Diagnosis and Management of Deltoid Ligament Insufficiency

Background: Surgical management of patients with acute and chronic ankle instability (CAI) has historically focused on the lateral ligament complex. Recent studies in CAI patients have shown that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and arthroscopy demonstrate concomitant injury to the deltoid ligament complex We performed a systematic review to determine if consistent clinical, diagnostic imaging, or arthroscopic findings of deltoid ligament injury in the setting of CAI have been described. In addition, we sought to determine if treatment options and/or clinical outcomes have been described. Methods: A systematic review was conducted using the PubMed, MEDLINE, and Embase databases. Articles were included if they had a majority of patients 18 years of age or older, focused on deltoid ligament injury in ankle instability, and reported diagnostic and/or treatment methods. Articles were excluded if the study focused on the deltoid ligament in the acute fracture setting. All included articles were assessed for diagnostic criteria, treatments, and patient outcomes. Results: Our search yielded 157 articles, of which a total of 13 were included in our study. Arthroscopy was described as the gold standard to diagnose and evaluate the severity of deltoid ligament injury, however, little objective data on the arthroscopic diagnosis of deltoid ligament insufficiency was reported. MRI was the imaging modality of choice to evaluate deltoid ligament injury and had a high sensitivity and specificity when compared with arthroscopy. No standard MRI diagnostic criteria for deltoid ligament injury were identified in the literature. Specific treatment techniques and long-term outcomes were not well described in the manuscripts included in this review. Conclusion: There is limited knowledge on deltoid ligament insufficiency in the setting of chronic ankle instability. Criteria for characterizing deltoid ligament damage with diagnostic imaging appear to be evolving, but there is no standard classification. Only 1 author has described a method to evaluate deltoid ligament competency on arthroscopic examination. There are currently no objective data to guide treatment decisions. Level of Evidence: Level III.

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Quantitative Analysis of Deltoid Ligament Degradation in Patients With Chronic Ankle Instability Using Computed Tomographic Images

Foot & Ankle International ◽

10.1177/1071100721997070 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 107110072199707

Author(s):

Yasunari Ikuta ◽

Tomoyuki Nakasa ◽

Junichi Sumii ◽

Akinori Nekomoto ◽

Nobuo Adachi

Keyword(s):

Ankle Instability ◽

Ct Images ◽

Chronic Ankle Instability ◽

Control Group ◽

Deltoid Ligament ◽

Anterior Talofibular Ligament ◽

Mri Findings ◽

Calcaneofibular Ligament ◽

Level Of Evidence ◽

Strong Negative Correlation

Background: Rotational ankle instability (RAI) is associated with the faster onset of severe ankle osteoarthritis via dysfunction of the anterior talofibular ligament, calcaneofibular ligament, and deltoid ligament. No specific clinical examination is available for RAI, and diagnostic imaging has limitations in evaluating ligament degradation. This study investigated the deltoid ligament degeneration using Hounsfield unit (HU) values on computed tomography (CT) images. Methods: Patients were enrolled in this retrospective analysis if they had undergone magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and CT scans of the ankle. The chronic ankle instability (CAI) group comprised 20 ankles with CAI (9 men, 11 women; mean age, 28.7 years) and the control group comprised 28 ankles (16 men, 12 women, mean age, 41.3 years). The average HU values of the deep posterior tibiotalar ligament (dPTL) that constitutes the deltoid ligament were measured on coronal CT images, and MRI results were used as a reference. All patients were subdivided based on the MRI findings of dPTL injury such as fascicular disruption, irregularity, and the loss of striation. Results: A strong negative correlation was identified between age and HU values for all patients (Spearman ρ = −0.63; P < .001). The mean HU values of the dPTL for participants aged <60 years were 81.0 HU for the control group (21 ankles) and 69.5 HU for the CAI group ( P = .0075). No significant differences in the HU values were observed for the dPTL among the MRI subgroups. Conclusion: In addition to the conventional imaging examination such as stress radiographs and MRI, HU measurements of CT images could be useful for quantitatively and noninvasively evaluating degenerative changes in the deltoid ligament for CAI patients to assist the diagnosis of RAI. Level of Evidence: Level III. case-control study.

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Balance Training Does Not Alter Reliance on Visual Information during Static Stance in Those with Chronic Ankle Instability: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis

Sports Medicine ◽

10.1007/s40279-017-0850-8 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 48 (4) ◽

pp. 893-905 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Kyeongtak Song ◽

Evan Rhodes ◽

Erik A. Wikstrom

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Visual Information ◽

Ankle Instability ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Balance Training ◽

Chronic Ankle Instability

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Injury-Related Fear in Individuals With and Without Chronic Ankle Instability: A Systematic Review

Journal of Sport Rehabilitation ◽

10.1123/jsr.2021-0015 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Ashley M.B. Suttmiller ◽

Ryan S. McCann

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Ankle Sprain ◽

Methodological Quality ◽

Ankle Instability ◽

Evidence Synthesis ◽

Chronic Ankle Instability ◽

Fear Avoidance ◽

Physically Active ◽

Fear Avoidance Beliefs ◽

Fear Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire

Context: Injury-related fear has recently been recognized to exist in ankle sprain populations. It is unclear, however, if injury-related fear levels differ between those who develop chronic ankle instability (CAI) and those who do not and the best tools for assessing these differences. Objective: The purpose of this study was to conduct a comprehensive systematic review investigating differences in injury-related fear between individuals with and without CAI. Evidence Acquisition: Relevant studies from CINAHL Plus with full text, PubMed, and SPORTDiscus through November 2020 were included. All studies used the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia, Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire, or Athlete Fear Avoidance Questionnaire as either a descriptor or a main outcome and provided comparison data between a CAI group and ankle sprain copers (COP) or controls (CON). The authors independently assessed methodological quality using the modified Downs and Black Quality Index. Studies were then grouped by between-group comparisons including CAI and CON, CAI and COP, and COP and CON. The authors calculated Hedge g effect sizes and 95% confidence intervals to examine group differences. Evidence Synthesis: A total of 11 studies were included in this review. In total, 8 studies provided data for the CAI and CON comparison, 7 for CAI and COP comparisons, and 4 for COP and CON comparisons. Methodological quality scores ranged from 60.0% to 86.7%, with 2 high-, and 9 moderate-quality studies. Overall, the evidence suggests that physically active individuals with CAI report higher levels of injury-related fear when compared with both COP and CON. Although limited, ankle sprain COP do not seem to differ from CON. Conclusion: Available evidence emphasizes the importance of injury-related fear in individuals who develop chronicity after ankle sprain injury. The Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire and Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia are useful for the identification of injury-related fear in individuals after sustaining an ankle sprain and should be used to inform rehabilitation strategies and to monitor efficacy in fear reduction.

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