Which Foot and Ankle Ligaments Can Arthroscopy Repair?

Ankle instability is one of the most common issues for which people undergo arthroscopic surgery when it comes to the foot area. Two major ankle ligaments stabilize the lateral ankle: the anterior talofibular ligament and the calcaneofibular ligament. Arthroscopic ligament repair is meant to tighten the ankle's ligaments so that the patient will no longer experience instability when walking.

As far as the foot is concerned, there are the following ligaments that can be injured or damaged:

• The plantar fascia: It is the longest ligament of the foot, running along the sole, forming the arch. The plantar fascia helps with balance and gives the foot strength for walking by stretching and contracting.
• The plantar calcaneonavicular ligament: It is a ligament of the sole supporting the head of the talus, the bone that makes up the lower part of the ankle joint.
• The calcaneocuboid ligament: It is the ligament that helps the plantar fascia support the foot's arch. This ligament is small and broad.

Foot ligament repair is typically performed to treat severe sprains that prevent the patient from using their foot properly. However, lateral ankle ligament reconstruction is the most common surgery whose purpose is to firm up one or multiple ankle ligaments on the outside of the ankle. It is also known as the Brostrom procedure, and it can be carried out arthroscopically.

If someone has a sprain in their ankle, they must seek medical attention as soon as possible, as their ligaments might heal improperly, which can be irreversible even with surgery and may cause them serious problems with using the affected foot.