Chronic lateral ankle instability can cause debilitating ankle pain and dysfunction in athletes and active individuals. In the untreated patient, chronic lateral ankle instability can potentially lead to late sequelae, such as ankle arthritis and deformity.
For patients who have failed initial attempts at nonoperative treatment, i.e., physical therapy, bracing, etc., surgical management with an open modified Broström reconstruction is a well-accepted technique with good to excellent outcomes. However, recurrent instability is reported after acute re-injury and chronic attritional wear of the repaired anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) at rates as high as 16% in one long-term outcome study by Maffulli and colleagues. In addition, traditional rehabilitation after open modified Broström reconstruction is lengthy, which for competitive athletes, laborers or active individuals, can be costly with regard to time away from sport, work or a demanding lifestyle.
Source: Healio
