Evaluation and management of lateral ankle injuries

The diagnosis and management of lateral ankle injuries require the physician to obtain an accurate history, complete a thorough physical examination, and institute appropriate treatment protocol. Labeling all acute lateral ankle injuries as ankle sprains can lead to long-term mechanical and functional instability and chronic pain around the ankle. Appropriate and aggressive functional rehabilitation of the acute ankle limits the postinjury convalescence and need for surgical reconstruction. If surgical repair of the chronic or acute ankle is warranted, the Brostrom-Gould procedure serves as a highly successful anatomic repair. Lateral ankle tenodesing procedures also are effective; however, in most cases, the loss of rearfoot motion limits this procedure to a secondary reconstructive procedure.