Mr. T.D.Tennent FRCS(Orth)
Arthroscopy Of the Ankle
Ankle Arthroscopy
Anatomy Patient setup Portal placement Procedures Complications
Anatomy
Portals
Anterior Anteromedial Anterolateral Anterocentral
Posterior Posterolateral Posteromedial Transachilles Tendon
Portals
Anterior Anteromedial medial to tibialis anterior
saphenous nerve and vein are medial
Portals
Anterior Anterolateral lateral to peroneus tertius
between branches of superficial peroneal nerve (6.5cm prox to tib of fibula)
Portals
Anterior Anterocentral between tendons of extensor digitorum communis
dorsalis pedis artery and deep branch of peroneal nerve lie between tendons of EDC and EHL
Portals
Accessory Anterior Portals Accessory anteromedial
1cm inferior and anterior to anterior border of medial malleolus
Accessory anterolateral
1cm anterior and at or below tip of lateral malleolus
Anterior Portals
Portals
Posterior Posterolateral adjacent to lateral edge of achilles tendon 1.2-2.5 cm above tip of fibula
sural nerve and small saphenous vein
Portals
Posterior Posteromedial medial to achilles tendon at the joint line
posterior tibial artery and tibial nerve Tendons of FHL and FDL calcaneal nerve branches
Portals
Posterior Transachilles Tendon at same level as the posteromedial but through center of achilles tendon
Portals
Accessory Posterior Portals Accessory Posterolateral 1-1.5 cm lateral to posterolateral portal, slightly higher
sural nerve and small saphenous vein
Portals
Accessory Portals Transmalleolar Transtalar
Posterior Portals
Patient Setup
Making Portals
Normal Ankle Examination
21 Point examination (Ferkel)
8 anterior (anteromedial portal) 6 central (anteromedial portal) 7 posterior (posterolateral portal)
Normal Ankle Examination
Anterior 1: Deep portion deltoid ligament 2: Medial gutter 3: Medial talar dome 4: Medial talus articulation with plafond sagittal groove
Normal Ankle Examination
5: Lateral talus 6: Talofibular articulation “trifurcation”
distal lateral tibial plafond lateral talar dome fibula
7: Lateral gutter 8: Anterior gutter
Anterior Examination
Normal Ankle Examination
Central 9: Medial dome of talus & corresponding
plafond
10: Central portion of talus & plafond 11: Articulation lateral talar dome with tibia & fibula
Normal Ankle Examination
Posterior 12: Posterior inferior tibiofibular ligament 13: Transverse tibiofibular ligament 14: Capsular reflection of FHL
Central Examination
Normal Ankle Examination
Posterior (from posterolateral portal) 15: Deltoid ligament, posteromedial gutter 16: Posterior medial talar dome, tibial plafond 17: Central talus and distal tibia 18: Lateral talar dome, posterior tibia
Normal Ankle Examination
19: Posterior talofibular articulation 20: Lateral gutter 21: Posterior gutter
Posterior Examination
Procedures
Arthrodesis Osteochondral Defects Instability Post Sprain Pain Anterior Impingement Meniscoid Lesions
Arthrodesis
Arthrodesis
Zvijac (Arthroscopy Jan 2002) 21 patients Mean age 52.7 Av. FU 34 months 20/21 fusion Av. time to union 8.9 weeks
Arthrodesis
9 excellent: no pain, limp, or occupational restriction 11 good: mild pain, occasional limp 1 poor: failed union and pain extensive AVN approximately 50% talus
Arthrodesis
Advantages: high fusion rate decreased time to fusion decreased cost
No or mild angular deformity No AVN greater than 30% of the talus.
Arthrodesis
Cameron (Arthroscopy Feb 2000) 15 cases FU 1-3 years 100% fusion Average of 11.5 weeks
Arthrodesis
5 patients required further surgical treatment 2/5: infections 2 required hardware removal
– 1 screws symptomatic subcutaneously – 1 screw penetrated the subtalar joint
Osteochondral Defects
Ogilvie-Harris (Arthroscopy Dec 1999) 33 patients duration of symptoms 2.3 years FU 7.4 years
Osteocartilaginous fragment removed Defect debrided with a power shaver Base abraded
OCD
79% were able to return to unrestricted sports
3% (1 pt) was unable to return to any sport Minor degenerative changes in 2 cases
OCD
Lahm (Arthroscopy April 2000) 42 patients 22 underwent percutaneous drilling 13 cancellous bone grafting 4 refixation 3 curettage
OCD
24 lateral talus all had trauma
11/18 lesions at the medial talus no evidence of trauma
OCD
K-wire drilling reached an average of 87 points
No significant difference in the lesions at the medial or lateral talus
Ankle instability
Ogilvie-Harris 19 patients
(Arthroscopy Nov 1994)
Clinical features of disruption of the syndesmotic ligaments Positive external rotation stress test
Ankle instability
Common triad: Disruption of the posterior inferior tibiofibular ligament
Rupture of the interosseous ligament Chondral fracture of the posterolateral portion of the tibial plafond
Ankle instability
Arthroscopic resection of the torn portion of the interosseous ligament and the chondral pathology
Successfully relieved the symptoms in most of the patients
Post sprain pain
Ogilvie-Harris
(Arthroscopy Oct 1997)
100 patients Failed to respond to conservative treatment for at least 6 months
Post sprain pain
3 groups: Instabilities (lateral and syndesmotic)
Impingements (anterior and anterolateral) Articular lesions (chondral and osteochondral).
Post sprain pain
Significant improvements :
– syndesmotic instability – anterior and anterolateral impingement
Chondral fractures
– stable ankle : 75% good – unstable ankles: 33% good
Post sprain pain
Arthroscopy offered little to the management of lateral instability
Minimal improvements for the patients with nonspecific diagnoses
Anterior Impingement
Anterior ankle pain ? aetiology
Meniscoid Lesion
Persistent pain in the anterior part of the upper ankle
Portions of hyalinized tissue following an inversion sprain of the ankle Trapping of this formation between the lateral cheek of the talus and the fibula is supposed to be responsible for pain
Meniscoid lesion
Lahm (Arthroscopy Sept 1998) 59 arthroscopic procedures
Meniscoid lesions were seen in 19 cases Only 1 of these 19 patients showed lateral and anterior instability
Osteoarthritis
Ogilvie-Harris
(Arthroscopy Aug 1995)
27 patients 4 years symptoms FU 45 months 17/27 patients improved only 2 ankles were restored to normal function
Osteoarthritis
Statistically significant improvement in – Pain – Swelling – Stiffness – Limp – Activity level
Feeling of instability failed to reach significance
Outcomes
Amendola (Arthroscopy Oct 1996)
79 arthroscopies minimum 2-year follow-up
Outcomes
21 OCD 14 post-ankle fracture scarring 11osteoarthritis and chondromalacia 14 anterior bony impingement 15 anterolateral soft tissue impingement or synovitis
Outcomes
63 of 79 patients benefited in some way
Theraputic only: 36 of 44 (82%) of the patients benefited
Outcomes
Best results:
Localized osteochondral lesion of the talus Localized bony or soft tissue impingement Localized lateral plica
Outcomes
Worse results:
Osteoarthritis Posttraumatic chondromalacia Arthrofibrosis
Outcomes
3 significant neurological complications
– 2 partial deep peroneal nerve neuropraxia – 1 superficial peroneal nerve irritation
Complications
RD Ferkel (Arthroscopy 1996)
612 patients overall 9.0%, 27 neurological (4.4%) 15 superficial peroneal nerve 6 sural nerve 5 saphenous nerve 1 deep peroneal nerve
Complications
Mariani (Arthroscopy April 2001) pseudoaneurysm
Summary
Useful technique Advantages over open surgery in some cases Potential neurovascular complications Strict adherence to portal technique
Thank You