Quantitative evaluation method for clarifying ankle plantar flexion angles using anterior drawer and inversion stress...

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Sports Medicine
• Diagnostic Imaging

Background:

• Chronic ankle instability (CAI) often results from recurrent ankle sprains during sports.
• Current manual examinations for CAI lack quantitative evaluation and reproducibility.
• There is a need for objective methods to assess CAI and ligamentous changes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantitatively evaluate changes in the anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) length.
• To assess ATFL length changes during simulated anterior drawer and inversion stress tests.
• To compare ATFL length changes between individuals with and without CAI using ultrasound.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 160 healthy college students.
• Participants were categorized into a control group (no ankle injury history) and a CAI group.
• Ultrasound imaging measured ATFL length changes under stress at 0°, 20°, and 45° plantar flexion.

Main Results:

• Significantly higher ATFL length changes were observed in the CAI group compared to controls in men at 20° and 45° plantar flexion during anterior drawer stress.
• Inversion stress revealed significantly greater ATFL length changes in the CAI group at 20° plantar flexion in men.
• No significant differences in ATFL length changes were found between groups in women.

Conclusions:

• Stress ultrasound effectively demonstrated increased ATFL length changes in individuals with CAI.
• The stress ultrasound test, particularly at 20° plantar flexion, shows promise for evaluating CAI in men.
• Further research may explore its utility in women and refine diagnostic criteria.