Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of anterior talofibular ligament repair in the treatment of lateral ankle stability and the effect of combined tarsal sinus syndrome on results. Methods Between December 2013 and October 2014, 47 cases of lateral ankle instability underwent anatomical repair of anterior talofibular ligament, and the clinical data were retrospectively analyzed. Of 47 cases, 32 had no tarsal sinus syndrome (group A); 15 had tarsal sinus syndrome (group B), arthroscopic debridement of tarsal sinus was performed at the same time. There was no significant difference in gender, age, disease duration, side, American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS), Karlsson score, and Tegner movement function score between 2 groups (P>0.05). Results No early surgical complication of infection occurred, and primary healing of incision was obtained in 2 groups. The patients were followed up 20-31 months (mean, 26.0 months) in group A, and 20-31 months (mean, 24.7 months) in group B. Disappearance of ankle swelling, good joints movement, and recovery of normal walking were observed in all patients. At last follow-up, AOFAS score, Karlsson score, and Tegner movement function score were significantly improved when compared with preoperative ones in 2 groups (P<0.05), but no significant difference was found between 2 groups (P>0.05). No ankle instability recurrence was found during follow-up period. Conclusion The effectiveness of anatomical repair of anterior talofibular ligament in lateral ankle instability is satisfactory for patients with or without tarsal sinus syndrome.
ObjectiveTo compare the effectiveness of all-arthroscopic technique and modified open Broström technique in repair of anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) for lateral instability of the ankle (LIA).MethodsA retrospective analysis was made on 65 patients who underwent ATFL repair with anchors for LIA between January 2014 and January 2017. The ATFL was repaired by all-arthroscopic technique in 35 patients (arthroscopic group) and modified open Broström technique in 30 patients (open group). There was no significant difference in age, gender, the side of injured ankle, the time from injury to operation, and preoperative anterior displacement of talus, tilt angle of talus, the Karlsson Ankle Functional (KAF) score, American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score, and Japanese Society for Surgery of the foot ankle-hindfoot (JSSF) scale score between the two groups (P>0.05). The operation time, the intraoperative bleeding volume, and the length of time for surgery recovery were recorded. The anterior displacement of talus, the tilt angle of talus, KAF score, AOFAS score, and JSSF scale score were evaluated at 2 weeks, 3 months, and the last follow-up.ResultsAll patients were followed up 24-30 months, with an average of 26 months. The operation time, intraoperative bleeding volume, and the length of time for surgery recovery of arthroscopic group were superior to open group (P<0.05). There were 2 cases of temporary ankle and dorsum numbness and 1 case of thread reaction in arthroscopic group; and there were 2 cases of temporary ankle and dorsum numbness and 2 cases of thread reaction in open group. The AOFAS score, KAF score, and JSSF scale score in arthroscopic group were significantly higher than those in open group (P<0.05) at 2 weeks after operation; there was no significant difference between the two groups at 3 months and the last follow-up (P>0.05). There was no significant difference in the anterior displacement of talus and the tilt angle of talus between the two groups at 2 weeks, 3 months, and last follow-up (P>0.05).ConclusionCompared with the modified open Broström technique, the all-arthroscopic technique, as a minimally invasive technique, can achieve the same effectiveness, and has the advantages of shorter operation time, less intraoperative bleeding, and less pain in the early stage.