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PubMedDate not supplied

Healing and repair of ligament injuries in the knee.

Although methods of treating ligamentous injuries have continually improved, many questions remain about enhancing the rate, quality, and completeness of ligament healing. It is known that the ability of a torn ligament to heal depends on a variety of factors, including anatomic location, presence of associated injuries, and selected treatment modality. A grade III injury of the medial collateral ligament (MCL) of the knee usually heals spontaneously. Surgical repair followed by immobilization of an isolated MCL tear does not enhance the healing process. In contrast, tears of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and the posterior cruciate ligament often require surgical reconstruction. The MCL component of a combined ACL-MCL injury has a worse prognosis than an isolated MCL injury. The results of animal studies suggest that nonoperative treatment of an MCL injury is effective if combined with operative reconstruction of the ACL. Experimentation using animal models has helped to define the effects of ligament location, associated injuries, intrinsic factors, surgical repair, reconstruction, and exercise on ligament healing. New techniques utilizing growth factors and cell and gene therapies may offer the potential to enhance the rate and quality of healing of ligaments of the knee, as well as other ligaments in the body.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

[Plastic substitutes for old cruciate ligament ruptures. I. Material, methods, and indications (author's transl)].

A report was made of 101 old cruciate ligament ruptures which were reconstructed at the Orthopedic Hospital in Munich between 1963 and 1975. On the basis of this material, it was confirmed that the anterior ligament is predominantly affected. Injuries of the knee ligaments and, therefore, the cruciate ligaments were acquired by 67 of the 101 patients during the course of sport activity. Football had a particularly high injury quota. Single, isolated cruciate ligament injury was found in 17 cases. Combination injuries with stress on the medial structures of the knee joint were found in 84 cases. 39 cases came to surgery more than 2 years after the accident. In 29 cases, some type of surgery had been carried out previously. The measures used to restore function of the cruciate ligament in addition to tightening the anterior cruciate ligament were Brückner-plasty using the distally flapped medial third of the ligamentum patellae, the free ligamentum-patellae transplant, Augustine-plasty, distally flapped tendoplasty from the pes-anserinus group, Hey-Groves fasciaplasty as well as anterior cruciate ligament-plasty using the ventrally flapped internal meniscus. The necessity of reconstructing additional ligamentous lesions to eliminate complex instabilities was stressed. A plaster fixation is always carried out postoperatively in the lying cast on the thigh. This plaster fixation is completed by restorative measures at the collateral ligaments through a pelvic girdle. Remobilization should begin 6 weeks after the operation. Its length as well as the final result is determined by the condition of the joint before treatment, the technique applied and the postoperative complications.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Anatomy and histology of the scapholunate ligament.

The scapholunate ligament links the scaphoid to the lunate. It runs transversally at its posterior aspect and obliquely at its anterior aspect, allowing significant relative motion between the two bones. From the neutral position to the full extension position, the lunate rotates by 28 degrees and the scaphoid by 30 degrees; from the neutral position to the full flexion position, the lunate rotates by 30 degrees, whereas the scaphoid rotation is 60 degrees because of the motion of the scaphoid around the capitate. The ligament's dorsal part is shorter and more resistant than the anterior part, allowing a pseudodissociation during flexion. Kauer described an additional movement of the scapholunate pair attributable to differences in the shapes of the scaphoid and lunate proximal poles. The scaphoid curve is more important and the scaphoid needs to glide on the lunate to maintain radioscaphoid congruity. As a result, there is sagittal ligament torsion. This can be a partial explanation for failure of scapholunate arthrodesis. This description of the scapholunate ligament is of interest to understand the relative importance of the three parts of this ligament. It can, in particular, explain the failure of ligamentous reconstruction that considers the scapholigament as a homogeneous structure. In addition, the three parts do not have the same tensile strength. The posterior part is the most resistant to tear forces and needs more than a 300 N tensile stress to fail. The anterior part fails with 150 N stress and the intermediary portion can withstand only a 25 N to 50 N stress. In comparison, the triquetrolunate ligament (which is also divided in three parts--anterior intermediate, and posterior) has failure coefficients opposite those of the scapholunate ligament: The anterior part is more resistant (300 N) than the posterior (150 N); the intermediate part has the same tensile strength as the scapholunate intermediate part. These biomechanical studies demonstrate the importance of the scapholunate ligamentous posterior part in controlling flexion and extension motion and the anterior part for rotational control. Both parts of the ligament are necessary for an harmonious functioning of the scapholunate pair.

Biomechanical Phenomena↗
PubMed2003

[An arthroscopic study on the anterior intermeniscal ligament].

OBJECTIVES: An arthroscopic study was made on the presence and anatomic features of the anterior intermeniscal ligament with regard to its thickness and attachment patterns to the anterior horn of the menisci, together with its relationship with associated non-traumatic intraarticular disorders of the knee. METHODS: This multicenter study included 136 consecutive patients (80 males, 56 females; mean age 40 years; range 15 to 74 years) in whom the presence of anterior intermeniscal ligament was sought during arthroscopic examination of the knee. Arthroscopic features of the ligament was evaluated by probe. RESULTS: The anterior intermeniscal ligament was detected in 80 knees (58.8%). Its presence did not differ significantly with respect to sex (33 females, 58.9%; 47 males, 58.8%; p>0.05). A cord-like appearance was observed in 19 cases (14%), whereas a membranous-like structure was identified in 61 cases (44.9%), 34 (55.7%) of which could only be detected following synovial abrasion. Attachment patterns according to the Nelson and LaPrade's description showed type A in 47 cases (58.8%), type B in 23 cases (28.8%), and type C in 10 cases (12.5%). Type A was more common among cord-like intermeniscal ligaments, although this did not reach significance (p>0.05). No significant association was found between the presence of the ligament and intraarticular disorders. The detection of discoid lateral meniscus was significantly associated with the presence of a cord-like intermeniscal ligament (p<0.05). Of eight cases with discoid lateral meniscus (5 complete, 3 incomplete), five patients exhibited a cord-like anterior intermeniscal ligament. CONCLUSION: This is the first arthroscopic study to define the anatomy and the incidence of the anterior intermeniscal ligament. Functional features of the ligament should be more clearly demonstrated biomechanically.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

[Traumatology of the alar ligaments].

A postmortem study of craniocerebral traumas of varying severity was done to determine the pattern of injury of the alar ligaments. It was found that in the entire group of patients (n = 30) the alar ligaments were ruptured or suffused with blood 11 times. No close relationship was found between the massive nature of the cranial trauma and the severity of the injury of the alar ligaments. In some cases the alar ligaments were not at all involved even though the skull had suffered extensive osseous lesions, whereas on the other hand the ligaments were injured even though only soft parts had been involved (e.g., haematoma or dehiscent wounds of the scalp). Ruptures of the alar ligaments were typically involved in extended ruptures of the ligamentous apparatus (see Figure 6a involving the ligamentum apicis dentis, ligamentum transversum atlantis, m.atlanto-occipitalis anterior, m.tectoria, m.atlanto-axialis anterior et posterior). In some cases the pattern of injury of the alar ligaments was found to be decisive in enabling reconstruction of the course of the accident. Damage to the alar ligaments near the dens axis represent rotation injuries. On the other hand, insertion tears out of the condyli occipitales must be related to a lateral thrust tendency in indirect fracture of the skull (bursting fracture). Within this overall framework a new mechanism of fracture of the condylus occipitalis is described. As a matter of principle, the alar ligaments can become involved in consequence of rotation, traction and compression of the cranium.

Brain Injuries↗
PubMed1986

[Stress test and anatomical study of the lateral collateral ligaments of the ankle].

UNLABELLED: Many authors have discussed on the instability of the ankle joint. We have therefore investigated the variety, courses and the functions of the lateral collateral ligament by dissecting 16 freshly amputated limbs. It was composed of 4 ligaments, i.e., the anterior talofibular, the posterior talofibular, the calcaneofibular and the lateral talocalcaneal ligaments. These ligaments have various courses and influence the stability of the ankle joint in various manners. Transection of the anterior talofibular ligament alone caused inversion and forward instability, and transection of calcaneofibular ligament alone caused adduction instability of the ankle and subtalar joint, but posterior talofibular and the lateral talocalcaneal ligament and other ligaments, however, played an important role in the stability of the ankle joint, so that injuries of the anterior talofibular ligament or the calcaneofibular ligament caused varying degrees of instability in this joint. CONCLUSION: To evaluate this injury the following methods of taking X-ray pictures are indispensable, namely, stress inversion, stress anterior drawer, and stress adduction radiography.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Biomechanical study of the ligamentous system of the acromioclavicular joint.

The ligamentous structures of the acromioclavicular joint were studied by gross examination and quantitative measurement in twelve human cadaver specimens. Distances between insertions at various extreme positions of the clavicle were studied with the biplane radiographic technique. Ligamentous contributions to joint constraint under displacements were determined by performing load-displacement tests along with sequential sectioning of the ligaments. Twelve modes of joint displacement were examined. The acromioclavicular ligament acted as a primary constraint for posterior displacement of the clavicle and posterior axial rotation. The conoid ligament appeared to be more important than has been previously described. That ligament played a primary role in constraining anterior and superior rotation as well as anterior and superior displacement of the clavicle. The trapezoid ligament contributed less constraint to movement of the clavicle in both the horizontal and the vertical plane except when the clavicle moved in axial compression toward the acromion process. The various contributions of different ligaments to constraint changed not only with the direction of joint displacement but also with the amount of loading and displacement. For many directions of displacement, the acromioclavicular joint contributed a greater amount to constraint at smaller degrees of displacement, while the coracoclavicular ligaments, primarily the conoid ligament, contributed a greater amount of constraint with larger amounts of displacement.

Acromioclavicular Joint↗
PubMed1982

Arthroscopy and the management of the ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.

There four indications for arthroscopy in patients with ruptures of the anterior cruciate ligament: (1) assessment of the acutely injured knee, which will usually have a hemarthrosis; (2) assessment of the knee with late symptoms following ligament injury; (3) a preliminary to ligament reconstruction to assess the integrity of the menisci; (4) the assessment of patients who have symptoms following ligament reconstruction. Many patients achieve a good result after arthroscopic correction of meniscal lesions and other derangements without ligament reconstruction. Repair of all acutely ruptured anterior cruciate ligaments will result in many unnecessary ligament repairs. Assessment of acute ligament repairs is made difficult by the absence of a controlled series. The criteria for distinguishing those patients who need ligament reconstruction from those who will do well with aggressive conservative management alone have yet to be established. A prosthetic ligament can be inserted under arthroscopic control without arthrotomy, but no suitable prosthetic material is yet available.

Arthroscopy↗
PubMed1982

The effect of knee-prosthesis geometry on cruciate ligament mechanics during flexion.

UNLABELLED: We used buckle transducers in conjunction with a mathematical model to investigate the mechanics of the cruciate ligaments during flexion of knees containing prostheses with differing component geometries. With normal component placement and both cruciate ligaments intact, the full range of flexion is restricted in a knee with the conforming, single radius-of-curvature geometric prosthesis because of large constraint forces in the posterior cruciate ligament. Ligament incompatibility is avoided with multicurvature designs, as represented by the kinematic prosthesis. Low conformity of components allows anterior-posterior displacements to accompany flexion, which provides for a full range of flexion and allows cruciate ligament forces to approach those of a normal knee. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This analysis points out that special precautions must be taken to avoid ligament constraint forces (and potential loosening) if an implant with highly conforming components is used when both cruciate ligaments are intact. The information presented here, relating implant geometry to cruciate ligament mechanics, must be considered when choosing an appropriate prosthetic design to ensure ligament compatibility in the presence of one, both, or no cruciate ligaments.

Biomechanical Phenomena↗
PubMed1981

Anatomy and function of the ligaments of the lower cervical spine in the dog.

Ligaments of the lower cervical spine (C3 to C7) were studied in 27 canine cadavers. The gross anatomy and attachment sites were determined by dissection, and representative samples of the flaval ligament, facet capsules, and dorsal longitudinal ligament were examined by light microscopy and were stained for elastin content. Selected functional spinal units were placed in a specially constructed humidification chamber and were fixed in position, using methyl methacrylate bone cement. The specimens were stressed in flexion and extension, and vertebral displacement was measured before and after severance of the spinal ligaments. The flaval ligament had a marked elastin content and contained randomly oriented collagen bundles. The dorsal longitudinal ligament possessed a negligible elastic fiber content and demonstrated longitudinally oriented collagen bundles. The facet capsules possessed an inner synovial lining and outer fibrous layer typical of synovial joint capsules. In general, the severance of spinal ligaments resulted in small increments of displacement until failure occurred, which was often sudden and complete. The flaval ligament, facet capsules, dorsal longitudinal ligament, and intervertebral disk were the major ligamentous stabilizers of the lower cervical spine.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

[Static-dynamic computerized tomography in the diagnosis of traumatic lesions of alar ligaments. Preliminary results].

The patients affected with cervical injuries often complain of cervical pain, headache and dizziness even when no bone fractures are detected. Such patients are likely to have a post-traumatic injury of the cervical ligaments. Twenty-five symptomatic patients (19 women and 6 men) were examined with upper spine CT and functional CT scans (right and left rotation) to detect ligament injuries and hypermotility of the craniocervical junction, both related to traumatic events. Eleven patients showed no alterations, while unilateral densitometric alterations of the alar ligaments were observed in 14 cases and thought to be related to trauma. On axial CT scans, the normal alar ligaments were identified as paramedian, quadrangular soft-tissue structures at the apex of the dens epistrophei and right above it. In 14 patients with alar ligament injuries, CT showed incomplete ligament interruption and thinning in 12 cases and its total absence on all images in 2 cases. The laterodental space in the affected side was hypodense due to fat tissue replacement. Of 14 patients with alar ligament injuries, only 14 patients with alar ligament injuries, only 4 exhibited rotatory hypermotility at C0-C1 and C1-C2. The low frequency of rotatory hypermotility is probably due to the high rate of incomplete alar ligament injuries as well as to cervical muscle stiffness, which is marked in some subjects. In conclusion, static and functional CT of the upper spine is not only useful to predict trauma outcome, but also allows the detection of the alar ligaments, of their morphodensitometric changes and of the segmental instability of the craniocervical junction.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

[Skier's thumb--osseous injury and rupture of the ulnar collateral ligament].

Injuries to the ulnar collateral ligament of the thumb are common in down hill-skiing, and are thus called "skier's thumb". In complete disruption of the ligament, surgical treatment is mandatory to restore stability. The management gets more difficult if a bony lesion is present: does a non-displaced fragment represent a non-displaced bony avulsion of the ulnar collateral ligament, thus allowing conservative treatment? We reviewed sixty-three consecutive patients with an acute skier's thumb injury in order to determine the anatomical nature of injuries in thumbs that were treated surgically either for fracture or for instability. Of all 63 thumbs, twenty-five (40%) had a fracture. Surgical exploration showed two types of fractures: a fragment attached to the ulnar collateral ligament, and a fragment not attached to the ulnar collateral ligament. The first type, corresponding to a true avulsion fracture of the ulnar collateral ligament, was found in eight cases. The same fracture type was seen in other seven cases with an additional isolated fragment not attached to the ligament. Such an isolated fragment was observed in ten other cases where the ulnar collateral ligament was completely disrupted. This type of bone fragmentation cannot be differentiated from a bony avulsion of the ulnar collateral ligament on routine films. Therefore, it is mandatory to stress test the injured thumb even when a bony avulsion fracture with no or minimal displacement is suspected on X-ray. The fracture may not represent a bony avulsion, but a fragmentation of the ulnar volar aspect of the proximal phalanx associated with a complete disruption of the ulnar collateral ligament.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Anatomy of the round ligament in female infants and children with an inguinal hernia.

BACKGROUND: The ligament which runs along an inguinal hernia sac in females is believed to be the round ligament of the uterus. According to most standard textbooks, the round ligament of the uterus terminates at the labium majorum. This study examined the termination of the ligament. METHODS: The anatomy of the ligament was examined in 248 female children (aged 1 month to 11 years) with an inguinal hernia. The anterior wall of the hernia sac, consisting of the inner and outer membranes, was opened and the inner membrane of the sac was pulled up with forceps; the hernia sac was then separated from the surrounding tissue. The termination of the ligament was observed. RESULTS: The ligament did not end at the labium majorum but terminated in the hernia sac. The ligament was attached to the mid portion of the fallopian tube near the ovary. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the ligament which runs along the hernia sac is the suspensory ligament of the ovary.

Child↗
PubMed2006

Biomechanical evaluation of intra-articular and extra-articular procedures in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a finite element analysis.

BACKGROUND: Intra-articular techniques (single and double bundles) are the most widely used procedures for the anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Lemaire introduced in 1967 the extra-articular techniques, and combined intra-articular and extra-articular reconstruction, to better restore the stability of the knee. However, the effectiveness of these procedures (intra-articular, extra-articular combined or not with intra-articular) seems to be controversial. METHODS: In the present study, we developed numerical models of a knee joint to evaluate the effects of these different procedures on the kinematics and biomechanics of the knee during an internal rotation test. Six cases were simulated: intact anterior cruciate ligament, intra-articular reconstructed anterior cruciate ligament (single and double bundles), extra-articular reconstructed anterior cruciate ligament alone, and combination of extra- and intra-articular reconstructions. The loading condition was an internal tibial torque of 2 N m at 0 degrees, 15 degrees, 30 degrees and 45 degrees of knee flexion. Internal rotation of the tibia and forces within the grafts and the ligaments were calculated. FINDINGS: This study showed that both single and double bundles intra-articular reconstructions restore similar internal rotation control and biomechanics of the soft structures as the intact anterior cruciate ligament situation. On the other hand, our results indicate that extra-articular reconstruction reduces appreciably the internal rotation and modifies the charges distribution in the soft structures when compared to the intact anterior cruciate ligament. INTERPRETATION: The extra-articular procedure alters the kinematics of the knee, which might overconstraint the ligaments and the femorotibial joints, leading to the failure of the anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament↗
PubMed2005

Biomechanics of knee ligaments: injury, healing, and repair.

Knee ligament injuries are common, particularly in sports and sports related activities. Rupture of these ligaments upsets the balance between knee mobility and stability, resulting in abnormal knee kinematics and damage to other tissues in and around the joint that lead to morbidity and pain. During the past three decades, significant advances have been made in characterizing the biomechanical and biochemical properties of knee ligaments as an individual component as well as their contribution to joint function. Further, significant knowledge on the healing process and replacement of ligaments after rupture have helped to evaluate the effectiveness of various treatment procedures. This review paper provides an overview of the current biological and biomechanical knowledge on normal knee ligaments, as well as ligament healing and reconstruction following injury. Further, it deals with new and exciting functional tissue engineering approaches (ex. growth factors, gene transfer and gene therapy, cell therapy, mechanical factors, and the use of scaffolding materials) aimed at improving the healing of ligaments as well as the interface between a replacement graft and bone. In addition, it explores the anatomical, biological and functional perspectives of current reconstruction procedures. Through the utilization of robotics technology and computational modeling, there is a better understanding of the kinematics of the knee and the in situ forces in knee ligaments and replacement grafts. The research summarized here is multidisciplinary and cutting edge that will ultimately help improve the treatment of ligament injuries. The material presented should serve as an inspiration to future investigators.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament↗
PubMed2001

Fibrocartilage in the transverse ligament of the human acetabulum.

Biomechanical experiments on isolated hip joints have suggested that the transverse ligament acts as a bridle for the lunate articular surface of the acetabulum during load bearing, but there are inherent limitations in such studies because the specimens are fixed artificially to testing devices and there are no modifying influences of muscle pull. Further evidence is thus needed to substantiate the theory. Here we argue that if the horns of the lunate surface are forced apart under load, the ligament would straighten and become compressed against the femoral head. It would thus be expected to share some of the features of tendons and ligaments that wrap around bony pulleys and yet previous work has suggested that the transverse ligament is purely fibrous. Transverse ligaments were removed from 8 cadavers (aged 17-39 y) and fixed in 90% methanol. Cryosections were immunolabelled with antibodies against collagens (types I, II, III, VI), glycosaminoglycans (chondroitins 4 and 6 sulphate, dermatan sulphate, keratan sulphate) and proteoglycans (aggrecan, link protein, versican, tenascin). A small sesamoid fibrocartilage was consistently present in the centre of each transverse ligament, near its inner surface at the site where it faced the femoral head. Additionally, a more prominent enthesis fibrocartilage was found at both bony attachments. All fibrocartilage regions, in at least some specimens, labelled for type II collagen, chondroitin 6 sulphate, aggrecan and link protein, molecules more typically associated with articular cartilage. The results suggest that the ligament should be classed as containing a 'moderately cartilaginous' sesamoid fibrocartilage, adapted to withstanding compression. This supports the inferences that can be drawn from previous biomechanical studies. We cannot give any quantitative estimate of the levels of compression experienced. All that can be said is that the ligament occupies an intermediate position in the spectrum of fibrocartilaginous tissues. It is more cartilaginous than some wrap-around tendons at the wrist, but less cartilaginous than certain other wrap-around ligaments, e.g. the transverse ligament of the atlas.

Acetabulum↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Hyaluronan: a potential carrier for growth factors for the healing of ligamentous tissues.

The anterior cruciate ligament has little capacity to heal after injury, in contrast to the medial collateral ligament. Cell migration and cell proliferation are essential steps in the wound healing of connective tissue, and we have developed an in vitro assay to study cell outgrowth (i.e., both cell migration and cell proliferation) from tissue explants. Using this assay, we have previously shown a synergistic effect of four growth factors on the early stages of cell outgrowth (i.e., at days 3 and 6) from these explants. Hyaluronan, a linear polysaccharide with a molecular weight of 3 x 10(6) daltons, has been shown to enhance the anterior cruciate ligament healing capacity in vivo by over 50%. The purpose of this study was to assess in vitro whether hyaluronan and the combination of growth factors (transforming growth factor-beta1 25 ng/ml, platelet-derived growth factor-BB 100 ng/ml, basic fibroblast growth factor 100 ng/ml, and insulin 25 microg/ml) would enhance cell outgrowth from explants at 3 and 6 days. At 3 days the mean cell outgrowth from the explants treated with hyaluronan and the combination of growth factors exceeded the growth in the explants treated with growth factors alone for the anterior cruciate ligament (mean cell count +/- standard error: 19 +/- 4 and 2 +/- 1 cells, respectively) and for the medial collateral ligament (297 +/- 40 and 87 +/- 18 cells, respectively). At 6 days, the mean cell outgrowth in the presence of growth factors was enhanced sixfold by hyaluronan for the anterior cruciate ligament (160 +/- 27 compared with 26 +/- 15 cells) and fourfold for the medial collateral ligament (1363 +/- 219 compared with 330 +/- 74 cells). As previously shown, little cell outgrowth occurred from the anterior cruciate or medial collateral ligament explants when no growth factors were added to the modified Eagle's media at 3 and 6 days (<20 cells). For the medial collateral ligament only, hyaluronan had a small stimulatory effect on cell outgrowth in minimal essential media in the absence of growth factors. At 3 days the stimulation by hyaluronan was fourfold (31 +/- 8 cells compared with 7 +/- 4 cells), and at 6 days the stimulation by hyaluronan was nearly fourfold (73 +/- 17 compared with 20 +/- 12 cells). These results suggest that hyaluronan could be used together with growth factors in efforts to enhance the healing of ligamentous tissue injuries.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1997

[Is surgical treatment of deltoid ligament rupture necessary in ankle fractures?].

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: Fractures of the lateral malleolus associated with rupture of the deltoid ligament are severe fractures types. There is still discussion about wether the ruptured deltoid ligament should be sutured or not. To elucidate further the need for surgical repair of this structure a comparative and retrospective review was conducted at a mean follow-up of 4 years and 8 months. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty nine men and 15 women were included with a mean age of 34 years. Patients were subdivided into two groups according to the attitude regarding the ligament. In the first group (n = 18), an operative repair of the ligament was made and in the second group (n = 17) we leaved it unrepaired. Nine patients were evaluated separately because of an associated osteochondral fracture (n = 7) or a worse reduction of the fibula (n = 2). Subjective and objective clinical assessment were evaluated according to a modified Cedell classification. Roentgenograms including A.P, lateral, mortise view and a external rotation stress view described by Kleiger were obtained in all patients. RESULTS: Subjective and objective analysis showed no significant difference between the two groups, likewise no differences were observed for post operative complications rate. Medial instability was observed in four cases (2 in group 1 and 2 in group II). Roentgenographicaly, more ossifications of the deltoid ligament were founded in group II (p = 0.013), and only one degenerative osteoarthritis of the ankle was seen in group II. Clinical results in the group of patients with osteochondral fracture were statistically worse than in the two previous groups (p = 0.001), with frequent progression to osteoarthritis in four cases. DISCUSSION: In our experience it is impossible to advise surgical repair of the deltoid ligament in accordance to the type of lateral malleolar fracture like other authors have suggested. The existence of a significant widening of the medial space greater than 3 mm was nearly correlated with a deltoid ligament disruption, of the 23 patients treated with a medial approach, the ligament was ruptured in 22 cases. In this study, we may conclude than an untreated rupture of the deltoid ligament does not lead to instability. The advantages of the deltoid repair may be obtained if the fixation of the lateral malleolus allows a perfect congruency of the mortise. The most predictive radiographic factors for a poor outcome were a persistent widening of the medial joint greater than 3 mm, an associated osteochondral fracture and a poor reduction of the lateral malleolus which results in degenerative arthritis of the ankle at long term follow-up. CONCLUSION: Repair of the deltoid ligament is unnecessary if the internal fixation of the fibula achieves an anatomical reconstitution of the mortise. Exploration of the medial side is indicated only with a medial incongruency greater than 3 mm on intra operative roentgenograms.

Adult↗