scholarly journals The Diagnostic Value of MRI for High Ankle Sprains with an Unstable Syndesmosis: Time to Scan Matters

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 2473011419S0029
Author(s):  
Daniel Marsland ◽  
Matthew Randell ◽  
Emma Ballard ◽  
Ben Forster ◽  
Michael Lutz

Category: Ankle, Arthroscopy, Sports, Trauma Introduction/Purpose: Early clinical examination combined with MRI following a high ankle sprain allows accurate diagnosis of syndesmosis instability. However, patients often present late, and for chronic injuries clinical assessment is less reliable. The aims of the current study were to describe MRI characteristics associated with diagnosed syndesmosis instability, and to assess if MRI characteristics change as the injury becomes chronic. Methods: Patients with a high ankle sprain and proven syndesmosis instability at arthroscopy were retrospectively identified from the logbooks of two fellowship trained foot and ankle surgeons over a five-year period. Patients were excluded if they had a distal fibula fracture or absence of an MRI report by a consultant radiologist. Associations between MRI characteristics and time from injury to MRI scan, categorised as acute (< 6 weeks), intermediate (6-12 weeks) and chronic (> 12 weeks) were examined using the Pearson’s chi-squared or Fisher’s exact tests (significance set at p<0.05). Results: Of the 164 patients, 108 had an MRI scan in the acute period, 32 were classified as intermediate and 24 as chronic. A posterior syndesmosis injury was detected in 93.5% of acute patients, 87.5% of intermediate patients and 54.2% of chronic patients. In the acute group, PITFL injury was detected in 78.7% of patients, posterior malleolus bone oedema in 60.2% and posterior malleolus fracture in 15.7%. The proportion of patients with injury to the PITFL in intermediate patients was 59.4% and 29.2% in chronic patients which was significantly lower than in acute patients (p<0.001). Twenty eight patients with posterior malleolus bone oedema had an apparently normal PITFL. The proportion of patients with posterior malleolus bone oedema or fracture were not significantly different between groups. Conclusion: The most important finding of the current study is that in acute high ankle sprains with syndesmosis instability, MRI detected a posterior syndesmosis injury in 93.5% of patients. Posterior malleolus bone oedema appears to be a marker of an unstable syndesmosis injury, regardless of time from injury to the MRI scan. The ability of MRI to detect a posterior syndesmosis injury reduces significantly if delayed more than 12 weeks. If suspicious of a high ankle sprain, we advocate early MRI assessment to help determine stable versus unstable injuries, as the ability of MRI to detect posterior injuries reduces over time.

2011 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 283-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam C. Knight ◽  
Wendi H. Weimar

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effect of different types of ankle sprains on the response latency of the peroneus longus and peroneus brevis to an inversion perturbation, as well as the time to complete the perturbation (time to maximum inversion). To create a forced inversion moment of the ankle, an outer sole with fulcrum was used to cause 25 degrees of inversion at the ankle upon landing from a 27 cm step-down task. Forty participants completed the study: 15 participants had no history of any ankle sprain, 15 participants had a history of a lateral ankle sprain, and 10 participants had a history of a high ankle sprain. There was not a significant difference between the injury groups for the latency measurements or the time to maximum inversion. These findings indicate that a previous lateral ankle sprain or high ankle sprain does not affect the latency of the peroneal muscles or the time to complete the inversion range of motion.


2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Trescot

Ankle sprains are a very common injury, suffered by approximately 25,000 patients per year, and affect all age groups, including children, athletes, and the elderly. The recognition of the type of ankle sprain (medial, lateral, syndesmotic) affects early and late management of ankle sprains. Also discussed are the acute diagnosis and treatment of ankle sprains, as well as the consequences of chronic ankle instability, which may include serious conditions such as complex regional pain syndrome and chronic ankle instability. Surgical and nonsurgical treatment, evaluation, prognosis, and prevention are also discussed. Key words: ankle pain, ankle sprain, chronic ankle instability, complex regional pain syndrome, cryoneuroablation, high ankle sprain, lateral ankle sprain, medial ankle sprain, 


Author(s):  
Luís D. Silva ◽  
Bruno Maia ◽  
Eduardo Cruz Ferreira ◽  
Filipa Pires ◽  
Luís Camarinha

<p class="abstract">The ankle joint is the most commonly injured joint during sports activity. While ankle sprains occur more frequently, ankle fractures are less common. Due to its low incidence, the isolated fracture of the posterior malleolus still represents a diagnosis challenge. This article reports a case of a female with a posterior malleolus isolated fracture after falling while performing sports activity. Clinical examination and conventional radiography were consistent with diagnosis of a simple ankle sprain and the patient was discharged with a conservative approach for lateral ankle sprain. Due to persistent pain the patient return for additional examination, which the differential diagnosis revealed an isolated fracture of the posterior malleolus without displacement of the fragment. The patient was immobilized with a suropodalic splint for 4 weeks followed by additional conservative. At the fourth month of follow-up, the patient was asymptomatic and showed good clinical and functional outcomes. This case highlights the importance of a comprehensive medical history and detailed clinical examination which may reveal pathological features that require a differential diagnosis<span lang="EN-IN">.</span></p>


2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (9) ◽  
pp. 2156-2163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy C. Mauntel ◽  
Erik A. Wikstrom ◽  
Karen G. Roos ◽  
Aristarque Djoko ◽  
Thomas P. Dompier ◽  
...  

Background: Ankle sprains are among the most common injuries experienced by collegiate athletes. The type of ankle sprain is rarely differentiated in epidemiological studies. This differentiation is necessary, as each ankle sprain type has a unique injury mechanism and recovery period. High ankle sprains commonly result in long recovery periods. Thus, a further examination of the epidemiology of high ankle sprains is warranted. Purpose: To describe the epidemiology of high ankle sprains in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) sports during the 2009/2010-2014/2015 academic years. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Methods: NCAA Injury Surveillance Program high ankle sprain data and athlete-exposures (AEs) from 25 sports were evaluated. Certified athletic trainers recorded sport-related injury, event, and AE data during team-sanctioned events. High ankle sprain injury rates per 10,000 AEs were calculated. Percentage distributions were calculated for the amount of time lost from sport and percentage of recurrent injuries. Injury rate ratios (RRs) and 95% CIs compared injury rates by event type, participation restriction time, and sex. 95% CIs not containing 1.00 were considered statistically significant. Results: The overall high ankle sprain injury rate was 1.00 per 10,000 AEs. Overall, 56.7% of high ankle sprain injuries occurred during competitions, and 9.8% of high ankle sprain injuries were recurrent. Men’s football (2.42/10,000 AEs), wrestling (2.11/10,000 AEs), and ice hockey (1.19/10,000 AEs) had the highest high ankle sprain injury rates. In sex-comparable sports, men had higher injury rates (RR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.28-2.44). Player contact was the most common injury mechanism (60.4%), and 69.0% of injuries resulted in ≥1 day of participation restriction, with 47.1% resulting in ≥7 days of participation restriction and 15.8% resulting in >21 days of participation restriction. Conclusion: High ankle sprains resulted in significant participation restriction time from sport participation. The majority of high ankle sprain injuries resulted from player contact and were observed in contact/collision sports. The large proportion of high ankle sprains resulting from player contact, specifically in male contact sports, is worthy of further investigation. Clinical Relevance: The enhanced understanding of the epidemiology of high ankle sprains provided in our study will aid clinicians in developing targeted injury prevention strategies to mitigate the negative consequences of these injuries.


2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (9) ◽  
pp. 2890-2897 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Randell ◽  
Daniel Marsland ◽  
Emma Ballard ◽  
Benjamin Forster ◽  
Michael Lutz

Author(s):  
Feng Wei ◽  
Jerrod E. Braman ◽  
Eric G. Meyer ◽  
John W. Powell ◽  
Roger C. Haut

Injury to the tibiofibular syndesmosis ligaments, which bind together the distal ends of the tibia and fibula, is commonly referred to as a high ankle sprain [8]. While lateral ankle sprains are the most common injury, high ankle sprains represent a more disabling problem and require a longer recovery period [1] and different treatment [4]. The mechanism associated with a high ankle sprain is primarily thought to involve external rotation of the foot [1,7]. However, both a cadaver study [6] and a simulation study [5] show that tibiofibular syndesmosis ligaments are not stretched the most during an excessive, pure external foot rotation.


Sports ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 41
Author(s):  
Philippe Terrier ◽  
Sébastien Piotton ◽  
Ilona M. Punt ◽  
Jean-Luc Ziltener ◽  
Lara Allet

A prominent feature of ankle sprains is their variable clinical course. The difficulty of providing a reliable early prognosis may be responsible for the substantial rate of poor outcomes after an ankle sprain. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prognostic value of objective clinical measures, pain, and functional scores for ankle sprain recovery. Fifty-two participants suffering from lateral ankle sprain were included. Sprain status was assessed four weeks following injury and included evaluations of ankle range of motion, strength, function, and pain. Seven months following injury, a second assessment classified the patients into recovered and non-recovered groups using ankle ability measures. Following a predictor pre-selection procedure, logistic regressions evaluated the association between the four-week predictors and the seven-month recovery status. Twenty-seven participants (52%) fully recovered and 25 did not (48%). The results of the logistic regressions showed that walking pain was negatively associated with the probability of recovering at seven months (odds ratio: 0.71, 95% CI: 0.53–0.95). Pain four weeks after ankle sprain had relevant predictive value for long-term recovery. Special attention should be paid to patients reporting persistent pain while walking four weeks following sprain to reduce the risk of chronicity.


2010 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth L. Cameron ◽  
Brett D. Owens ◽  
Thomas M. DeBerardino

Abstract Context: Ankle sprains have been reported as one of the most common injuries sustained by members of the US Armed Services. However, little is known about the incidence rate and injury patterns associated with ankle sprains in this population. Objective: To examine the incidence of ankle sprains among active-duty members of the US Armed Services from 1998 through 2006. A secondary objective was to describe the sex, age, and service-specific injury patterns in this young, physically active population. Design: Cohort study. Patients or Other Participants: All active-duty service members from the day they enter military service until the day they leave military service and US Army Reserve and National Guard service members during periods of active duty and mobilization. Main Outcome Measure(s): Injury data were extracted from the Defense Medical Epidemiological Database from 1998 through 2006. All data for ankle sprains, coded according to the International Classification of Diseases (9th revision), were included. Cases were limited to those injuries reported as first occurrences. Incidence rates (IRs) were calculated per 1000 person-years by sex, age, and service. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were used to assess the strength of association between the incidence of ankle sprain and the independent variables of sex, age, and service. Results: From 1998 through 2006, 423 581 service members sustained ankle sprains and 12 118 863 person-years at risk to injury were documented in this population. The incidence rate was 34.95 (95% CI  =  34.85, 35.06) per 1000 person-years at risk. Females were 21% more likely (IRR  =  1.21, 95% CI  =  1.21, 1.23) to sustain an ankle sprain than males. Sex-specific IR varied by age and service. Differences in the rate of ankle sprains were also noted by age and service. Conclusions: The incidence of ankle sprains among US service members was 5 times greater than that previously reported in civilian population studies. Sex, age, and branch of military service are important factors related to the incidence of ankle sprains in this population.


2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 438-445
Author(s):  
Nawroz Othman ◽  
Salwa AL-Najjar

Background and objective: Musculoskeletal injuries frequently occur in the ankle in both the athletic and general population. Ankle sprains are among the most frequent types of ankle injuries, which are conventionally diagnosed through clinical examinations. However, magnetic resonance imaging can provide a more precise diagnosis, leading to better injury management and prevention of consequent chronic complications. The present study aimed to examine the significance of magnetic resonance imaging in detecting and assessing changes that occur in ligaments and soft tissues in patients with ankle sprains. Methods: In a prospective study, 50 patients with ankle sprain referred to Rizgary and Erbil Teaching hospitals in Erbil city, Iraqi Kurdistan Region, from March 2018 to April 2019, were included in the study. They underwent clinical evaluation and MRI (GE general electric 1.5 Tesla). Two expert radiologists analyzed the magnetic resonance imaging images, and the results were compared. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 23 through descriptive statistics. Results: Most patients (64%) belonged to the age groups of 30-49 years old. Most of them (64%) were males. Most events of ankle sprain (66%) were because of sports and accidents. The clinical evaluation proved 82% of the ankle sprains. Regarding the laterality of the lesions, 60% were spotted in the right ankles and 40% in the left. According to magnetic resonance imaging results, both radiologists diagnosed that the ankle sprains included bone lesions, ligament injury, tendon injury, and effusion. There was an agreement of ≥ 96% between the two radiologists in this regard. The two radiologists were not significantly different in terms of diagnosing the ligament side. As reported by the radiologists based on the magnetic resonance imaging images, the anterior, lateral, and medial tendons were normal in most cases. Conclusion: Magnetic resonance imaging is a vitally important tool that can be utilized reliably and accurately to diagnose and evaluate changes in ligaments and soft tissues in patients with ankle sprains. Keywords: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); Ankle sprain; Ligaments; Injuries.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 123-128
Author(s):  
Stéphanie Lamer ◽  
Jonah Hébert-Davies ◽  
Vincent Dubé ◽  
Stéphane Leduc ◽  
Émilie Sandman ◽  
...  

Background: Different treatment options exist for dynamically unstable purely ligamentous syndesmotic injury, including surgery, walking boot, brace and taping. Objective: The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of high-ankle sprain taping (ring taping) on syndesmotic stability in various ligament conditions when axial loading is applied. Methods: This controlled cadaveric laboratory study included ten cadaveric specimens installed in a custom-made device applying 750N of axial loading in order to simulate weight-bearing. Sectioning of syndesmotic ligaments, AiTFL and IOL, was done sequentially and CT scan images were taken with and without high-ankle sprain taping. A validated measurement system consisting of 3 lengths and 1 angle was used. Results were compared with Wilcoxon tests for paired samples and non-parametric data. Results: In every ligament condition (intact vs. cut), no statistically significant difference was observed between specimens, with or without high-ankle sprain taping and with or without axial loading. When the data from ankles with AiTFL and IOL ruptures were compared, the mean for length “b” without axial loading was 7.19 (±2.17), compared to 7.20 (±1.98) with axial loading (p-value = 0.905). With taping and the leg still in axial loading, the value was 7.17 (±2.09) (p-value = 0.721), which is not statistically significant. Conclusion: It is impossible to conclude regarding high-ankle sprain taping’s capacity to maintain syndesmosis congruity because no significant difference was observed, regardless of condition. The most important finding is that high-ankle sprain taping did not cause malreduction of the injured syndesmosis. Level of Evidence: Level V cadaveric study


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