Why does my ankle crack all the time?

Surgery after ankle sprain?

• I sprained my ankle 2 years ago. My injury was classed as a stage 2 ligament tear and I had to wear a splint and use crutches for 2 weeks as my ankle turned inward rather than outward as with most sprains. I had a course of physiotherapy but my ankle did not heal properly even though I had regular visits to my gp in the uk. My symptoms include pain, swelling, numbness and stiffness - like my ankle needs to crack. Usually I treat this with ice and rest, I also encourage the ankle to crack and pop by rotating it. Recently it's been making a loud snapping sound rather than a crack, and even walking short distances has become difficult. I'm thinking of going private, requesting an MRI and having surgery if needed. Has anyone done this? What are the success rates? My gp is a waste of time and simply always refers me for physio, which only works for a few weeks and it returns.

• Answer:

  you should get x-ray's. No surgery untill you know.