Arthroscopic lateral ankle ligament repair for chronic lateral ankle instability in dancers.

BACKGROUND

Foot and ankle injuries are common among dancers. Full plantar flexion places stress on the lateral aspect of the ankle, increasing the risk of ankle sprains. Arthroscopic lateral ankle ligament repair has shown favorable clinical outcomes in elite athletes with chronic lateral ankle instability (CLAI); however, its effectiveness in dancers remains unclear. This study was performed to evaluate the clinical outcomes and efficacy of arthroscopic lateral ankle ligament repair for CLAI in dancers.

METHODS

From July 2015 to March 2021, arthroscopic lateral ankle ligament repair was performed on seven ankles of seven female dancers. The patients' mean age at surgery was 21.4 years, and the mean follow-up duration was 17.3 months. Clinical outcomes were assessed using the Japanese Society for Surgery of the Foot (JSSF) scale and patient satisfaction with the surgical outcome.

RESULTS

The mean JSSF scale score significantly improved from 75.4 ± 6.6 points preoperatively to 95.3 ± 5.4 points at the final follow-up (p < 0.05). Six feet were rated as excellent and one as fair.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that arthroscopic lateral ankle ligament repair is an effective surgical treatment for CLAI in dancers.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, case series.