[Surgical treatment of soccer player's ankle joint]

In experienced football players spurring and calcifications of the ankle joint's capsule attachments may be found more often than in other sportsmen. Basing on functional and sometimes already established ankle joint instability pain may develop. Out of 374 football players throughout 1989-1992 with injuries to the ankle joint 49 were operated on. These showed chronical instability and radiologically visible alterations in accordance with the imaging of footballer's ankle joint. 40 of these patients could be followed up. 16 exact fibular ligament repairs and 19 reconstructions were performed, 15 tibioventral, 6 talodorsal, 12 fibular and three medial capsule calcifications and spurs were excised, 8 loose bodies removed, three cases of osteochondritis dissecans drilled. After an average follow up of 25.6 months we saw stable ankle joints in all patients with resting local pain in 15 patients, among them 7 load dependent and 6 with slight limitation of dorsiflexion. Sport activity level showed 25 patients improved, 11 equal, one worse and three with changed disciplines.