Background: Identifying factors associated with favorable or unfavorable outcomes would provide patients with accurate expectations of the arthroscopic marrow stimulation techniques. Purpose: To investigate the prognostic significance and optimal measures of defect size in osteochondral lesion of the talus as treated with arthroscopy. Hypothesis: A critical, or threshold, defect size may exist at which clinical outcomes become poor in the treatment of osteochondral lesion of the talus. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: In sum, 120 ankles underwent arthroscopic marrow stimulation treatment for osteochondral lesion of the talus and were evaluated for prognostic factors. Clinical failure was defined as patients’ having osteochondral transplantation or an American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) Ankle-Hindfoot Scale score less than 80. Linear regression analysis and the Kaplan-Meier method were used to identify optimal cutoff values of defect size. Results: Eight ankles (6.7%) required osteochondral transplantation, and 22 ankles (18.4%) were considered failures because of AOFAS scores less than 80, which indicated fair or poor results. Linear regression analysis showed a high prognostic significance of defect area and suggested a cutoff defect size of 150 mm ² for the optimum identification of poor clinical outcomes ( P < .001). Only 10 of 95 ankles (10.5%) with a defect area .05). Conclusion: Initial defect size is an important and easily obtainable prognostic factor in osteochondral lesions of the talus and so may serve as a basis for preoperative surgical decisions. A cutoff point exists regarding the risk of clinical failure at a defect area of approximately 150 mm ² as calculated from magnetic resonance imaging.

Background: The critical lesion size treated with bone marrow stimulation (BMS) for osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLTs) has been 150 mm ² in area or 15 mm in diameter. However, recent investigations have failed to detect a significant correlation between the lesion size and clinical outcomes after BMS for OLTs. Purpose: To systematically review clinical studies reporting both the lesion size and clinical outcomes after BMS for OLTs. Study Design: Systematic review. Methods: A systematic search of the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases was performed in March 2015 based on the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. Included studies were evaluated with regard to the level of evidence (LOE), quality of evidence (QOE), lesion size, and clinical outcomes. Results: Twenty-five studies with 1868 ankles were included; 88% were either LOE 3 or 4, and 96% did not have good QOE. The mean area was 103.8 ± 10.2 mm ² in 20 studies, and the mean diameter was 10.0 ± 3.2 mm in 5 studies. The mean American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society score improved from 62.4 ± 7.9 preoperatively to 83.9 ± 9.2 at a mean 54.1-month follow-up in 14 studies reporting both preoperative and postoperative scores with a mean follow-up of more than 2 years. A significant correlation was found in 3 studies, with a mean lesion area of 107.4 ± 10.4 mm ² , while none was reported in 8 studies, with a mean lesion area of 85.3 ± 9.2 mm ² . The lesion diameter significantly correlated with clinical outcomes in 2 studies (mean diameter, 10.2 ± 3.2 mm), whereas none was found in 2 studies (mean diameter, 8.8 ± 0.0 mm). However, the reported lesion size measurement method and evaluation method of clinical outcomes widely varied among the studies. Conclusion: An assessment of the currently available data does suggest that BMS may best be reserved for OLT sizes less than 107.4 mm ² in area and/or 10.2 mm in diameter. Future development in legitimate prognostic size guidelines based on high-quality evidence that correlate with outcomes will surely provide patients with the best potential for successful long-term outcomes.

There has been no attempt to correlate the type and number of intra-articular lesions with the results of ligament reconstruction for chronic lateral ankle instability. Certain intra-articular lesions affect the clinical outcome of ligament reconstruction. Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Sixty-five ankles from 64 patients underwent a modified Broström operation for chronic lateral ankle instability with a mean follow-up of 28.7 months (range, 12–67). The results were assessed according to the Karlsson-Peterson Ankle Score. The type of intra-articular lesions and the association of clinical outcome were investigated using Pearson's correlation coefficient and multivariate logistic regression analysis. The average Karlsson-Peterson Ankle Score was improved from 53 ± 14.63 preoperatively to 85.21 ±11.97 at final follow-up (P < .001). Five different intra-articular lesions were described in 63 ankles (96.9%), and the ankle score negatively correlated with the number of lesions (r = −.604; P < .001). Multivariate logistic regression showed that syndesmosis widening (odds ratio, 11.1; 95% confidence interval: 2.2–55.4; P = .003), osteochondral lesions of the talus (odds ratio, 8.5; 95% confidence interval: 1.7–42.3; P = .008), and ossicles (odds ratio, 4.5; 95% confidence interval: 1.0–20.2; P = .046) are significant predictors of unsatisfactory results after ligament reconstruction. Arthroscopic diagnosis and treatment of intra-articular lesions associated with chronic lateral ankle instability is a safe and effective method. The presence of any combination of associated intra-articular lesions can result in a poor outcome.

Our study describes the clinical outcome of total ankle replacement (TAR) performed in patients with moderate to severe varus deformity. Between September 2004 and September 2007, 23 ankles with a varus deformity ≥ 10° and 22 with neutral alignment received a TAR. Following specific algorithms according to joint congruency, the varus ankles were managed by various additional procedures simultaneously with TAR. After a mean follow-up of 27 months (12 to 47), the varus ankles improved significantly in all clinical measures (p < 0.0001 for visual analogue scale and American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society score, p = 0.001 for range of movement). No significant differences were found between the varus and neutral groups regarding the clinical (p = 0.766 for visual analogue scale, p = 0.502 for American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society score, p = 0.773 for range of movement) and radiological outcome (p = 0.339 for heterotopic ossification, p = 0.544 for medial cortical reaction, p = 0.128 for posterior focal osteolysis). Failure of the TAR with conversion to an arthrodesis occurred in one case in each group. The clinical outcome of TAR performed in ankles with pre-operative varus alignment ≥ 10° is comparable with that of neutrally aligned ankles when appropriate additional procedures to correct the deformity are carried out simultaneously with TAR.