Sex-Specific Differences Following Lateral Ankle Ligament Repair

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Sports Medicine
• Biomechanical Research

Background:

• Chronic ankle instability frequently requires lateral ankle ligament repair.
• Existing literature reports high success rates (>85%) for these procedures.
• Limited data exists on sex-specific postoperative outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and compare sex-specific outcomes after primary lateral ankle ligament repair.
• To identify any potential differences in functional recovery between males and females.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review and meta-analysis adhering to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.
• Inclusion of studies evaluating primary lateral ligament repair with sex-specific outcome reporting.
• Statistical analysis of functional postoperative outcomes (Karlsson score, AOFAS score) for males and females.

Main Results:

• Seven studies with 618 patients (402 males, 216 females) met inclusion criteria.
• No statistically significant difference was observed in Karlsson scores (P = .1582) or American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) scores (P = .1586) between sexes.
• Postoperative success rates, defined by Karlsson score, did not differ significantly between males and females (P = .9374).

Conclusions:

• Primary lateral ankle ligament repair yields comparable postoperative outcomes in both males and females.
• No significant sex-based disparities were found in functional scores or overall success rates.