Based on these results, the new ankle activity score could be a better complement in the complex evaluation of ankle instability.

Background: A search of the literature shows that the effect of surgery on ankle proprioception has been hardly investigated. Objective: To examine the effect of anatomical reconstruction of the anterolateral capsuloligamentous complex on ankle joint position sense. Methods: A prospective study using the ''slope box'' test. Ten consecutive patients were included in the study, and 10 healthy athletes represented the control group. Results: Similar test-retest reliability rates (overall reliability 0.92; p = 0.0013) were obtained to those of the original designers of the method. There were no significant differences with respect to side dominance (p = 0.9216). Investigation of the characteristics of mean absolute estimate errors showed that the controls tested became error prone in the range of slope altitudes 7.5-25˚in every direction, compared with the range 0-5˚(range of p values 0.00003-0.00072). The results of the intervention group showed that, for the two main directions of interest (anterior and lateral), preoperative differences in mean absolute estimate errors between injured (anterior 3.91 (2.81)˚; lateral 4.06 (2.85)˚) and healthy (anterior 2.94 (2.21)˚, lateral 3.19 (2.64)˚) sides (anterior, p = 0.0124; lateral, p = 0.0250) had disappeared (postoperative differences: anterior, p = 0.6906; lateral, p = 0.4491). The afflicted ankle had improved significantly after surgery in both important directions (anterior, p,0.0001; lateral, p = 0.0023). Conclusions: The study shows that differences in joint position sense between healthy and injured ankles disappeared as the result of surgery. Preoperative data show that proprioceptive malfunction is a cause of functional instability. If treatment is by means of surgery, the retensioning of the original anterolateral structures is inevitable, even if other grafting or surgical techniques are used.

The clinical outcome of anatomical reconstruction or tenodesis in the treatment of chronic anterolateral ankle instability was assessed in a retrospective multicenter study. The anatomical reconstruction group (group A) consisted of 106 patients (mean age at operation 24 +/- 8.4 years) and the tenodesis group (group B) of 110 patients (mean age at operation 26 +/- 11.4 years). Patients were evaluated at a mean follow-up of 5.5 +/- 2.8 years in group A and 5.2 +/- 2.9 years in group B. The review protocol included patient characteristics, physical examination, two ankle scoring scales to evaluate the functional results, and standard anteroposterior and lateral radiographs to evaluate degenerative changes. Mechanical stability was evaluated using standardized stress radiographs. A larger number of reoperations was performed in group B (P = 0.008). At physical examination, more patients in group B had a smaller range of ankle motion than those in group A (P = 0.009). A larger proportion of patients in group B had medially located osteophytes, as seen on standard radiographs (P = 0.04). On stress radiographic examination, the mean talar tilt (P = 0.001) and mean anterior talar translation (P < 0.001) were seen to be significantly greater in group B than in group A. There were no differences in mean Karlsson score between the groups, but more patients in group A had an excellent result on the Good score (P = 0.011). Unlike anatomical reconstructions, tenodeses do not restore the normal anatomy of the lateral ankle ligaments. This results in restricted range of ankle motion, reduced long-term stability, an increased risk of medially located degenerative changes, a larger number of reoperations, and less satisfactory overall results.

The objective of this retrospective multicenter study was to determine whether anatomic reconstruction or tenodesis produces better results in athletic patients with lateral ankle instability. Forty-one patients who underwent anatomic reconstruction and 36 patients who underwent tenodesis were followed up. The median preinjury Tegner score for both groups was 9 (range, 7 to 10). At follow-up, 2 to 10 years after surgical treatment, the median Tegner score for both groups was 8 (range, 4 to 10). In the tenodesis group, 17 patients had a lower Tegner score than before the operation, but in the anatomic reconstruction group only 4 patients had lower scores. Significantly more patients in the tenodesis group (15) had limited ankle dorsiflexion than in the anatomic reconstruction group (3). Plain radiographs revealed that 11 patients in the tenodesis group had medially located osteophytes, compared with only 2 patients in the anatomic reconstruction group. Stress radiographs revealed that more patients in the anatomic reconstruction group had normal laxity values than in the tenodesis group (38 and 28, respectively). According to the rating system developed by Good et al., 36 patients in the anatomic reconstruction group had a good or excellent result, versus 21 patients in the tenodesis group. Anatomic reconstruction was found to be superior to tenodesis in all of the investigated outcome measures.

One hundred and fifty six patients were treated using the modified double suture technique for percutaneous Achilles tendon repair between 1994 and 1998. Endoscopy was used in 67 cases. The first ten cases were dropped (learning curve), 57 were followed (E-group). Percutaneous suture without endoscopy was performed in 89 patients. Two could not be followed (went abroad), so this group consists of 87 patients (P-group). Mean age: E-group 37.8 (22-60) years, P-group 38.9 (20-68) years. Male-female ratio: E 49/8, P 74/13. There were 54 and 83 athletes in groups E and P respectively. Follow-up period was 12-60 months. Overall re-rupture rate was 6/144 (4.2%). Two total and 3 partial re-ruptures were in the P-group, and 1 partial was in the E-group. Fusiform thickening of the tendon (delayed healing) occurred in 4 cases in each group. The mean plantar flexion strength compared with the non-affected side was 89% in the P-group and 86% in the E-group. The length of time before returning to sports activity ranged from 4 to 6 months after surgery in both groups. Subjective results were excellent to good in 88% (P-group) and in 89% (E-group) of the cases. On the basis of the results, the percutaneous double suture technique proved to be a simple and safe method for Achilles tendon repair with or without the use of an endoscope. The re-rupture rate was lower in the endoscopic controlled group. The basic goal of the endoscopy was to control the adaptation of the tendon ends. This method yielded further operative possibilities and benefits as well.

Improvement of ankle proprioception through physiotherapy (a.k.a. proprioceptive training) is a widely accepted conservative treatment modality of chronic functional lateral ankle instability. Clinical studies provided controversial data on its proprioceptive effect. Aim of this study was to gain evidence on the efficacy of proprioceptive training on ankle joint position sense. Ten patients (five males and five females, aged 23.3+/-5.4 years) were treated conservatively for chronic lateral ankle instability with a special training programme over 6 weeks. For the assessment of joint position sense we used the slope-box test, first applied and described by Robbins et al. (Br J Sports Med 29:242-247, 1995). The test was performed before the start and after the end of the training programme, measuring joint position sense on 11 different slope amplitudes in four directions (anterior, posterior, lateral and medial) in random order each on both ankles. Comparisons were made between pre- and post-training results as well as versus a control-group of ten healthy athletes. Overall the proprioceptive sensory function of the studied group has improved, but this improvement was not significant in all directions. Only two patients have shown significant improvement of joint position sense in all directions (mean estimate error improvement: 2.47 degrees ), while conservative treatment was partially successful in five others (mean estimate error improvement: 0.73 degrees ). The follow-up results of these seven patients were comparable with the values measured in the control-group. Three patients did not show any improvements (mean estimate error improvement: -0.55 degrees ) (overall difference between improving and non-improving patients: P<0.0001). Mean absolute estimate error profiles of the seven improving patients became similar to the profiles of healthy athletes, while these changes could not be observed in the case of the three non-improving participants. Proprioceptive rehabilitation programme can be an effective method in order to improve impaired joint position sense function. After 6 weeks non-responding patients can be well identified, and considered for other treatment modalities. The determination of the effective length of the programme however needs further evaluation. Still, changes in the proprioceptive sensory function of the ankle plantarflectors indicate the preventive effect of the training programme. Furthermore, our results support the theory of simultaneous function of different mechanoreceptor-systems.

Preventive effect of proprioceptive training is proven by decreasing injury incidence, but its proprioceptive mechanism is not. Major hypothesis: the training has a positive long-term effect on ankle joint position sense in athletes of a high-risk sport (handball). Ten elite-level female handball-players represented the intervention group (training-group), 10 healthy athletes of other sports formed the control-group. Proprioceptive training was incorporated into the regular training regimen of the training-group. Ankle joint position sense function was measured with the "slope-box" test, first described by Robbins et al. Testing was performed one day before the intervention and 20 months later. Mean absolute estimate errors were processed for statistical analysis. Proprioceptive sensory function improved regarding all four directions with a high significance (p<0.0001; avg. mean estimate error improvement: 1.77 degrees). This was also highly significant (p< or =0.0002) in each single directions, with avg. mean estimate error improvement between 1.59 degrees (posterior) and 2.03 degrees (anterior). Mean absolute estimate errors at follow-up (2.24 degrees +/-0.88 degrees) were significantly lower than in uninjured controls (3.29 degrees +/-1.15 degrees) (p<0.0001). Long-term neuromuscular training has improved ankle joint position sense function in the investigated athletes. This joint position sense improvement can be one of the explanations for injury rate reduction effect of neuromuscular training.

BackgroundCeramic-on-ceramic (CoC) articulations in total hip replacement (THR) has been accepted as giving reliable mid-term results; however recent studies have reported higher revision rates of some implants. This study analyses the nationwide results of the seleXys TPS cup and the Bionit2 liner (Mathys, Bettlach, Switzerland) with respect to implant survival, cause for revision and mortality rates compared to other CoC articulations using the same stem.MethodsUtilising the New Zealand Joint Registry, we compared the seleXys TPS cup with Bionit2 liner used with an uncemented Twinsys femoral stem to every other uncemented CoC THR using the same stem. Multivariate analysis was used to determine the effects of patient age, gender, ASA score and implant head size on these rates.ResultsBetween 2006 and 2013 a total of 1035 seleXys THRs were performed on 862 patients. The comparison group had 375 THRs on 280 patients. There were 77 revisions (1.4/100 component years) in the study group and two in the comparison group (0.12/100 component years). Overall hazards ratio for revision was 12.22 times higher and female gender was associated with an increased risk (hazards ratio 1.77). Causes for revision were disturbing noises (23.4%), acetabular loosening (20.8%), and fracture of the liner (18.2%). Mortality rates were not significantly different (P = .567).ConclusionsThe seleXys TPS cup with the Bionit2 ceramic inlay coupling has an unacceptably high failure rate. We recommend avoiding this implant coupling and would advise that patients treated with this implant need close clinical and radiological follow-up.