Ankle instability in pediatric and adolescent patients diagnosed with lateral malleolus avulsion fracture: Analysis of clinical and functional outcomes of ligament injury repair surgery

Background

Some children and adolescents can develop persistent pain and instability following inversion injuries of the ankle. In these cases, imaging exams could reveal small bone fragments distal to the lateral malleolus. For these patients, regular conservative treatment may not be successful, requiring additional management, which can include surgical treatment. This study aimed to present the short-to-midterm functional and clinical outcomes of a series of 12 pediatric and adolescent patients who underwent ligament repair surgery due to chronic instability associated with the presence of osseous components in the lateral ligaments.

Methods

A review of 12 patients treated with surgical ligament reconstruction of the ankle was evaluated. Clinical and functional evaluations were based on comparing the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score, and residual symptoms before and after the surgical intervention.

Results

Before the reconstructive approach, the mean VAS was 2.41 and the mean AOFAS score was 74.16. After the procedure, the standard VAS declined to zero, and the AOFAS score was 100 in all patients. The mean follow-up was 6.33 months.

Conclusion

The surgical approach in children and adolescents with symptomatic ankle instability due to the presence of osseous fragments after an initial inversion trauma provided adequate clinical and functional results at short-to-midterm follow-up.

Level of evidence

Level IV, retrospective case series.