What Are The Indications For Lateral Ankle Ligament Repair?
The main surgical indication for any lateral ligament procedure is failure of conservative treatment and the inability of the patient to perform normal activities due to pain or instability. The exceptions to the rule are elite level athletes, in whom repair of the injured ligament as soon as possible is recommended. During the initial consultation with patients, pertinent questions would include ascertaining the length of time they have had instability and the number of “bad” sprains they have had that prohibited walking immediately afterward. The question now becomes primary repair (Brostrom) versus lateral ligament reconstruction. The main indication for a primary repair is a single ligament injury. Traditionally, the indication for a lateral ankle ligament reconstruction has been failure of an attempted primary repair and/or a patient weighing greater than 250 pounds. I have also found that patients with generalized ligament laxity with injury to both the anterior talofibular ligam
