Chronic lateral instability of the ankle joint : natural course, pathophysiology and steroradiographic evaluation of conservative and surgical treatment

Sammanfattning: Chronic lateral instability of the ankle (CLI), defined as frequent sprains and recurrent giving way, difficulty in walking and running on uneven surface, is often connected with pain and swollen ankles. It occurs in 10 to 20 percent after acute ankle injuries. Mechanical instability of the talocrural and subtalar joint, peroneal weakness and impaired proprioception has been suggested as etiological factors.Aim.To investigate the natural course in conservatively treated patients with CLI.To assess the mechanical stability in patients with CLI by measuring the three dimensional motions in the talus, the fibula and the calcaneus in relation to the tibia during different testing procedures pre- and postoperatively.To determine if CLI is associated with proprioceptive deficiency.Patients and Methods.This Thesis includes 127 ankles in 78 patients (30 women, 48 men) with CLI.Thirty-seven patients were followed up 20 years after their first contact with the orthopaedic department because of CLI. Forty-six ankles were evaluated radiographically and the result was compared with a gender- and age - matched control-material.The neuromuscular response to a sudden angular displacement of the ankles was studied in 15 ankles in 13 patients using EMG.Thirty-six patients entered a prospective study using roentgen stereophotogrammetric analysis (RSA) in which the ankles were tested at manual adduction, adduction with predetermined torque, with and without external support and at drawer tests (40 N and 160N). Twenty-seven patients were followed five years postoperatively.Result.After 20 years 22 patients, conservatively treated still suffered from instability of the ankle and ten had recurrent giving way symptoms even on plane surface. Six ankles in the patient group and four in the control group displayed osteoarthritic changesProlonged ipsilateral reaction time (m. per. long, and m. tib. ant.) was found in patients with CLI indicating proprioceptive insufficiency.Increased talar adduction and a tendency toward increased total translation of the talar center was found in ankles with CLI. Concomitant fibular rotations and translations were found but with no conclusive deviation in the ankles with symptoms. The talo-calcaneal adduction reached the same level in the patient and control groups regardless of symptoms. External support (ankle brace) increased the talar stability. The use of predetermined torque and constrained testing procedure did not add information compared with the manual testTwenty-five patients graded the result as excellent or good five years after lateral ligament reconstruction. Talar stability (decreased adduction and translation) was increased two years postoperatively and was improved or remained the same at five years without comprising the range of motion.Conclusion.In more than half the cases symptoms of CLI did not resolve spontaneously. Minor degenerative changes was found after twenty years, but not to a greater extent than in a control group. CLI was associated with proprioceptive insufficiency and talocrural but not subtalar instability. Increased ankle stability can be obtained by the use of an ankle brace and by an anatomical ligament reconstruction.