The aim of this prospective non- randomized controlled study was to explore the effect of tourniquet use on joint swelling, pain, functional outcome, and tourniquet- related ischemia- reperfusion injury (IRI) during ankle arthroscopic surgery.52 patients who received ankle arthroscopy were allocated to had the procedure done with the tourniquet inflated (the Control group, n= 27) or without the tourniquet inflated (the NT group, n= 25). The main outcome measures were: (1) The amount of swelling of the ankle; (2) Pain as measured by a visual analog scale (VAS); (3) The levels of MDA, IMA,TOS, TAS and OSI at 10 min before incision (T1),after the completion of surgery (T2), and 30 min after tourniquet deflation (T3); (4) The functional outcome as measured by American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle hindfoot score; (5) The rate of complication. All patients were reviewed at a mean follow- up of 14.2 months (range, 12- 19 months). The mean circumferences of the ankle in the NT group were significantly lower than those in the Control group on postoperative day 2 and 5 (p<0.05). The mean level of VAS in the Control group was significantly higher on postoperative day 2 (p<0.05). The outcomes of AOFAS ankle hindfoot score were comparable between groups postoperatively (p>0.05). The levels of MDA, IMA, TOS and OSI were all significantly lower in the NT group compared at T2 and T3 (p<0.05), and the level of TAS was significantly lower in the NT group at T3 (p<0.05). The complication rates of two groups were comparable (p>0.05).With the use of tourniquet during ankle arthroscopic surgery, there was increased joint swelling and pain postoperatively, and a trend toward increased levels of MDA, IMA, TOS, TAS and OSI intraoperatively. Thus, we do not recommend using a tourniquet in this type of procedure.