title: [Post-traumatic arthrosis of the upper ankle joint in chronic insufficiency of the fibular ligament].
abstract: X-ray studies of the ankle joints of 209 patients with operatively certified ankle joint instability were examined retrospectively in order to estimate the importance of lateral instability in causing degenerative osteoarthritis of the ankle joint. The patients were distributed into two groups: group A (126 patients with chronic fibular instability; 98 were up to 29 years of age and 28 between 30 and 40 years) and group B (83 patients with a fresh fibular rupture: 70 up to 29 years and 13 between 30 and 40 years). For more subtle differentiation of the grades of osteoarthritis, a new score system was developed. The results were tested statistically. In the patients with chronic instability in the younger group signs of degenerative arthritis could be seen twice as frequently as in the recently injured patients; in particular, higher grades of arthritis were found five times more frequently than in the recently injured. All patients with chronic instability in the older group had signs of degenerative arthritis. Higher grades of degenerative arthritis occurred ten times more frequently than in the recently injured. Regarding the recently injured patients, there was no significant difference between the younger and the older group. It is concluded that chronic fibular instability is an important factor in the development of degenerative arthritis, which shows the importance of early stabilization in order to prevent the development of degenerative arthritis.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016512:Ankle Injuries; D000843:Ankle Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005360:Fibula / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D007593:Joint Instability / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008023:Ligaments, Articular / Q000293:injuries*; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D010026:Osteosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011859:Radiography; D012421:Rupture; D013977:Tibia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging
vernacular_title: Posttraumatische Arthrose des oberen Sprunggelenkes bei chronischer fibularer Bandinsuffizienz.