THE ROLE OF PHYSIOTHERAPY IN THE TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH DIFFERENT DEGREES OF ANKLE LIGAMENT TRAUMA

Introduction: The ankle joint is primarily a hinge joint that allows the foot to bend downwards and upwards, formed by three bones: the tibia (shin bone), fibula (shin bone) and talus (ankle bone). The ankle joint is provided with strength by ligaments, muscles and their tendons. Most ankle ligament injuries occur during sports activities or while walking on an uneven surface that forces the foot and ankle into an unnatural position. The degree of ligament injury depends on the action of force, pressure, fiber composition and torsion. Common clinical symptoms for all ankle injuries are swelling, pain to the touch, possible bruising, local hyperthermia (increased temperature), difficulty walking, limited and painful movements in the joint itself. Objective: The objective of the research is to examine the role of physiotherapy in the treatment of patients with different degrees of trauma to the ankle ligaments. Subjects and methods: Subjects of both genders and all age groups were included in the research in the period from January 2022 to October 2022 with different degrees of ankle ligament injury, which implies different traumatological treatment. After the primary treatment, the subjects were referred for physiotherapy in the physical therapy department at the RMC Safet Mujic Cantonal Hospital and at the Stari Grad Health Center. Results: According to the degree of mobility of the ankle joint of subjects treated conservatively, after physiotherapy treatment we can see that in a total sample of 77 subjects, 76 subjects or 98.70% were without contracture, and 1 or 1.30% had a pronounced contracture. Conclusion: Physiotherapy proved to be effective in reducing pain and improving the mobility of the ankle joint in patients with different degrees of ligament injury, confirming the success of conservative treatment.