Objective:To compare arthroscopic versus open Brostr?m-Gould repair of the anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) in the treatment of chronic ankle instability (CAI) in young men undergoing high intensity exercise.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the 61 young male patients with CAI undergoing high-intensity exercise who had been treated at Department of Trauma and Orthopedics, 947th Army Hospital of Chinese People’s Liberation Army from January 2016 to July 2020. Their age was (25.9±2.7) years and their disease duration (13.9±2.8) months. According to their different treatment methods, they were divided into an arthroscopic group ( n=26) in which their ATFL was repaired by arthroscopic Brostr?m-Gould surgery and a Brostr?m-Gould group ( n=35) in which their ATFL was repaired by open Brostr?m-Gould surgery. The 2 groups were compared in terms of operation time and intraoperative bleeding, as well as the ankle-hindfoot scores of American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS), Karlsson ankle functional (KAF) scores and visual analogue scale (VAS) pain scores at postoperative 3, 6, 12, and 24 months. Results:There were no significant differences in the preoperative general data between the 2 groups, indicating comparability ( P > 0.05). The operation time [(35.8±3.9) min] and intraoperative bleeding [(6.6±2.6) mL] in the arthroscopic group were significantly less than those in the Brostr?m-Gould group [(52.1±4.6) min and (16.1±4.0) mL] ( P < 0.05). The AOFAS ankle-hindfoot scores and KAF scores in the arthroscopic group were significantly higher than those in the Brostr?m-Gould group at postoperative 3 and 6 months, but the AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score and KAF score at postoperative 24 months were significantly lower than those in the Brostr?m-Gould group ( P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score or KAF score between the 2 groups at postoperative 12 months, as well as in VAS pain scores at postoperative 3, 6, 12, and 24 months between the 2 groups ( P > 0.05). Conclusions:In young men undergoing high intensity exercise, compared with open Brostr?m-Gould surgery, arthroscopic Brostr?m-Gould surgery may lead to better clinical outcomes in a short-term (3 months after surgery). However, open Brostr?m-Gould surgery may result in better long-term efficacy than arthroscopic Brostr?m-Gould surgery (24 months after surgery).

Objective:To compare arthroscopic versus open Brostr?m-Gould repair of the anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) in the treatment of chronic ankle instability (CAI) in young men undergoing high intensity exercise.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the 61 young male patients with CAI undergoing high-intensity exercise who had been treated at Department of Trauma and Orthopedics, 947th Army Hospital of Chinese People’s Liberation Army from January 2016 to July 2020. Their age was (25.9±2.7) years and their disease duration (13.9±2.8) months. According to their different treatment methods, they were divided into an arthroscopic group ( n=26) in which their ATFL was repaired by arthroscopic Brostr?m-Gould surgery and a Brostr?m-Gould group ( n=35) in which their ATFL was repaired by open Brostr?m-Gould surgery. The 2 groups were compared in terms of operation time and intraoperative bleeding, as well as the ankle-hindfoot scores of American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS), Karlsson ankle functional (KAF) scores and visual analogue scale (VAS) pain scores at postoperative 3, 6, 12, and 24 months. Results:There were no significant differences in the preoperative general data between the 2 groups, indicating comparability ( P > 0.05). The operation time [(35.8±3.9) min] and intraoperative bleeding [(6.6±2.6) mL] in the arthroscopic group were significantly less than those in the Brostr?m-Gould group [(52.1±4.6) min and (16.1±4.0) mL] ( P < 0.05). The AOFAS ankle-hindfoot scores and KAF scores in the arthroscopic group were significantly higher than those in the Brostr?m-Gould group at postoperative 3 and 6 months, but the AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score and KAF score at postoperative 24 months were significantly lower than those in the Brostr?m-Gould group ( P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score or KAF score between the 2 groups at postoperative 12 months, as well as in VAS pain scores at postoperative 3, 6, 12, and 24 months between the 2 groups ( P > 0.05). Conclusions:In young men undergoing high intensity exercise, compared with open Brostr?m-Gould surgery, arthroscopic Brostr?m-Gould surgery may lead to better clinical outcomes in a short-term (3 months after surgery). However, open Brostr?m-Gould surgery may result in better long-term efficacy than arthroscopic Brostr?m-Gould surgery (24 months after surgery).