R. Bahr et al., MECHANICS OF THE ANTERIOR DRAWER AND TALAR TILT TESTS - A CADAVERIC STUDY OF LATERAL LIGAMENT INJURIES OF THE ANKLE, Acta orthopaedica Scandinavica, 68(5), 1997, pp. 435-441
We analyzed the changes in lateral ligament forces during anterior dra
wer and ta[ar tilt testing and examined ankle joint motion during test
ing, following an isolated lesion of the anterior talofibular ligament
(ATFL) or a combined lesion of the ATFL and calcaneofibular ligament
(CFL). 8 cadaver specimens were held in a specially designed testing a
pparatus in which the ankle position (dorsiflexion-plantarflexion and
supination-pronation) could be varied in a controlled manner. Ligament
forces were measured with buckle transducers, and joint motion was me
asured with an instrumented spatial linkage. An anterior drawer test w
as performed using an 80 N anterior translating force, and a talar til
t test was performed using a 5.7 Nm supination torque with intact liga
ments, after sectioning of the ATFL, and again after sectioning of the
CFL. The tests were repeated at 10 degrees dorsiflexion, neutral, and
10 degrees and 20 degrees plantarflexion. In the intact ankle, the la
rgest increases in ATFL force were observed during testing in plantarf
lexion, whereas the largest increases in CFL force were observed in do
rsiflexion. Isolated ATFL injury caused only small laxity changes, but
a pronounced increase in laxity was observed after a combined CFL and
ATFL injury.