Toshiharu Norimatsu

Stress roentogenogram for the lateral ligament injury of the ankle. An experimental and clinical study.

Utilizing a specially designed apparatus, the anterior drawer test was performed on 30 healthy adults, 7 amputated legs and 10 cadaver and 29 injured ankles. The varus stress test was performed manually on 100 healthy adults (200 ankles) and each of the above mentioned ankles.The results in the healthy adults showed that the upper limit of the anterior drawer displacement (ADD) range was 4mm (3.03±0.75) and that of the talar tilt angle was 5 degrees (3.68±0.33, P<0.05).In the amputated legs, cadaver ankles and injured ankles compared with healthy adults, each measurement increased significantly (p<0.05) and there were no remarkable differences between the groups.The cases of single ligamentous injury showed that anterior drawer displacements were from 4 to 6mm and talar tilt angles were from 5 to 10 degrees. The cases of double ligamentous injury showed that the former ranged above 6mm and the latter above 10 degrees.Each measurement increased according to the severity of the ligamentous injury. There was significant positive correlation (r=0.554) between ADD and TTA in the cadaver ankles.