This animation may only be used in support of a single legal proceeding and for no other purpose. Read our License Agreement for details. To license this image for other purposes, click here.
MEDICAL ANIMATION TRANSCRIPT: An ankle scope procedure, also known as ankle arthroscopy, can be used to treat conditions that cause pain or decreased flexibility of the ankle joint. The ankle is the joint that connects the leg and the foot. The ankle joint includes the two lower leg bones, called the tibia and the fibula, and the ankle bone, called the talus. Together, the ends of the tibia and fibula create a mortise, or slot, for the talus. Tissues called ligaments and tendons support the ankle bones. Ligaments attach bones to bones. And tendons attach muscles to bones. The ankle joint allows the foot to move up and down. Articular cartilage on the ends of bones is a smooth gliding covering that allows fluid joint movement. A variety of conditions can cause pain or decreased flexibility of the ankle joint. Abnormal bone growths called bone spurs may have formed, impinging on the ankle joint as it moves. Ligaments may be damaged either from overuse or from ankle injuries such as sprains. Old ankle injuries may stretch the ligaments, allowing abnormal movement of the ankle joint. This can lead to more rapid degenerative changes in the joint. Cartilage may be damaged or worn thin due to prior ankle injury or osteoarthritis. Small pieces of cartilage may have detached from the underlying bone and may be floating in the joint. The joint space may be infected, usually from bacteria. To treat these and other conditions, a surgeon may perform an ankle scope. The surgeon will begin by making several tiny incisions or portals in the ankle. A small tube called a cannula will be placed into one of the incisions. A scope will be passed through the cannula to allow the surgeon to see inside the joint area. The scope contains a tiny camera that will project the image of the ankle joint onto a TV monitor for the surgeon to watch. A sterile saline solution will be pumped through the scope cannula to expand the area so the surgeon can see better and have more area in which to work. The surgeon will insert surgical instruments through the other incision to do one or more of the following treatments. A bone spur will be removed or burred down. Excess tissue will be removed from a thick scarred ligament. Loose pieces of cartilage floating in the joint will be removed. Infection in the ankle joint will be cleaned out by washing the joint with fluid. If a person has damaged cartilage or bone from arthritis, ankle fusion will be performed. During an ankle fusion, damaged cartilage and bone will be removed. The bones will be attached to each other with screws. This will lock the ankle joint in one position, while other joints in the foot will continue to allow limited movement. Once the treatment is finished, the sterile saline will be drained out of the joint. The instruments will be removed and the incisions will be closed with stitches.
"For modern audiences, it is absolutely essential to use medical
demonstrative evidence to convey the severity and extent of physical
injuries to a jury. Your company's high quality illustrations of our
client's discectomy surgery, combined with strong expert testimony, allowed
the jury to fully appreciate the significance of our client's injuries.
We are very pleased with a verdict exceeding $297,000.00, far in excess of
the $20,000.00 initially offered by the defendant. The medical demonstrative
evidence provided by Medical Legal Art was an asset we could not have
afforded to have been without."
Todd J. Kenyon
Attorney at Law
Minneapolis, MN
"Our practice involves medical negligence cases exclusively. We have six
attorneys and one physician on staff. We have used Medical Legal Art's
staff for every one of our cases over the past 12 years and have found their
services to be extraordinary. The transformation of medical records into
powerful graphic images has without fail been handled expertly,
expeditiously and effectively translating into superb results for our
clients, both in the courtroom and in settlement. Every case can benefit
from their excellent work and we unqualifiedly recommend their services.
They are the best!"
Chris Otorowski
Morrow and Otorowski
Bainbridge Island, Washington
www.medilaw.com
"[I] have come to rely upon the Doe Report and your great staff of
illustrators for all my medical malpractice cases. … Please know
that I enthusiastically recommend you to all my colleagues.
Frank Rothermel
Bernhardt & Rothermel
"Whether it's demonstrating a rotator cuff tear, neck movement a few
milliseconds after rear impact, or a proposed lumbar fusion, the Doe Report
represents an instant on-line database of medical illustration for
health-care and legal professionals.
Illustrations can be purchased 'as is' or modified within hours and sent
either electronically or mounted on posterboard. An illustration is worth a
thousand words, as juries perk up and look intently to capture concepts
that are otherwise too abstract. Start with good illustrations, a clear and
direct voice, a view of the jury as 12 medical students on day one of
training, and your expert testimony becomes a pleasure, even on cross
examination. An experienced trial lawyer should also emphasize these
illustrations at the end of trial, as a means of visually reinforcing key
concepts covered.
As a treating physician, I also use these accurate illustrations to educate
my own patients about their medical conditions. The Doe Report is an
invaluable resource, and its authors at MLA have always been a pleasure to
work with."
Richard E. Seroussi M.D., M.Sc.
Diplomate, American Boards of Electrodiagnostic Medicine and PM&R
Seattle Spine & Rehabilitation Medicine
www.seattlespine.info
Medical Legal Art creates medical demonstrative evidence (medical
illustrations, drawings, pictures, graphics, charts, medical animations,
anatomical models, and interactive presentations) for use during legal
proceedings, including research, demand letters, client conferences,
depositions, arbitrations, mediations, settlement conferences, mock jury
trials and for use in the courtroom. We do not provide legal or medical
advice. If you have legal questions, you should find a lawyer with whom you
can discuss your case issues. If you have medical questions, you should seek the advice of a healthcare provider.