Ankle osteoarthritis affects 1% of the population and, unlike gonarthrosis or coxarthrosis, is secondary to previous trauma in more than 75% of cases. Another peculiarity of this disease is that it affects a younger and active population, with socio-occupational implications. Mechanical factors, such as incongruity, instability, malalignment, and impacts, which increase stress on isolated areas of the ankle cartilage, have been clearly associated with the development of osteoarthritis. However, we cannot ignore the importance of pro-inflammatory mediators present from the moment of fracture as triggers of the cascade that eventually causes chondrocyte cell death, ultimately responsible for ankle osteoarthritis.
Keywords: ankle cartilage; ankle fractures; ankle osteoarthritis; etiology.