures include:

• twisting or rotating the ankle beyond the normal range of motion
• tripping or falling
• landing on the foot with increased force

Other injuries that can lead to tendonitis in the ankle or Achilles tendonitiscan be caused by:

• lack of conditioning for the muscles in the leg and foot
• excess strain on the Achilles tendon, the tendon that connects your calf muscles to your heel
• bone spurs in the heel that rub on the Achilles tendon
• untreated flat feet leading to additional stress on the posterior tibialis tendon

Different types of arthritis (inflammation of joints and tissues) can also affect the foot and ankle:

• Osteoarthritis is a degenerative type of arthritis that typically begins in middle age and slowly progresses. Over time, cartilage between your bones becomes worn down. This results in pain and stiffness in your joints.
• Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune inflammatory disease. It occurs when your body mistakenly attacks its own healthy tissues. RA affects your joints and also destroys cartilage.
• Post-traumatic arthritis occurs after an injury to your foot or ankle. Stress from the injury can cause your joints to become stiff or inflamed, even years after the injury occurred.

• pain
• swelling
• stiffness
• problems moving the ankle
• inability to put any weight on the ankle
• difficulty walking
• bruising

Tendonitis and Achilles tendonitis may produce similar symptoms, but can be accompanied by:

• pain along the back of the heel that gets worse throughout the day
• thickening of the tendon
• swelling that gets worse with physical activity
• loud popping sounds at the back of the heel, signaling a ruptured tendon. If this occurs, seek emergency medical attention.

Treatments:

Treatment will depend on your condition and your symptoms. Treatments can include nonsurgical and surgical options. Nonsurgical options involve:

• taking pain medications
• taking medications to reduce swelling and inflammation, like aspirin or ibuprofen
• resting and elevating your ankle
• applying ice packs to reduce swelling
• wearing compression bandages or casts to immobilize your ankle
• getting cortisone (steroid) injections to reduce pain and swelling

Severe fractures or ruptured tendons may require surgical treatment. Surgical procedures used to treat ankle disorders include:

• reconstruction to rebuild bones, joints, tendons, and ligaments in your ankle
• removal of damaged tissue (debridement)
• lengthening the calf muscles to reduce pressure on your Achilles tendon
• fusion of the bones in your ankle to make it more stable (arthrodesis)
• replacement of your ankle joint (arthroplasty).