Suture Tape Augmented Broström Procedure and Early Accelerated Rehabilitation

Immediately following a lateral ligament reconstruction of the ankle, the strength of the repair is far less than that of the native anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL). Additionally, early functional rehabilitation has been shown to increase laxity of the repair. We hypothesized that a Broström procedure augmented with a suture-tape construct would allow early functional rehabilitation while maintaining patient reported outcomes within a military population.

This study is a retrospective study of 93 consecutive patients with chronic lateral ankle instability that were treated with a Broström procedure augmented with a suture-tape construct. Subjects were evaluated at 2, 6, and 12 weeks postoperatively, with yearly satisfaction reviews. Demographics and functional outcomes including Foot and Ankle Disability Index (FADI), visual analog scale (VAS), satisfaction score, and clinical measures including single-leg hop and single-leg heel raise were recorded. Our patients included 75 males and 18 females with a mean age of 30 ± 7 (range, 19-51) years; our mean follow-up was 19 (range, 3-48) months.

The mean FADI score improved from 67 preoperatively to 87 and 90 at 6 and 12 weeks (P < .001), with 60 patients (65%) obtaining a score greater than 90. The mean VAS scores improved from 4.8 preoperatively to 1.4 and 1.3 at 6 and 12 weeks (P < .001). Eighty-two (96%) of the patients asked were able to complete a single-leg hop and single-leg heel raise at 6 weeks. The 12-, 24-, 36-, and 48-month satisfaction scores were 8.5, 9.8, 9.2, and 8.9, respectively. Demographics collected did not impact results.

This study suggests that a Broström procedure augmented with suture tape enabled early safe functional rehabilitation without subsequent failure. Our data also demonstrated a sustained high level of patient satisfaction while preventing reoccurrence within a high-demand military population.

Level IV, retrospective case series.