Lateral Instability of the Ankle Joint

Abstract

Acute lateral ankle ligament ruptures are successfully treated nonoperatively with physiotherapy, peroneal strengthening, and coordination training. About 10-20% of patients may develop functional instability despite adequate nonoperative treatment. Chronic functional instability is not always a severe disability, but reconstruction of the lateral ankle ligaments may be necessary for patients with high demands on ankle stability. More than 50 different surgical procedures for the treatment of chronic lateral ankle joint instability have been described. Most of these are tenodeses where one of the peroneus tendons is used, such as Evans, Watson-Jones, and Chrisman-Snook reconstructions. Good short-term results have been reported, but the long-term results after the Evans and Watson-Jones reconstructions are worse than anticipated. Anatomic ligament reconstruction with shortening, reinsertion, and imbrication of the elongated ligaments, a simple procedure with good long-term results, might be a better alternative than other more complex ligament reconstructions.