Operative treatment of persistent lateral instability of the ankle--is it worse to sprain the ankle than to break it?
A series of 1600 patients suffering from injury to the lateral ligaments of the ankle were treated conservatively with plaster and bandages. In 35 cases the instability persisted and these patients required a Watson-Jones repair. This repair yielded a successful result in over 90% of cases.
D000328:Adult; D016512:Ankle Injuries; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D007593:Joint Instability / Q000601:surgery*; D013180:Sprains and Strains / Q000150:complications*