Background
The Modified Brostrom Gould Repair aims to repair the lateral ligaments of the ankle, in patients with ligamentous laxity and chronic instability. Brostrom Gould surgery, Brostrom technique associated with Gould augmentation, is currently the gold standard worldwide. Chronic lateral ankle instability caused by lateral ankle sprains is one of the most common sports-related injuries with the Brostrom Gould procedure being commonly recommended as the operative treatment. While arthroscopic surgery is becoming the more heavily favored approach of choice, open Brostrom Gould repair is still a pertinent surgery for patients unsuitable for Arthroscopic repair.
Methods
Patients were recruited from November 2017 to July 2019 at a single public hospital in Singapore, with the Modified Mini-Open Brostrom Gould Repair done by a single surgeon and examined preoperatively and postoperatively. Data was collected through a patient reported outcome measures form for a mean of 2.6 years postoperatively, including personal information, activity level prior, post-injury and post-surgery, past medical history and functional levels. Calculated scores include the VAS, FAOS and Karlsson scores to monitor their recovery post operatively. The Wilcoxon Signed-rank Test and SPSS Statistics were used for data management and analytics. The results showed a mean Karlsson score of 83.4, a mean FAOS score of 69.7 and a mean VAS score of 1.33 post-operatively.
Results
These results were comparable to studies conducted on conventional open Brostrom Gould repair and suggests no reduction of efficacy with the modified approach with the added advantages of a smaller wound, better wound healing outcomes and availability to patients not suited for arthroscopic repair.
Conclusion
The Modified Mini-Open Brostrom Gould Repair results in a desirable outcome postoperatively, leading to significant improvement in functional ability of the ankle and decreased chronic ankle instability.