Meta-analysis of surgical approaches to lateral ankle instability: Open Broström versus arthroscopic Broström versus lasso-loop repair.

Study Summary

21 studies including 1426 patients with chronic lateral ankle instability were included in this meta-analysis comparing open Broström, arthroscopic Broström, and lasso-loop repair. Pooled outcomes included Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) pain, Karlsson score, American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score, operative time, return to daily work, return to running, range-of-motion restriction, and infection. Arthroscopic Broström and lasso-loop repair generally produced better pain and functional scores than open Broström, while arthroscopic Broström also enabled an earlier return to daily work. However, open Broström resulted in less range-of-motion restriction and a faster return to running than lasso-loop repair, with no significant differences between the two arthroscopic techniques. Overall, minimally invasive repair may provide modest patient-reported benefits, but no single technique was consistently superior across all outcomes.