Tenodesis for chronic lateral ankle instability

The goal of lateral ankle stabilization is restoration and stability without any functional deficit. Obviously, only anatomic reconstruction can prevent deficits in range of motion. As a result, motion loss is unavoidable with tenodesis procedures. Unfortunately, no procedures are available for anatomic reconstruction of subtalar joint instability. Therefore, when there is objective evidence of subtalar joint instability, tenodesis procedures must be considered. The authors believe that stability is more important than range of motion when degenerative changes are present within the ankle joint. Tenodesis results are good for the short term (less than 5 years) but may deteriorate over time (after more than 9 years). Some residual pain is common following tenodesis procedures.