Anatomical reconstruction of the deltoid ligament and medial migration calcaneal osteotomy for treatment of post-traumatic chronic medial ankle instability / 中华创伤骨科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To evaluate the clinical effects of anatomical reconstruction of the deltoid ligament and medial migration calcaneal osteotomy in the treatment of chronic ankle instability after trauma.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted to analyze of the clinical data of 16 patients with chronic post-traumatic instability of the medial malleolus who had been treated at The Eighth Department of Orthopedics, Foshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from December 2015 to February 2017. There were 14 males and 2 females with an age of (28.1±4.2) years. Seven left sides and 9 right sides were affected; the time from injury to operation was (8.9±2.4) months. Before operation, X-rays (anteroposterior, lateral and Saltzman views) and MRI of weight-bearing ankle were taken. All patients were treated by anatomical reconstruction of the deltoid ligament using the autologous semitendinosus and medial migration osteotomy of the calcaneus. The time for injury healing and occurrence of complications were recorded. The talus tilt angle, Meary angle, hindfoot valgus angle, visual analogue scale (VAS), and the American Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot function score were compared between the preoperation and the last follow-up. The Sefton evaluation for efficacy in ankle ligament reconstruction was used to assess stability of the ankle joint.Results:Of this cohort, 14 patients were followed up for (16.4±4.9) months after operation and 2 patients lost to follow-up. The 14 patients all returned to normal physical activities 3 months after operation. All incisions healed at the first stage with no infection. One patient experienced pain at the site for harvest of the semitendinosus but the symptoms were relieved after rehabilitation treatment like massage and physical therapy. At the last follow-up, the talus tilt angle [1.0 (0.0, 2.0)°], Meary angle (1.4°±4.2°), hindfoot valgus angle (3.2°±2.4°), VAS score [0.5 (0.0, 1.0) points], and AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score [(89.2±6.1) points] were all significantly improved compared with the preoperative values [8.3°±1.8°, 0.8°±3.8°, 9.9°±3.4°, (5.7±2.5) points, and (49.6±9.8) points] (all P<0.05). According to the Sefton evaluation, the stability of the ankle joint was excellent in 9 cases, good in 4 cases, and fair in 1 case. Conclusion:In the treatment of chronic ankle instability after trauma, anatomical reconstruction of the deltoid ligament and medial migration calcaneal osteotomy is safe and effective, resulting in limited complications.