The application of arthroscopy is becoming increasingly widespread due to the development of surgical instruments and techniques. Subtalar pathology can cause chronic pain in the hindfoot, but it is often misdiagnosed as a lesion of the adjacent ankle joint, which can lead to delayed diagnosis and treatment. Subtalar arthroscopy and posterior endoscopy are good methods to confirm and treat the posterior pathology of the subtalar joint and posterior ankle joint.
Ankle Joint ; Arthroscopy* ; Chronic Pain ; Delayed Diagnosis ; Endoscopy* ; Pathology ; Subtalar Joint ; Surgical Instruments

Chronic lateral ankle instability is a major complication of acute ankle sprains, which can cause discomfort in both daily and sports activity. In addition, it may result in degenerative changes to the ankle joint in the long term. An accurate diagnostic approach and successful treatment plan can be established based on a comprehensive understanding of the concept of functional and mechanical instability. The patients' history and correct physical examination would be the first and most important step. The hindfoot alignment, competence of the lateral ligaments, and proprioceptive function should be evaluated. Additional information can be gathered using standard and stress radiographs. In addition, concomitant pathologic conditions can be investigated by magnetic resonance imaging. Conservative rehabilitation composed of the range of motion, muscle strengthening, and proprioceptive exercise is the main treatment for functional instability and mechanical instability. Regarding the mechanical instability, surgical treatment can be considered for irresponsible patients after a sufficient period of rehabilitation. Anatomic repair (modified Broström operation) is regarded as the gold standard procedure. In cases with poor prognostic factors, an anatomical reconstruction or additional procedures can be chosen. For combined intra-articular pathologies, arthroscopic procedures should be conducted, and arthroscopic lateral ligament repair has recently been introduced. Regarding the postoperative management, early functional rehabilitation with short term immobilization is recommended.
Ankle Injuries ; Ankle Joint ; Ankle* ; Collateral Ligaments ; Humans ; Immobilization ; Joint Instability ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Mental Competency ; Pathology ; Physical Examination ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Rehabilitation ; Sports

Ankle disorders are a relatively common pathological condition, and ankle injuries account for approximately 14% of sports-related orthopedic emergency visits. Various imaging modalities can be used to make a diagnosis in cases of ankle pain; however, ultrasound (US) has several benefits for the evaluation of ankle pain, especially in the tendons, ligaments, and nerves of the ankle. The purpose of this article is to review the common causes of ankle pathology, with particular reference to US features. In addition, the importance of a dynamic evaluation and a stress test with US is emphasized.
Ankle Injuries ; Ankle Joint* ; Ankle* ; Diagnosis ; Emergencies ; Exercise Test ; Ligaments ; Orthopedics ; Pathology ; Tendons ; Ultrasonography*

Adult ; Ankle Joint ; pathology ; Giant Cell Tumor of Tendon Sheath ; pathology ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of deltoid ligament and distal tibiofibular syndesmosis injury on 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with chronic lateral ankle instability (CLAI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty patients (mean age, 35 years) who had undergone preoperative 3T MRI and surgical treatment for CLAI were enrolled. The prevalence of deltoid ligament and syndesmosis injury were assessed. The complexity of lateral collateral ligament complex (LCLC) injury was correlated with prevalence of deltoid or syndesmosis injuries. The diagnostic accuracy of ankle ligament imaging at 3T MRI was analyzed using arthroscopy as a reference standard. RESULTS: On MRI, deltoid ligament injury was identified in 18 (36%) patients as follows: superficial ligament alone, 9 (50%); deep ligament alone 2 (11%); and both ligaments 7 (39%). Syndesmosis abnormality was found in 21 (42%) patients as follows: anterior inferior tibiofibular ligament (AITFL) alone, 19 (90%); and AITFL and interosseous ligament, 2 (10%). There was no correlation between LCLC injury complexity and the prevalence of an accompanying deltoid or syndesmosis injury on both MRI and arthroscopic findings. MRI sensitivity and specificity for detection of deltoid ligament injury were 84% and 93.5%, and those for detection of syndesmosis injury were 91% and 100%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Deltoid ligament or syndesmosis injuries were common in patients undergoing surgery for CLAI, regardless of the LCLC injury complexity. 3T MRI is helpful for the detection of all types of ankle ligament injury. Therefore, careful interpretation of pre-operative MRI is essential.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Ankle Injuries/pathology/*radiography ; Ankle Joint/*radiography ; Arthroscopy ; Chronic Disease ; Female ; Humans ; Joint Instability/pathology/radiography/*surgery ; Ligaments, Articular/pathology/radiography ; *Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of electro-acupuncture (EA) on the expression of triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cell (TREM)l in ankle joint synovial tissue of acute gouty arthritis (AGA) rats.

METHODSForty male SD rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: normal, AGA, medication and EA group, 10 rats in each group. AGA model was established by induced monosodium urate (MSU) method, except the normal group. Tow days before AGA model was established, normal and AGA groups were lavaged with normal saline (20 ml/kg), medication group was lavaged with colchicine solution (20 ml/kg), EA(1.5-2 Hz, D.-D.wave, 9v; 1-3 rnA) was applied to "Sanyinjiao" (SP6), "jiexi" (ST41) and "Kunlun" (BL60) for 20 min, once daily;continuously for 9 days. Then observed the changes in dysfunction, and the content of TNF-α and IL-lβ detected by ELISA, the expression of TREM-l detected by immunohistochemistry and western blot.

RESULTSCompared to the normal group, the AGA group of the dysfunction index increased significantly (P<0.01), the content of TNF-α and IL-lβ increased significantly (P<0.05), the expression of TREM-l in synovial tissue increased significantly (P<0.05); the medication and EA groups compared to the AGA group, the dysfunction index decreased significantly (P<0.01), the content of TNF-α and IL-lβ decreased significantly (P<0.05), the expression of TREM-l in synovial tissue decreased significantly (P<0.05); there were not statistically significant between the medication and EA group (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONEA treating AGA may be through down-regulating the expression of TREM -1 in synovial tissue.

Animals ; Ankle Joint ; metabolism ; pathology ; Arthritis, Gouty ; metabolism ; therapy ; Electroacupuncture ; Interleukin-1beta ; metabolism ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, Immunologic ; metabolism ; Synovial Membrane ; metabolism ; Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid Cells-1 ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; metabolism

PURPOSE: The goal of this study was to identify baseline prognostic factors of outcome in ankle osteoarthritis patients after intra-articular hyaluronic acid injection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with ankle osteoarthritis who received hyaluronic acid injection therapy were retrospectively reviewed. Each patient received weekly intra-articular hyaluronic acid injections (2 mL) for 3 weeks. Six predictors including gender, age, symptom duration, radiographic osteoarthritis stage, radiographic subchondral cyst, and fracture history were evaluated. Visual analogue scale (VAS) and patient satisfaction were evaluated as outcome measures. These predictors and outcome measurements were included in a logistic regression model for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Total of 40 consecutive patients (21 male, 19 female) were included in this study. Mean age was 60.6. Average follow up period was 13 months. The mean VAS recorded 3, 6, and 12 months after the first injection was 3.6 (SD 2.54, p<0.001), 4.33 (SD 2.9, p<0.001), and 5.3 (SD 2.7, p=0.0071), respectively, when compared to baseline VAS. Early stage disease was identified as an independent predictor associated with 'positive VAS outcome' at 3 and 6 months. Early stage disease and duration of pain less than 1 year were independent predictors associated with higher satisfaction. CONCLUSION: While hyaluronic acid injection for ankle osteoarthritis is a safe and effective treatment, careful selection of patients should be made according to the above prognostic predictors.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Ankle Joint/drug effects/*pathology/*physiopathology ; Female ; Humans ; Hyaluronic Acid/administration & dosage/*therapeutic use ; *Injections, Intra-Articular ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Osteoarthritis/*drug therapy/pathology/physiopathology ; Prognosis ; Range of Motion, Articular/physiology

Ankle sprains constitute the majority of ankle injuries, and result in pain, limited mobility/exercise and loss of school/work days. Ankle sprains involve at least one of the ankle ligaments and range from a micro tear to complete tear of the ligament or group of ligaments. The most common mechanism of ankle sprains is inversion stress of a plantar-flexed foot, while the most frequently injured ligament is the anterior talofibular ligament. The attending clinician needs to stratify the risk of fracture through history-taking and physical examination, manage the pain, assess long‑term complications and provide certification for rest and recovery. The Ottawa ankle rules may be useful. Graduated exercises to maintain the ankle's range of motion should be started early, after the resolution of initial pain and swelling. The risk of recurrent ankle injuries is often a combination of both mechanical and functional disabilities.
Ankle Injuries ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Ankle Joint ; pathology ; Humans ; Male

BACKGROUND: Chronic lateral ankle instability often accompanies intra-articular lesions, and arthroscopy is often useful in diagnosis and treatment of intra-articular lesions. METHODS: Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations and arthroscopic findings were reviewed retrospectively and compared in 65 patients who underwent surgery for chronic lateral ankle instability from January 2006 to January 2010. MR images obtained were assessed by two radiologists, and the inter- and intra-observer reliability was calculated. American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) and visual analogue scale (VAS) scores were evaluated. RESULTS: Abnormalities of the anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) were found in all 65 (100%) cases. In arthroscopy examinations, 33 (51%) cases had talar cartilage lesions, and 3 (5%) cases had 'tram-track' cartilage lesion. Additionally, 39 (60%) cases of synovitis, 9 (14%) cases of anterior impingement syndrome caused by osteophyte, 14 (22%) cases of impingement syndrome caused by fibrotic band and tissue were found. Sensitivity of MRI examination for each abnormality was: ATFL, 60%; osteochondral lesion of talus (OLT), 46%; syndesmosis injury, 21%; synovitis, 21%; anterior impingement syndrome caused by osteophyte, 22%. Paired intra-observer reliability was measured by a kappa statistic of 0.787 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.641 to 0.864) for ATFL injury, 0.818 (95% CI, 0.743 to 0.908) for OLT, 0.713 (95% CI, 0.605 to 0.821) for synovitis, and 0.739 (95% CI, 0.642 to 0.817) for impingement. Paired inter-observer reliability was measured by a kappa statistic of 0.381 (95% CI, 0.241 to 0.463) for ATFL injury, 0.613 (95% CI, 0.541 to 0.721) for OLT, 0.324 (95% CI, 0.217 to 0.441) for synovitis, and 0.394 (95% CI, 0.249 to 0.471) for impingement. Mean AOFAS score increased from 64.5 to 87.92 (p < 0.001) when there was no intra-articular lesion, from 61.07 to 89.04 (p < 0.001) in patients who had one intra-articular lesion, and from 61.12 to 87.6 (p < 0.001) in patients who had more than two intra-articular lesions. CONCLUSIONS: Although intra-articular lesion in patients with chronic lateral ankle instability is usually diagnosed with MRI, its sensitivity and inter-observer reliability are low. Therefore, arthroscopic examination is strongly recommended because it improved patients' residual symptoms and significantly increased patient satisfaction.
Ankle Joint/*pathology/*physiopathology ; Arthroscopy/methods ; Chronic Disease ; Female ; Humans ; Joint Diseases/*diagnosis/pathology ; Joint Instability/*diagnosis/pathology ; Lateral Ligament, Ankle/pathology ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods ; Male ; Observer Variation ; Pain Measurement ; Retrospective Studies ; Severity of Illness Index ; Synovitis/pathology

PURPOSE: To identify the characteristics of static standing balance and its postural control mechanisms during quiet side-by-side standing and the changes in these measures whilst wearing hinged ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs) in children with bilateral spastic cerebral palsy (CP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-one children with bilateral spastic CP (6.10 +/- 1.09 year-old) and 22 typically developing (TD) children (5.64 +/- 0.49 year-old) were recruited. Pressure data were recorded while subjects with or without AFOs stood on dual force platforms and net body center of pressure (CoP) coordinates were calculated from this data. Net body CoP was traced for measuring mediolateral (ML) and anteroposterior (AP) displacement and path length per second. Correlation coefficients between parameters representing ankle, hip, and transverse body rotation strategies were also analyzed. RESULTS: ML and AP displacement and path length per second of the CoP trajectory were higher in children with CP compared to TD children (p < 0.05). There were no significant improvements in these parameters whilst wearing hinged AFOs. Compared to TD children, children with CP used less ankle strategy though more hip and transverse rotation strategies for postural control during quiet standing. Whilst wearing hinged AFOs, the contribution of ankle strategy was significantly increased for ML balance control in children with CP (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Hinged AFOs for children with CP may be helpful in improving the postural control mechanisms but not the postural stability in quiet side-by-side standing.
Ankle Joint/*pathology ; Cerebral Palsy/rehabilitation/*therapy ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Humans ; Male ; *Orthotic Devices ; Postural Balance/*physiology