The cankle connects the calf muscle to the ankle joint in the lower leg. The fat in the enlarged ankle joint fuses with the calf muscle, creating the illusion that the limb lacks an ankle joint.
The word “cankle” refers to the swollen ankle joint that blends into the calf muscle without a distinction. The ankle is a human body joint that links the foot to the leg.
Cankles: What Causes Them?
The following are some of the conditions that might induce cankles:
- Lipedema: This is a long-term or chronic condition that causes fat accumulation in various regions of the body such as the arms, legs, feet, hips, and so on. It is mainly caused by a hormonal imbalance in women. Lipedema is classified into five types:
- Type I – Fat deposits around the hips and buttocks.
- Type II – Fat deposits between the hips and the knees.
- Type III – Fat deposits between the hips and the ankle.
- Type IV – Fat deposits between the hips and the ankle and around the arms, which is the most prevalent.
- Type V – Fat deposits only in the calf area, which is uncommon.
- Lymphedema: Lymphedema, also known as lymphatic dysfunction, is a persistent swelling (edema) in various regions of the body. Legs and feet are the most often swollen parts.
- Medical Diseases: Cankles may be caused by other medical conditions such as renal or liver illness.
- Pregnancy: Ankle and foot edema may occur during the third trimester.
- Genetics: Fat deposition may be linked to inheritance from parents in some cases. Some women are predisposed to fat, which can be inherited – genetic cankles.
- Natural Appearance: Some people may have naturally large ankles from birth.
How Do You Tell If You Have Cankles?
The calf muscle has a long, tapering form that connects to the ankle joint. Cankles cause swelling ankles with a cylindrical form and no taper, and the demarcation or junction where the calf muscle and ankle joint meet may be difficult to see. It might be difficult to distinguish between the calf muscle and the ankle joint.
How To Remove Cankles?
Cankle removal is challenging, however, there are a few steps that may help:
- Weight Loss: If the patient is obese (fat), it is critical that he or she loses weight. Because cankles are caused by fat deposition, decreasing weight may assist to eliminate fat from the body and therefore lessen cankles.
- Diet: Eating a nutritious diet may assist to decrease fat and hence cankles. Cankles are sometimes caused by nutrition; for example, a high salt diet causes the body to retain more water, especially the ankle region. As a result, it is important to limit your consumption of salt, processed meals, and so on.
- Activities: Calf-slimming workouts can help to reduce fat deposits and restructure or slim the calf muscle. Calf lifts on the stairs, weighted calf raises, sprinting, and other common routines
- Liposuction: A medical and/or cosmetic surgical technique that removes excess fat from the body and improves body form or contour. It is now the most often performed procedure.
- Laser-Assisted Lipolysis: This is a newer procedure used in conjunction with liposuction that uses a laser to melt the underlying fats in tiny amounts. It also causes skin tightening following fat removal.
- Tumescent Liposuction: This is a fat removal method done under a local anesthetic known as tumescent anesthesia. This is the gold standard for liposuction procedures.
Cankle Surgery: What Are The Risks And Complications?
Liposuction is the most often done and safe fat removal procedure; however, it also has a 5% small risk and complication rate. These risks include:
- Postoperative edema that can linger for up to six months.
- A lengthy healing period.
- Excessive blood loss
- Ecchymoses are skin discolorations caused by bleeding beneath the skin.
- Discomfort following surgery.
- Injury to deeper structures such as blood arteries, organs, and so on.
- Bruising.
- Surgical site infection.
- Scar development
Cankles are formed by an unnatural merging of the calf muscle and the ankle joint of the leg, which can occur as a result of swelling or fat deposits. These are difficult to eradicate, but a healthy diet, exercise, and a few easy and safe surgical procedures may help to reduce or remove the fat and re-contour the shape.
