Clinical Outcomes of Anatomical Reconstruction of the Lateral Ankle Ligament Complex: A Systematic Review

CATEGORY: Ankle; Sports INTRODUCTION/PURPOSE: Anatomical reconstruction has gained increased attention in recent years and is indicated for patients with poor-quality ligaments, previously failed lateral ligament repair, generalized ligamentous laxity, or in patients with a high BMI. The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate the current literature on anatomical reconstruction of the lateral ligaments in the treatment of chronic ankle instability. METHODS: A systematic search of Pubmed, EMBASE and Cochrane Library databases was performed during October 2019. The studies included were carefully evaluated with regard to level of evidence (LOE) and quality of evidence (QOE), clinical and radiological outcomes, complications, revision rates and return to sport. RESULTS: Thirteen studies including a total of 296 ankles were included; 92% of studies were LOE III or IV and the QOE in all studies was of poor or fair quality. Within the autograft group, the AOFAS improved from 66.9 to 95.9, KPSSAF scores improved from 48 to 92.2, VAS scores improved from 6.8 to 0.2 at a follow up of 33.5 months, and the complication rate was 7.7%. Within the allograft group the AOFAS improved from 53.7 to 89.3, KPSSAF scores improved from 42.8 to 90.4, VAS scores improved from 7.3 to 1.9, and the complication rate was 7%. The overall rate of return to sport was 89%. CONCLUSION: The current systematic review demonstrated favorable results for both autograft and allograft reconstruction techniques in the treatment of chronic ankle instability. On comparing autograft and allograft techniques, minor differences were found both clinically and radiologically, with no overall evidence supporting one technique over the other