Lateral Ligament Reconstruction With Hamstring Graft for Ankle Instability: Outcomes for Primary and Revision Cases

Am J Sports Med. 2021 Aug;49(10):2697-2706. doi: 10.1177/03635465211026969. Epub 2021 Jul 20.

Abstract

Background: Optimal treatment for patients with severe ankle instability or failed previous ankle stabilization is not well defined, and newer techniques have limited presence in the literature.

Purpose/hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to evaluate clinical and radiographic outcomes after modified anatomic lateral ligament reconstruction using hamstring auto- or allograft in primary cases versus revision cases. We hypothesized that patients undergoing a revision procedure would demonstrate inferior patient-reported and radiographic outcomes.

Study design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods: Patients who underwent modified anatomic lateral ligament reconstruction by a single surgeon between 2010 and 2017 were identified. Indications included failure of previous ankle stabilization or severe ankle laxity. Patients completed preoperative and minimum 1-year postoperative Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS) surveys. They also underwent pre- and postoperative stress radiographs using the Telos Stress Device.

Results: A total of 41 patients (42 ankles) were identified. The mean age was 32.1 years, and 36 patients (88%) were women. There were 25 primary procedures and 17 revision procedures. Hamstring autograft was utilized in 35 ankles and hamstring allograft in 7 ankles. A total of 34 patients (83%) provided postoperative patient-reported outcome scores at a mean of 26 months (range, 12-65 months). When comparing primary versus revision procedures, revision patients had significantly lower FAOS Pain (77.14 vs 90.66; P = .009), Sports (63.46 vs 82.16; P = .008), and Quality of Life (53.53 vs 76.70; P = .002) scores. In total, 34 patients (83%) had stress radiographs at a mean of 14 months (range, 3-62 months) postoperatively. Revision patients also had lower, though statistically insignificant, postoperative talar tilt measurements on average (5.73° vs 7.10°; P = .252), and pre- to postoperative change in talar tilt was not significantly different between groups (-4.94° vs -7.03°; P = .415).

Conclusion: Revision procedures had significantly lower postoperative patient-reported outcome scores and lower talar tilt compared with patients undergoing a primary procedure, although the pre- to postoperative change in the talar tilt was not significantly different between groups.

Keywords: ankle instability; generalized ligamentous laxity; hamstring graft; lateral ligament reconstruction; revision ankle stabilization.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Ankle
  • Ankle Joint / surgery
  • Cohort Studies
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Joint Instability* / surgery
  • Lateral Ligament, Ankle* / surgery
  • Quality of Life