Reconstruction of the lateral ankle ligaments with bone-patellar tendon graft in patients with chronic ankle instability. A preliminary report

Background: Unsatisfactory long-term results have been reported after use of a Broström repair for patients with chronic ankle ligament insufficiency. Hypothesis: Repair or reconstruction of both the anterior talofibular and calcaneofibular ligaments is essential for normal kinematics of the ankle-hindfoot. Study Design: Case series. Methods: Thirteen patients with chronic instability of the ankle were found at operation to have injuries of both the anterior talofibular and calcaneofibular ligaments, with a lack of healthy ligament margins suitable for suturing. Reconstruction of the ligaments was performed with bone-patellar tendon graft. The score devised by Good et al. was used to assess the patients' clinical condition before the operation and at final follow-up. Results: Before the operation, six patients had a grade 3 clinical condition and seven had a grade 4 condition. At a mean follow-up of 26.5 months, all patients had a grade 1 condition. The average talar tilt of the patients was improved from 18.4° ± 5.5° to 4.9° ± 2.6°, and the average anterior drawer sign was improved from 9.1 ± 2.6 mm to 5.8 ± 1.6 mm. Conclusion: In cases of combined injuries, short-term results of reconstruction of the anterior talofibular and calcaneofibular ligaments using bone-split patellar tendon graft were good, with a low frequency of complications.