The peroneal tendons are two ropes of connective tissue that connect muscles in the lower leg to bones in the foot. The two peroneal tendons run along the outside of the foot, just under the bony protrusion of the ankle, explains Foot Health Facts. One tendon continues around the outside of the foot and connects to a bone on the underside of the arch of the foot. The other tendon attaches to a bone on the outside edge of the foot about halfway down the length of the foot. Ankle sprains or other forms of trauma may tear the sheaths of connective tissue that hold the peroneal tendons in place. As a result, the peroneal tendons may later slip out of place, which is called a subluxation or dislocation.
Tendon Snapping
A common symptom of a peroneal tendon subluxation is feeling a snapping or popping sensation along the length of the tendon, commonly on the outside edge of the foot underneath the ankle bone, reports eOrthopod. This snapping sensation is the tendon snapping back into place after falling out of its grove. It may be possible to actually see the tendons slipping out of place underneath the skin. This snapping feeling may not occur until the after the initial ankle injury has healed, which can make the reason for the snapping hard to discover. Without treatment, the tendon snapping may worsen into a chronic condition.
Ankle Instability
The peroneal tendons play a critical role in stabilizing and controlling the ankle and foot. During a subluxation, when the peroneal tendons are stretched out of the normal groove, they are not correctly holding the foot and ankle in place. Without these tendons to stabilize the ankle, the ankle joint may feel very wobbly or weak, Foot Health Facts explains.
Ankle Pain
Because the peroneal tendons are rubbing and sliding around where they should not be during a subluxation, a person may feel pain along the length of the tendon. This commonly manifests as pain and tenderness on the bottom edge of the ankle bone and outside of the foot, according to eOrthopod. Swelling in this area or the upper ankle may also result.
