Tenography

Ankle tenography is primarily a therapeutic technique for treating chronic ankle pain, referable to the tendons, that has been unresponsive to more conservative measures.

Procedure Prep:

CDI will contact you 24-48 hours prior to your appointment to review medications you are currently taking, especially pain medications and blood thinners, discuss known allergies and your medical history, as well as answer your questions.
Contact your doctor before you stop taking any medication.
Please bring to CDI previous imaging study results (MRI, CT, x-rays) such as films, reports, or CD-ROMs, if available.
You will need a driver for your appointment. If you are unable to drive or arrange transportation, call us for assistance.
Please notify a member of CDI’s staff if you are nursing or if there is a chance you may be pregnant.

During your procedure:

You will remain awake throughout the procedure.
You will first have you blood pressure, temperature, and pulse taken.
A radiologist will use a thin needle to place anesthetic (numbing medication) and steroid (anti-inflammatory medication) into the ankle sheath around the tendon.
The radiologist checks the needle position using x-ray-guidance (fluoroscopy).
During the injection, you may feel pressure or pain. The radiologist will want to know how this discomfort compares to your usual pain symptoms.

Post procedure:

After the procedure results may vary. Initially, you may experience numbness and/or relief from your symptoms for up to six hours after the injection.
When the anesthetic wears off, your usual symptoms may return. The steroids usually require 2-3 days to provide pain relief.
If there is no change in your pain symptoms after a week, your doctor may want to investigate other possible sources for your pain.

Possible side effects:

There are very few side effects from steroids.
There are a very few people that are allergic to steroids. If you are allergic the procedure will not be done. Allergic reactions may cause redness, swelling, and possible hives.

Questions?
If you have additional questions about your appointment or our services, contact your local CDI center.