title: The improvement of postural control in patients with mechanical ankle instability after lateral ankle ligaments reconstruction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Lateral ankle sprain is the most common injury. A previous study demonstrated that patients with mechanical ankle instability suffered deficits in postural control, indicating that structural damage of the lateral ankle ligaments may produce a balance deficit. The purpose of this study was to confirm that lateral ligaments reconstruction could improve postural control in patients with mechanical ankle instability.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 15 patients were included in the study. Each patient had a history of an ankle sprain with persistent symptoms of ankle instability and a positive anterior drawer test and had been treated nonoperatively for at least 3 months. All patients were diagnosed with lateral ankle ligaments tear by ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging. They underwent arthroscopic debridement and open lateral ankle ligaments reconstruction with a modified Broström procedure. One day before and 6 months after the operation, all of the participants underwent single-limb postural sway tests. The anterior drawer test and the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society scale score were used to evaluate the clinical results in these patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At 6 months after the operation, with the patients' eyes closed, there was significantly decreased postural sway in the anteroposterior direction, the circumferential area, and the total path length on the operated ankles compared with those measurements before the operation. With eyes open, however, no difference was found in postural sway before and after the operation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Postural control was improved by reconstructing the lateral ligaments.
  
  
  METHODS
  IV.
authors.affiliation: Sports Medicine Center of Fudan University, Department of Sports Medicine and Arthroscopy Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, No. 12 Urumq Middle Road, Shanghai, 20040, China.
authors.forename: Hong-Yun
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Huadong Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, China.
authors.forename: Jie-Jiao
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Sports Medicine Center of Fudan University, Department of Sports Medicine and Arthroscopy Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, No. 12 Urumq Middle Road, Shanghai, 20040, China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasonography, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai, 20040, China.
authors.forename: Ye-Hua
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: Sports Medicine Center of Fudan University, Department of Sports Medicine and Arthroscopy Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, No. 12 Urumq Middle Road, Shanghai, 20040, China. hua_cosm@aliyun.com.
authors.forename: Ying-Hui
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Hua
authors.affiliation: Sports Medicine Center of Fudan University, Department of Sports Medicine and Arthroscopy Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, No. 12 Urumq Middle Road, Shanghai, 20040, China.
authors.forename: Shi-Yi
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016512:Ankle Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D000843:Ankle Joint / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D001182:Arthroscopy; D003646:Debridement; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007593:Joint Instability / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D017844:Lateral Ligament, Ankle / Q000293:injuries / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D014463:Ultrasonography; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Ankle instability; Ligament reconstruction; Mechanical; Postural sway