A Comparative Study of Arthroscopic Tape Augmentation Versus Ligament Reconstruction for the Treatment of Lateral Ankle Instability

Liu Yixiang; Lin Yanming; Li Xiang; Qiu Yuanzhou; Yin He; Gao Yanjun

Abstract：Objective To explore the clinical efficacy of arthroscopic tape augmentation repair of the anterior talofibular ligament(ATFL)compared to ATFL reconstruction in the treatment of chronic lateral ankle instability.Methods A retrospective review was conducted on 48 patients who underwent arthroscopic tape augmentation repair of the ATFL(augmentation group)and arthroscopic simple ATFL reconstruction(reconstruction group)at Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Shenzhen Hospital from January 2022 to February 2024.The augmentation group included 26 cases,with 20 males and 6 females;ages ranged from 18 to 53 years,with an average of(36.57±10.57)years;the duration of injury was(25.46±28.09)months.The reconstruction group included 22 cases,with 18 males and 4 females;ages ranged from 19 to 45 years,with an average of(34.45±9.63)years;the duration of injury was(28.45±26.26)months.The duration of surgery,the number of intraoperative C-arm fluoroscopies,and the length of hospital stay were compared between the two groups.Preoperative and postoperative scores at 6 months were assessed using the American orthopedic foot and ankle society(AOFAS)hindfoot function score,foot and ankle ability measure(FAAM)score,and visual analogue scale(VAS)score.The modified Macnab criteria were applied at the 6-month follow-up to evaluate the rate of excellent and good outcomes in both groups.Results Both groups of patients were followed up for 6 months.Compared to the reconstruction group,the augmentation group had a shorter surgical duration(P＜0.001)and fewer intraoperative C-arm fluoroscopies(P＜0.001).There were no statistically significant differences in postoperative hospital stay,VAS,AOFAS,and FAAM scores at the last follow-up after 6 months between the two groups(P＞0.05).According to the modified Macnab criteria,the augmentation group had 21 excellent cases,4 good cases,and 1 fair case,resulting in an excellent-good rate of 96.15％.The reconstruction group had 17 excellent cases,4 good cases,and 1 fair case,resulting in an excellent-good rate of 95.45％.There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups(P＞0.05).Conclusion Arthroscopic tape augmentation repair of the anterior talofibular ligament is a safe and effective technique for treating lateral ankle instability.Compared to ATFL reconstruction,it offers advantages such as shorter surgical time,less radiation exposure,and faster recovery.