[Chronic external instability of the ankle. Surgical treatment by a periosteum ligamentoplasty]

The authors have used an original technique of repair for lateral instability of the ankle. The method utilises the fibro-periosteal covering of the lateral malleolus as a strip which is inserted either into the talus only, or into the talus and the calcaneum in cases with severe talar tilt. The advantages of this technique are to preserve the peroneus brevis tendon and to leave sub-talar joint mobility unimpaired. Twenty-three patients have been operated on and reviewed with an average follow-up of 27 months. The results were encouraging.