Primary ankle ligament augmentation versus modified Brostrom-Gould procedure: a 2-year randomized controlled trial

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Sports Medicine
• Biomaterials in Surgery

Background:

• Chronic ankle instability affects over 20% of patients post-ankle sprain.
• Limited research compares surgical interventions for chronic ankle instability.
• Modified Brostrom-Gould (MBG) is a common anatomical repair, but not universally suitable.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the clinical outcomes of the ligament augmentation reconstruction system (LARS) versus the modified Brostrom-Gould (MBG) procedure.
• To evaluate patient-scored outcomes in a prospective randomized clinical trial.

Main Methods:

• Patients with chronic ankle instability were randomized to LARS or MBG.
• A standardized rehabilitation protocol was followed by all participants.
• The Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS) was assessed pre-operatively and at 1 and 2 years post-surgery.

Main Results:

• Forty-one patients completed the study (21 LARS, 20 MBG).
• The LARS group demonstrated significantly greater improvement in total FAOS at both 1 year (25.5 vs 16.0) and 2 years (27.1 vs 15.8) post-surgery.
• FAOS improvements were statistically significant (P < 0.05).

Conclusions:

• Primary repair augmented with LARS yields superior patient-reported clinical outcomes at 2 years compared to MBG.
• The LARS procedure is a viable alternative, particularly for patients unsuitable for MBG.
• Further long-term follow-up is warranted to confirm sustained benefits.