Ankle instability or, also known as “poorly healed sprain”, is a pathology that occurs in 20 to 30% of injuries as a consequence of a failure of conservative treatment. The clinical picture of patients suffering from it is characterized by pain, stiffness and problems walking or repetitive sprains, although it can be as subtle as the inability to perform some type of sport that before suffering the injury the patient practiced on a regular basis.
Ankle instability affects a wide range of people who may have suffered ankle sprains in the past that have not been treated correctly. Athletic patients are at increased risk for these injuries.
The first step of treatment continues to be physical therapy. When this fails, there is the option of repairing the ligaments surgically. Until now, traditional surgery was performed to repair the affected ankle ligaments, with a higher risk of complications after surgery that could cause long postoperative and recovery periods.
By contrast, with arthroscopic surgery, the trauma specialist is able to treat this pathology in a “minimally invasive” manner, repairing both the damaged ligaments and any associated injuries that may be diagnosed during the procedure. Arthroscopic surgery speeds up recovery times and, in the case of professional athletes -those most affected by this pathology-, a quick return to competition. In this group of patients, in case of acute or recent injuries, surgery can be used in earlier stages in order to ensure a faster recovery.