Surgical treatment of lateral ankle instability. Does allograft tendon have a better functional result?

Abstract

Surgical treatment of lateral ankle instability can be performed with or without allograft. We compared these two technical options referring to patients’ functional, radiological and ultrasound data.

Forty patients were surgically treated for lateral pain- ful instability of the ankle. Twenty patients underwent ligamentoplasty using the Broström-Gould technique and twenty underwent a ligamentoplasty by allograft tendon. Patients were matched in age and gender. The assessment was done at 2.5 years postoperatively by functional scores (Olerud & Molander, and Foot & Ankle Outcome), dynamic x-rays (focused on varus and anterior drawer stress tests) and  ultrasound examination (focused on anterior talo-fibular and calcaneo-fibular ligaments).

No significant difference was found between the two techniques for all scores.

Functional scores were more than 75% and the complication rate was low (<10%). Regarding the surgical technique, the tendon allograft could not prove to be more beneficial.