Acute ankle injury and chronic lateral instability in the athlete

Ankle injuries occur frequently in sports. The lateral ligamentous complex, specifically the anterior talofibular and calcaneofibular ligaments, are most commonly injured. In acute lateral ligament injuries, a functional ankle rehabilitation program is the mainstay of treatment. Chronic ankle instability develops in a minority of patients. Surgical procedures are broadly classified into anatomic ligament repairs versus reconstructive tenodeses. Commonly performed techniques include the Brostrom-Gould procedure,the modified Brostrum-Evans procedure, and the Chrisman-Snook procedure.