What is the problem of ankle sprain and joint instability? Ankle sprain is commonly known as “broken foot”, acute sprain is the most common orthopedic emergency, if the acute injury of the ankle joint is not properly treated, it will develop into chronic ankle instability, walking will appear “wobbling”, pain and so on. What are the symptoms of ankle sprain and joint instability? Acute sprains are mostly caused by stepping down from stairs, falling from heights, sports sprains, etc. The injured ankle joint is swollen, painful, and in severe cases, bruised, and can’t walk with weight bearing at all. Chronic joint instability mainly causes osteoarthritis of the ankle joint, chronic pain, ankle joint discomfort when starting and stopping, and in severe cases, abnormal walking gait and foot deformity. How to treat ankle sprain and joint instability? 1.Conservative treatment After acute sprain, rest, ice, cold compression and elevation of the affected limb should be done quickly, and then it is recommended to go to the nearest hospital. Conservative treatment should be given protective braking, such as bandages, splints or braces to fix, limit joint activity to reduce pain and swelling. Then gradually carry out weight-bearing exercises, and gradually resume walking. 2.Surgery Patients who fail conservative treatment should have surgery. There are many kinds of surgery, according to different conditions, they are divided into: ankle arthroscopy to clean up the ankle joint and repair the damaged cartilage and ligaments; direct repair of the lateral ligaments for stabilization surgery; and tendon grafting to replace dysfunctional tendons and other methods. How long does it take to recover from an ankle sprain? Rehabilitation time with conservative treatment: Full return to activity for mild sprains is usually 2-3 weeks, 4-6 weeks if there is an avulsion fracture. Post-surgical rehabilitation: 3 weeks for severe sprains, the day after ankle arthroscopy can be the next day of ankle pump functional exercises, 3 weeks gradually weight-bearing activities, reconstructive surgery postoperative rehabilitation takes 4-6 weeks.