Early Repair of the Lateral Ankle Ligament in Young Patients

Twenty-four acute injuries of the lateral ligament of the ankle were repaired in our hospital from 1986 to 1992. We studied the ankle function, and post-operative sporting activity in 18 of these 24 cases, who were aged less than 20 years. They were investigated using a questionnaire according to the Seligson scale, which is a point system (1 to 10). Stress testing of the ankle was also done in 7 of 18 cases at 3 to 12 months after surgery. The questionnaire revealed satisfactory results in all cases. Fourteen patients returned to sports within six months (mean, 11.4 weeks) after surgery. Although the number of cases examined by stress testing was limited, all ankles examined proved to be stable.