ABSTRACT
Objective:To explore the clinical efficacy of reconstructing the calcaneocuboid and calcaneonavicular ligaments with the autologous semitendinosus for chronic bifurcate ligament injury.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 12 patients with chronic bifurcate ligament injury who had been treated by anatomical reconstruction with the autologous semitendinosus from March 2018 to January 2021 at Department of Foot and Ankle Surgery, The Fourth Hospital of Wuhan. There were 4 males and 8 females with an age of (41.4±9.6) years. Seven left and 5 right feet were affected; the time from injury to surgery was (9.3±4.3) months. The surgical efficacy was evaluated based on anteroposterior and lateral imaging assessments of foot weight-bearing at 6 months postoperation, comparison of the visual analogue scale (VAS) pain scores for foot weight-bearing walking and the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) midfoot scores between preoperation and the last follow-up, stress test for stability of the transverse tarsal joint, recovery of movement, and occurrence of complications.Results:All patients were followed up for (18.4±4.0) months. Their sports activities were completely resumed after postoperative (6.8±3.9) months. Primary wound healing was achieved in all patients. One patient suffered from cutaneous nerve lesion and skin numbness, the symptoms of which disappeared after conservative treatment. Double harmonic curves were observed on the anteroposterior and lateral imaging films of foot weight-bearing in all patients. The spaces in the calcaneocuboid and the calcaneonavicular joints were normal, the articular positions were matched, and the calcaneocuboid joint was stable without recurrence or worsening of displacement. The VAS decreased significantly from preoperative 6.5 (5.6, 7.0) to 0.0 (0.0, 1.0) at the last follow-up, and the AOFAS mid-foot score increased significantly from preoperative (55.6±8.8) points to (92.3±2.6) points at the last follow-up ( P<0.05). The stress test for the stability of the transverse tarsal joint showed joint stability. Conclusion:Reconstruction of the calcaneocuboid and calcaneonavicular ligaments using the autologous semitendinosus is an alternative treatment for patients with chronic bifurcate ligament injury, because it can restore the stability of the bifurcate ligament and obviously improve the foot and ankle functions with limited postoperative complications.
ABSTRACT
This cadaveric study investigated the biomechanical characteristics and stabilizing contribution of the bifurcate ligament using a multidirectional loading method and assessed the stabilizing effect of a brace after injury of the ligament. Eight freshly frozen cadaveric feet were tested for forefoot torque in inversion, eversion, adduction, and plantarflexion. Each band of the bifurcate ligament was transected sequentially, and the contribution of each portion of the ligament, as well as the stabilizing effects of the ankle brace, were examined. Stability decreased substantially after calcaneocuboid ligament transection for inversion and adduction loading. Bracing restored some stability, except for the adduction loading direction, for which it had only limited effect. The data indicate that inversion and adduction loading are strongly related to bifurcate ligament injury. The stabilizing effect of the ankle brace may have limited effectiveness for loads under adduction.
Subject(s)
Ankle Joint , Ankle , Biomechanical Phenomena , Cadaver , Humans , Range of Motion, ArticularABSTRACT
Introduction Lateral ankle sprain caused by forcible plantar flexion and inversion of the foot commonly damages the anterior talofibular ligament and other ligaments. Unfortunately, involvement of the bifurcate ligament (BL) is often overlooked when assessing such injuries in clinical practice and identification of this ligament on magnetic resonance (MR) scans can be challenging. Anatomically, the BL is a Y-shaped structure with two bands: the calcaneonavicular ligament (CNL) and calcaneocuboid ligament (CCL). There are few anatomical studies on the morphometric characteristics of the BL and even fewer biomechanical studies. Therefore, the objective of this anatomico-radiological study was to investigate the morphology of the BL using a multifaceted approach, and classify the fiber characteristics of the CNL and CCL. Materials and methods We measured the length and the width of 53 embalmed cadaveric feet. Meticulous dissection of each foot was performed to expose the BL. Measurements of the length, width, thickness, and shape of the CNL and CCL were taken using a digital caliper. We also documented the fiber orientation of each ligament, and used a goniometer to measure the bifurcation angle between the CNL and CCL via two methods. Confirmatory histologic analysis of the ligaments was performed and digital radiographs of the ligaments with attached radiopaque monofilament were taken. We also included an MR scan of the BL. Using descriptive and inferential statistics, we documented any significant relationships between the variables. Results Mean (range) age at death of cadavers was 76 (42-94) years. The CNL was found in all the feet and the CCL was not present in 9.4% of the feet. Mean (standard deviation) length of the CNL and CCL was 22.7 (4.12) mm and 10.9 (2.53) mm, respectively. Mean (standard deviation) thickness of the CNL and CCL was 3.23 (1.56) mm and 1.48 (0.71) mm, respectively. Related to ligament morphology, the CNL was most frequently cord shaped (67.92%) and the CCL was most frequently flat shaped (83.33%). The mean bifurcation angle measured 32.75o and 29.31o in methods 1 and 2, respectively. The correlation between the two measured angles was very strong (p < 0.001). Discussion We found that 90.6% of feet had both the CNL and CCL, 9.4% had the CNL and no CCL, and none (0%) had the CCL and no CNL. These frequencies are similar to a recent Japanese study. Our sample of donors were American and predominantly white. Whether the difference in frequencies between the studies is related to ethnicity is unknown and requires future investigation. Interestingly, on average the CNLs were twice as long and twice as thick as the CCLs. The CCLs tended to be wider distally and tapered compared to the CNLs. Conclusions Our findings better classify the morphology and fiber orientation of the BL. Coupled with the radiographs and MR scan, our data may be of particular value to radiologists and surgeons. Our BL fiber orientation classification system and angle measurements can pave the way for future biomechanical studies to investigate any relationships between fiber type, angle, and strength of the constituent bands. More accurate descriptions of the BL should lead to improved diagnosis and treatment of ligamentous injuries of the foot.
