OBJECTIVE: To study the effectiveness of TightRope elastic fixation combined with functional total repair of the inferior tibiofibular ligament in the treatment of distal tibiofibular syndesmosis injury. METHODS: The clinical data of 34 patients with distal tibiofibular syndesmosis injury who met the selection criteria between January 2020 and January 2022 were retrospectively analyzed, and they were divided into improved group (TightRope elastic fixation combined with functional total repair of inferior tibiofibular ligament) and control group (distal tibiofibular screw fixation) according to the surgical methods, with 17 cases in each group. There was no significant difference in age, gender, body mass index, fracture type, and other baseline data between the two groups (P>0.05). The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, and complications were recorded in the two groups. The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score, ankle metatarsal flexion and dorsal extension range of motion were used to evaluate the ankle function. The patient satisfaction survey was conducted at last follow-up. RESULTS: All 34 patients were followed up 8-20 months, with a median of 13 months. The operation time and intraoperative blood loss in the improved group were significantly longer than that in the control group (P<0.05). In the improved group, no infection or poor reduction occurred, and only 1 patient had TightRope knot reaction at 6 months after operation. In the control group, there were 2 cases of poor reduction, 1 case of lower tibiofibular screw rupture, and 1 case of subcutaneous infection (cured after anti-infection treatment). There was no significant difference in the incidence of complications between the two groups (P>0.05). At last follow-up, the AOFAS score and ankle metatarsal flexion and dorsal extension range of motion of the improved group were significantly better than those of the control group (P<0.05). The satisfaction rates of patients in the improved group and the control group were 94.1% and 82.4%, respectively, showing significant difference (P<0.05). CONCLUSION TightRope elastic fixation combined with functional total repair of inferior tibiofibular ligament in the treatment of distal tibiofibular syndesmosis injury has sufficient fixation strength, and can achieve better effectiveness and joint function compared with traditional screw fixation.
Humans ; Ankle Joint/surgery* ; Blood Loss, Surgical ; Ligaments/surgery* ; Plastic Surgery Procedures ; Retrospective Studies ; Ankle Injuries/surgery*

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the influence of artificial ankle elastic improved inserts (hereinafter referred to as "improved inserts") in reducing prosthesis micromotion and improving joint surface contact mechanics by finite element analysis. METHODS: Based on the original insert of INBONE Ⅱ implant system (model A), four kinds of improved inserts were constructed by adding arc or platform type flexible layer with thickness of 1.3 or 2.6 mm, respectively. They were Flying goose type_1.3 elastic improved insert (model B), Flying goose type_2.6 elastic improved insert (model C), Platform type_1.3 elastic improved insert (model D), Platform type_2.6 elastic improved insert (model E). Then, the CT data of right ankle at neutral position of a healthy adult male volunteer was collected, and finite element models of total ankle replacement (TAR) was constructed based on model A-E prostheses by software of Mimics 19.0, Geomagic wrap 2017, Creo 6.0, Hypermesh 14.0, and Abaqus 6.14. Finally, the differences of bone-metal prosthesis interface micromotion and articular surface contact behavior between different models were investigated under ISO gait load. RESULTS: The tibia/talus-metal prosthesis interfaces micromotion of the five TAR models gradually increased during the support phase, then gradually fell back after entering the swing phase. The improved models (models B-E) showed lower bone-metal prosthesis interface micromotion when compared with the original model (model A), but there was no significant difference among models A-E ( P>0.05). The maximum micromotion of tibia appeared at the dome of the tibial bone groove, and the ​​micromotion area was the largest in model A and the smallest in model E. The maximum micromotion of talus appeared at the posterior surface of the central bone groove, and there was no difference in the micromotion area among models A-E. The contact area of the articular surface of the insert/talus prosthesis in each group increased in the support phase and decreased in the swing phase during the gait cycle. Compared with model A, the articular surface contact area of models B-E increased, but there was no significant difference among models A-E ( P>0.05). The change trend of the maximum stress on the articular surface of the inserts/talus prosthesis was similar to that of the contact area. Only the maximum contact stress of the insert joint surface of models D and E was lower than that of model A, while the maximum contact stress of the talar prosthesis joint surface of models B-E was lower than that of model A, but there was no significant difference among models A-E ( P>0.05). The high stress area of the lateral articular surface of the improved inserts significantly reduced, and the articular surface stress distribution of the talus prosthesis was more uniform. CONCLUSION Adding a flexible layer in the insert can improve the elasticity of the overall component, which is beneficial to absorb the impact force of the artificial ankle joint, thereby reducing interface micromotion and improving contact behavior. The mechanical properties of the inserts designed with the platform type and thicker flexible layer are better.
Adult ; Male ; Humans ; Ankle ; Ankle Joint/surgery* ; Finite Element Analysis ; Tibia/surgery* ; Talus ; Stress, Mechanical ; Biomechanical Phenomena

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness of supramalleolar osteotomy (SMOT) and ankle arthrodesis (AA) in the treatment of inverted ankle osteoarthritis (OA) in Takakura 3A stage with talus tilt. METHODS: The clinical data of 41 patients with inverted ankle OA in Takakura 3A stage with talus tilt admitted between January 2016 to January 2020 and met the selection criteria were retrospectively analyzed, and they were divided into SMOT group (21 cases) and AA group (20 cases) according to the surgical method. There was no significant difference in baseline data such as gender, age, affected side, cause of injury, and preoperative talar tilt angle (TT), American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot score, visual analogue scale (VAS) score, short-form 36 health survey scale (SF-36) score, and sagittal range of motion (ROM) between the two groups ( P>0.05). The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, partial weight-bearing time, and complications were recorded in the two groups. AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score, VAS score, SF-36 score, and sagittal ROM were used to evaluate the effectiveness. Bone healing was observed and the time of bony healing was recorded. In the SMOT group, the tibial lateral surface angle (TLS), TT, and the tibial articular surface angle (TAS) were measured on ankle joint weight-bearing anteroposterior and lateral X-ray films and compared with those before operation. And Takakura staging assessment was also performed. RESULTS: The operation time and intraoperative blood loss in AA group were significantly less than those in SMOT group ( P<0.05). Patients in both groups were followed up 24-36 months, with an average of 28.9 months. Incision infection occurred in 2 patients in SMOT group and 1 patient in AA group, respectively, and no vascular or nerve injury occurred in both groups. The partial weight-bearing time of SMOT group was significantly less than that of AA group ( P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in bony healing time between the two groups ( P>0.05). At last follow-up, the difference of VAS score and SF-36 score before and after operation of AA group were less than those of SMOT group, and the difference of sagittal ROM before and after operation in SMOT group was less than that of AA group, with significant differences ( P<0.05). The difference of AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score before and after operation in AA group was slightly greater than that in SMOT group, but the difference was not significant ( P>0.05). The above scores in both groups significantly improved when compared with those before operation ( P<0.05). Sagittal ROM in AA group was significantly less than that before operation ( P<0.05), while there was no significant difference in SMOT group ( P>0.05). In the SMOT group, 17 patients (81.0%) showed improvement in imaging staging, 2 patients (9.5%) showed no improvement in staging, and 2 patients (9.5%) showed stage aggravation. TLS, TAS, and TT significantly improved when compared with those before operation ( P<0.05). At last follow-up, 2 patients in SMOT group received AA due to pain and stage aggravation, and 1 patient with bone nonunion underwent bone graft. Subtalar joint fusion was performed in 1 case of subtalar arthritis in AA group. CONCLUSION For inverted ankle OA in Takakura 3A stage with talus tilt, both SMOT and AA can significantly releave pain, improve foot function and quality of life, but AA has more definite effectiveness and better patient satisfaction.
Humans ; Ankle ; Talus/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies ; Blood Loss, Surgical ; Quality of Life ; Ankle Joint/surgery* ; Osteoarthritis/surgery* ; Osteotomy/methods* ; Arthrodesis ; Pain ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To explore method and clinical effect of microsurgical thinned anterolateral thigh perforator flap to repair soft tissue defects of foot and ankle. METHODS: From March 2017 to January 2022, totally 20 patients with soft tissue defects of ankle joint were treated with micro-thinning anterolateral perforator flap for free transplantation, included 13 males and 7 females, aged from 22 to 58 years old with an average of (36.45±12.36) years old. The size of flap ranged from 8.0 cm×5.0 cm to 20.0 cm×12.0 cm. Before operation, perforating vessels on the anterolateral thigh region were detected and marked with a portable Doppler detector. For the defect width less than 8 cm, 11 patients were repaired with a single flap. For the defect width more than 8 cm, the wound could not be sutured directly, and the lobulated flap technique was used in 9 patients, the width was converted to length, and the donor site was closed directly. Under the microscope, all flaps were thinened in a stepwise manner from the center of the pedicle to the periphery. After operation, survival of the flap, the shape, texture, sensory function recovery were observes, and recovery of foot function was evaluated by Maryland foot function evaluation standard. RESULTS: All 20 patients with microsurgical thinned anterolateral thigh perforator flaps were survived. Venous crisis occurred in 1 patient due to subcutaneous hematoma, after removal of the hematoma, the crisis was relieved and the flap survived successfully. The wounds in the donor and recipient sites healed well, and only linear scars left in the donor sites. Twenty patients were followed up for 3 to 26 months after operation, good shape of flaps without bloated, and good texture. The two-point discrimination of free flaps ranged from 9.0 to 16.0 mm, and the protective sensation was restored. The ankle flexion and extension function recovered well and patients could walk normally. According to Maryland foot function evaluation standard, 8 patients got excellent result, 10 patients good and 2 middle. CONCLUSION Microsurgical thinned anterolateral thigh perforator flap is an ideal method to repair soft tissue defects in functional area of foot and ankle, with good appearance and texture of the flap, no need for re-plastic surgery, reduced hospitalization costs, and less donor site damage.
Female ; Male ; Humans ; Young Adult ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Ankle/surgery* ; Thigh/surgery* ; Ankle Joint ; Perforator Flap ; Hematoma

OBJECTIVE: To explore curative effect of conservative treatment of supination-lateral rotation (SER) with type Ⅲ and Ⅳ ankle fracture by bone setting technique. METHODS: From January 2017 to December 2019, 64 patients diagnosed with SER with type Ⅲ and Ⅳ ankle fracture were treated with manipulative reduction and conservative treatment (manipulation group) and surgical treatment with open reduction and internal fixation (operation group), 32 patients in each group. In manipulation group, there were 17 males and 15 females, aged from 15 to 79 years old with an average of (51.42±13.68) years old;according to Lauge-Hansen classification, there were 8 patients with supination external rotation type Ⅲ and 24 patients with type Ⅳ. In operation group, there were 13 males and 19 females, aged from 18 to 76 years old with an average of (47.36±15.02) years old;7 patients with type Ⅲ and 25 patients with type Ⅳ. Displacement of ankle fracture was measured by Digimizer software, and compared before treatment, 3 and 12 months after treatment between two groups. Lateral medial malleolus displacement, lateral medial malleolus displacement, lateral malleolus displacement, lateral malleolus displacement, lateral malleolus contraction displacement and posterior malleolus displacement were measured and compared between two groups. Mazur score was used to evaluate ankle joint function. RESULTS: All patients were followed up from 12 to 36 months with an average of (17.16±9.36) months. There were statistical differences in lateral medial malleolus displacement, lateral medial malleolus displacement, lateral malleolus displacement, lateral malleolus displacement, lateral malleolus contraction displacement and posterior malleolus displacement in manipulation group before and after reduction(P<0.05). Compared with operation group, there were no statistically significant differences in lateral malleolus shift, lateral malleolus shift, lateral malleolus contraction shift(P>0.05), while there were statistically significant differences in lateral malleolus shift, posterior malleolus shift up and down (P<0.05). Mazur scores of ankle joint at 3 months after treatment in manipulation group and operation group were 68.84±13.08 and 82.53±7.31, respectively, and had statistical differences(P<0.05), while there was no difference in evaluation of clnical effect(P>0.05). There were no differences in Mazur score and evaluation of clnical effect between two groups at 12 months after treatment (P>0.05). CONCLUSION Bone setting technique could effectively correct lateral displacement of medial malleolus, lateral displacement of medial malleolus, lateral displacement of lateral malleolus and lateral contraction displacement of lateral malleolus in supination lateral rotation type Ⅲ and Ⅳ ankle fracture, and has good long-term clinical effect, which could avoid operation for some patients and restore ankle function after fracture.
Female ; Male ; Humans ; Adolescent ; Young Adult ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Conservative Treatment ; Ankle Fractures/surgery* ; Supination ; Fibula ; Ankle Joint/surgery*

OBJECTIVE: To explore clinical efficacy of Ilizarov hemilateral bone longitudinal transport technique in treating hemilateral bone defects associated with chronic osteomyelitis of lower extremity long bones. METHODS: Clinical data of 13 patients with hemilateral bone defects caused by chronic osteomyelitis of lower extremity long bones and treated by Ilizarov hemilateral bone longitudinal transport technique were retrospective analyzed, including 10 males and 3 female, aged from 14 to 55 years old;4 patients occurred femoral and 9 patients occurred tibial;10 patients were diagnosed as traumatic osteomyelitis and 3 patients as hematogenous osteomyelitis. The anatomical classification of Cierny-Mader in 13 patients was type Ⅲ. Bone and wound healing, postopertaive complication, and bony and functional results were observed by Paley evaluation standard. RESULTS: After removing external fixator, all patients were followed up from 6 to 70 months. Transporting time ranged from 54 to 158 d. And the time in external fixation ranged from 6.8 to 19.5 months. External fixation index (EFI) ranged from 1.23 to 1.6 months/cm. According to Paley's evaluation criteria, bony results were excellent in 13 patients;functional results showed excellent in 12 patients and good in 1 patient. Two patients occurred poor union on the docking sites and healed with autogenous iliac bone graft. The callus at the extended area was poorly mineralized and improved significantly when treated with low-intensity pulsed ultrasound in one patient. All patients had good wound healing without recurrence of osteomyelitis and refracture. There was no vascular and nerve injury and axial deviation in all patients and they were satisfied with the appearance and function of lower limbs. The range of motion of knee and ankle joint before operation was 120 ° to 150 ° and 35 °to 80 ° respectively, and at the latest follow-up was 110 ° to 140 ° and 30 ° to 75 ° . CONCLUSION Ilizarov hemilateral bone longitudinal transport technique is effective in treating infective hemilateral bone defects of lower extremity long bones, which could not only simplify architecture of external fixation, but also reduce the number of fixation pins, shorten the time in external fixator and decrease the incidence of pin tract infection. However, this technique is highly demanding, and the growth of callus in extended region and healing of bone apposition should be noticed.
Male ; Humans ; Female ; Adolescent ; Young Adult ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Lower Extremity/surgery* ; Tibia/surgery* ; Femur ; Ankle Joint

OBJECTIVE: To explore clinical effect of repairing anterior talofibular ligament with knot-free anchors under total ankle arthroscopy in treating chronic lateral ankle instability. METHODS: From April 2018 to August 2021, 24 patients with chronic lateral ankle instability were treated with knot-free anchors under total ankle arthroscopy to repair anterior talofibular ligament, including 16 males and 8 females, aged from 22 to 42 years old with an average of(28.6±5.8) years old;the time from injury to opertaion ranged from 6 to 10 months with an average of(7.7±1.3) months. Preoperative and postoperative American Orhopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score, visual analogue scale (VAS), talar tilt, anterior talar translation(ATT) were recorded and compared. RESULTS: All patients were followed up from 10 to 12 months with an average of (10.2±1.14) months. Incision were healed at stageⅠ, and no infection, nerve injury and lateral ankle instability occurred. AOFAS score improved from(52.79±8.96) before opertaion to (93.00± 4.01) at 6 months after operation, 23 patients got excellent result and 1 good;VAS decreased from (5.50±0.98) before opertaion to (1.04±0.80) at 6 months after operation(P<0.05);talar tilt decreased from(9.16±2.09)° to (3.10±1.72)° at 3 months after operation(P<0.05);ATT decreased from(8.80±2.55) mm to (2.98±1.97) mm at 3 months after operation(P<0.05). Twenty-four patients drawer test and varus-valgus rotation wer negative. CONCLUSION Repairing anterior talofibular ligament with knot-free anchors under total ankle arthroscopy for the treatment of chronic lateral ankle instability has advantages of less trauma, less complications safe and reliable, and good recovery of ankle joint function.
Female ; Male ; Humans ; Young Adult ; Adult ; Ankle Joint/surgery* ; Ankle ; Arthroscopy ; Lateral Ligament, Ankle/surgery* ; Joint Instability/surgery*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the needle puncture safety and clinical efficacy of manual reduction combined with external fixation of ankle frame in the treatment of trimalleolar fracture under the guidance of Chinese Osteosynthesis (CO) theory. METHODS: The clinical data of 118 patients with trimalleolar fractures admitted from December 2010 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Fifty-three patients were treated with manual reduction combined with external fixation of ankle frame(observation group). Sixty-five patients were treated with open reduction and internal fixation with plate and screws(control group). The operation time, hospitalization days, non-weight-bearing time of the affected limb, clinical healing time of fracture, incidence of complications, visual analogue scale (VAS) before and 1 month after operation, and American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society(AOFAS) score of ankle joint before and 1 year after operation were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Patients in both groups were followed up for more than 1 year. All patients were followed up, and the duration ranged from 14 to 70 months, with an average of(35.28±14.66) months. There were statistically significant in operation time, hospitalization days, non-load-bearing time of affected limbs, clinical healing time of fractures and VAS score one month after operation between the two groups. One month after operation, the VAS score of the observation group was lower than that of the control group(t=3.343, P=0.001). The operation time of the observation group was significantly shorter than that of the control group(t=9.091, P=0.000). The hospitalization days in the observation group were significantly less than those in the control group(t=5.034, P=0.000). The non-load-bearing time of the affected limb in the observation group was significantly shorter than that in the control group(t=11.960, P=0.000). The clinical healing time of fracture in the observation group was significantly shorter than that in the control group(t=4.007, P=0.000). There was no significant difference in AOFAS score between the two groups one year after operation(t=0.417, P=0.678). In the observation group, there were 2 cases of pinhole infection and 3 cases of loss of reduction less than 2 mm. There were 3 cases of surgical incision infection in the control group. There was no significant difference in the incidence of complications between the two groups(χ²=0.446, P=0.504). CONCLUSION Manual reduction combined with external fixation is safe and effective in the treatment of trimalleolar fracture under the guidance of CO theory, and the function of ankle joint recovers well after operation. This therapy has good clinical value.
Humans ; Ankle Fractures/surgery* ; Ankle Joint/surgery* ; East Asian People ; External Fixators ; Lower Extremity ; Retrospective Studies ; Manipulation, Orthopedic/methods* ; Fracture Fixation/methods* ; Open Fracture Reduction/methods* ; Fracture Fixation, Internal/methods*

OBJECTIVE: To systematically review the clinical efficacy of total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) and ankle arthrodesis (AA) in the treatment of end-stage ankle arthritis. METHODS: The PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane Library databases were searched for articles published in the treatment of end-stage ankle arthritis with AA or TAA from the establishment of the database to June 2021. Bias risk tool was used to evaluate the quality of the literature. The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Ankle-Hindfoot Scale(AOFAS), visual analog scale (VAS), ankle osteoarthritis scale(AOS), gait analysis (pace, frequency, stride), range of motion (ROM), satisfaction, complications and reoperation rate were analyzed by meta-analysis between AA and TAA groups by RevMan 5.3 software. RESULTS: A total of 12 articles were included, including 1 050 patients in the AA group and 3 760 patients in the TAA group, totaling 4 810 patients. Meta-analysis showed that the total score of AOFAS[MD=-3.12, 95%CI(-9.02, 2.96), P=0.31], pain score [MD=1.60, 95%CI(-1.35, 4.54), P=0.29], alignmentl score[MD=-0.04, 95%CI(-0.52, 0.44), P=0.88], VAS[MD=0.10, 95%CI(-0.49, 0.68), P=0.74], and AOS total score [MD=-4.01, 95%CI(-8.28, 0.25), P=0.06], the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05). The score of AOFAS functional in TAA group was significantly higher than that in TAA group[MD=44.22, 95%CI(-8.01, -0.43), P=0.03]. There was no significant difference in gait analysis between the two groups (P>0.05). Postoperative ROM [MD=-4.93, 95%CI(-6.35, -3.52), P<0.000 01] and change in ROM from preoperative to follow-up[MD=-5.74, 95%CI(-8.88, -2.61), P=0.0003] between two groups, the difference was statistically significant. There was no significant difference in satisfaction between the two groups [OR=1.011, 95%CI(0.46, 2.23), P=0.98]. Complications [OR=1.61, 95%CI(1.26, 2.06), P=0.0002] and non-revision reoperation [OR=1.61, 95%CI(1.17, 2.21), P=0.003] were significantly lower in the TAA group than in the AA group. There was no significant difference in the rate of revision and reoperation(P>0.05) between the two groups [OR=1.02, 95%CI(0.37, 2.78), P=0.97]. CONCLUSION The clinical efficacy of AA is similar to that of TAA, but the non revision reoperation rate and main surgical complications of TAA are significantly reduced. Therefore, further high-quality methodological research and long-term follow-up are needed to confirm this conclusion.
Humans ; Ankle/surgery* ; Ankle Joint/surgery* ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Ankle ; Treatment Outcome ; Osteoarthritis/surgery* ; Arthrodesis ; Retrospective Studies

Arthroscopic treatment of ankle impingement syndrome (AIS) is a minimally invasive surgical procedure used to address symptoms caused by impingement in the ankle joint. This syndrome occurs when there is abnormal contact between certain bones or soft tissues in the ankle, leading to pain, swelling, or limited range of motion. Traditionally, open surgery was the standard approach for treating AIS. However, with advancements in technology and surgical techniques, arthroscopic treatment has become a preferred method for many patients and surgeons. With improved visualization and precise treatment of the arthroscopy, patients can experience reduced pain and improved functionality, allowing them to return to their daily activities sooner. In this paper, we reviewed the application and clinical efficacy the of arthroscopic approach for treating AIS, hoping to provide a reference for its future promotion.
Humans ; Ankle Joint/surgery* ; Ankle ; Joint Diseases/etiology* ; Treatment Outcome ; Arthroscopy/methods* ; Pain