Post-arthroscopic rehabilitation of soccer ankle (ankle osteoarthritis or chronic synovitis of the ankle joint) Scope of application: This rehabilitation procedure is applicable to patients undergoing arthroscopic surgery for soccer ankle (ankle osteoarthritis or chronic synovitis of the ankle joint), with the main surgical components including synovial cleaning, cartilage focal cleaning and microscopic resection of the anterior tibial margin bone. 1. On the postoperative day: the patient should rest mainly in bed, while elevating the patient (under the surgical knee and under the calf with pillows), and the affected toe should do dorsiflexion and plantar flexion activities from time to time. Remember to move only the toes and not the dorsiflexion and plantar flexion of the operated ankle. 2. The first day after surgery: start to move to the ground, still encourage the patient to do dorsiflexion and plantarflexion of the toe. Patients begin to walk on the ground with the aid of crutches, however, only toe pointing is recommended on the operated side of the foot, but not full weight bearing. The time spent walking on the ground should be controlled, and it is generally recommended to walk on the ground 3-4 times a day for 5 minutes each time. 3. From the second to the sixth postoperative day, in addition to the activities of the second postoperative day, the contraction and relaxation of the quadriceps muscles should be strengthened daily, and the straight leg raising exercises and the slow dorsiflexion exercises of the ankle joint with the 90° position as the 0° position from 0° to 5° and the slow plantar flexion exercises from 0° to 5° should be performed. The reciprocal movement from plantarflexion 5° to dorsiflexion 5° is one ankle flexion and extension activity, 50 times in a row each time, 3 times a day, 150 times in total. 4. One week to two weeks after surgery: the same contraction and relaxation exercises for the quadriceps muscle as before, but the range of motion for dorsiflexion and plantarflexion of the ankle joint is also the same as “the second day to the sixth day after surgery”, but the weight-bearing of the foot on the operated side can reach 30% of normal. 5. Three to four weeks after surgery: Based on the one to two weeks after surgery, the range of dorsiflexion and plantarflexion of the ankle joint was increased from 5° of dorsiflexion to 5° of plantarflexion to 10° of dorsiflexion to 10° of plantarflexion. The weight-bearing of the foot on the operated side can reach 50% of normal. 6. Five to six weeks after surgery: the range of ankle dorsiflexion and plantarflexion increases to 20° dorsiflexion to 20° plantarflexion. And the patient can try full weight-bearing. The walking distance of full weight-bearing is adjusted according to the response of different patients after walking, and the walking distance is different for each patient. 7. Two months after surgery: In addition to full weight-bearing, the ankle joint also starts to move within the completely normal range. There are three ways to practice ankle dorsiflexion and plantarflexion: ① Patients themselves can do ankle dorsiflexion and plantarflexion by pulling with both hands; ② Patients can be helped by doctors or family members to do passive dorsiflexion or plantarflexion exercises; ③ Patients can practice ankle dorsiflexion by squatting and plantarflexion by kneeling on the bed. 8. Three months after surgery: Gradually resume the normal functional activities of the ankle joint or walking, however, individual patients may experience swelling of the ankle and the back of the foot when they move a lot in the short term after surgery, but it will disappear after rest. 9. Six months after surgery: Generally, the condition of the ankle joint can basically return to normal after six months after surgery. At this time, the swelling of the ankle joint or the swelling of the back of the foot after activity will also slowly disappear.