All-inside arthroscopic modified Brostrom-Gould procedure for chronic lateral ankle instability with and without anterior talofibular ligament remnant repair produced similar functional results

Purpose The Brostrom-Gould procedure, with the repair of the anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) combined with the transfer of the extensor retinaculum, is considered the gold standard procedure for the management of chronic lateral ankle instability (CLAI). Lateral ligament reconstruction is considered if the ATFL remnant quality is poor or the ATFL has been damaged beyond the ability to suture it. It remains unclear whether not repairing the ATFL remnant produces comparable functional outcomes to the classical Brostrom-Gould procedure. Methods This retrospective cohort study included 84 patients with CLAI undergoing either repair or non-repair of the ATFL remnant using an all-inside arthroscopic Brostrom-Gould procedure from 2015 to 2018. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores, American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) scores, Karlsson Ankle Functional Score (KAFS), Anterior Talar Translation (ATT), Active Joint Position Sense (AJPS), and the rate of return to sports were compared in both groups. Results All the functional scores (VAS, AOFAS, KAFS, ATT, AJPS) significantly improved in both groups at 1 and 2 years after surgery. At all the follow-up time points, the VAS, AOFAS, KAFS, ATT, AJPS, and the rate of return to sport scores were comparable between the repair and non-repair group. Conclusion There are no statistically significant differences in postoperative outcomes between ATFL remnant repair and non-repair for the management of CLAI using the all-inside arthroscopic Brostrom-Gould procedure. From the clinical viewpoint, the present study shows that the potential differences in clinical outcomes between ATFL remnant repair and non-repair are likely not relevant when performing an all-inside arthroscopic Brostrom-Gould procedure for CLAI.