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©The Author(s) 2025. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Orthop. Nov 18, 2025; 16(11): 110093
Published online Nov 18, 2025. doi: 10.5312/wjo.v16.i11.110093
Published online Nov 18, 2025. doi: 10.5312/wjo.v16.i11.110093
Snapping phenomenon around the ankle: An anatomy-based review
Kanyakorn Riewruja, Jirun Apinun, Department of Orthopaedics, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon, Thailand
Thanatat Wattanatanagorn, Princess Srisavangavadhana Faculty of Medicine, Chulabhorn Royal Academy, Bangkok 10210, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon, Thailand
Author contributions: Riewruja K performed the literature search and wrote the manuscript; Wattanatanagorn T performed the literature search and drafted the manuscript; Apinun J supervised the conceptualization, wrote and edited the manuscript; all of the authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript to be published.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare no conflict of interest in publishing the manuscript.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Jirun Apinun, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Orthopaedics, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, 1873 Rama IV Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon, Thailand. jirun.a@chulahospital.org
Received: May 29, 2025
Revised: June 25, 2025
Accepted: September 28, 2025
Published online: November 18, 2025
Processing time: 169 Days and 16.9 Hours
Revised: June 25, 2025
Accepted: September 28, 2025
Published online: November 18, 2025
Processing time: 169 Days and 16.9 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Snapping syndrome is characterized by the abrupt impingement or dislocation of anatomical or pathological structures that interact with adjacent tissues, manifesting as discomfort, pain, or functional limitation. Although this phenomenon has been documented in various joints, it remains relatively underrecognized in the ankle region. This mini-review presents an anatomically oriented approach, categorizing snapping phenomena into four directional groups–lateral, anterior, medial, and posterior. It highlights the importance of accurate clinical diagnosis, the role of imaging modalities, and guidance for appropriate treatment strategies.