Deltoid Ligament Reconstruction

Abstract

Category: Ankle, Sports Introduction/Purpose: Deltoid Ligament Reconstruction: Clinical Outcomes. The Deltoid ligament is a primary ligamentous stabilizer of the ankle joint. Deltoid ligament insufficiency has been demonstrated to decrease tibiotalar contact area by around 43%. The authors report on their clinical outcomes of repairing deltoid ligament in the acute and chronic settings. Methods: 61 Deltoid ligament reconstructions in the acute setting and 24 in the chronic setting (of which 7 had an additional medial displacing calcaneal osteotomy) were followed up over a period of 1 year. This study was performed in St. Vincent’s University Hospital - Dublin, Republic of Ireland (Teaching hospital for University College Dublin). Results: 100% of patients receiving deltoid ligament reconstruction in the acute setting returned to sports within 3.5 months. 1.8% had excessive scaring requiring arthroscopic debridement. In the chronic setting, 95.8% of patients returned to sports at 6 months. Conclusion: Deltoid ligament reconstruction is associated with favorable outcomes and return to sports.