PAIN IN THE POSTERIOR ASPECT OF THE ANKLE IN DANCERS - DIFFERENTIAL-DIAGNOSIS AND OPERATIVE TREATMENT

A retrospective review was performed of the results of operative treat ment of stenosing tenosynovitis of the flexor hallucis longus tendon o r posterior impingement syndrome, or both, in thirty-seven dancers (fo rty-one operations), The average duration of follow-up was seven years (range, two to thirteen Sears), The results mere assessed,vith use of a questionnaire for all patients, and a clinical evaluation was perfo rmed for twenty-one patients (twenty-two ankles), Twenty-six operation s were performed for tendinitis and posterior impingement; nine, for i solated tendinitis; and six, for isolated posterior impingement syndro me, A medial incision was used in thirty-three procedures; a lateral i ncision, in six; an anterior and a medial incision, in one; and a late ral and a medial incision, in one, Thirty ankles had a good or excelle nt result; six, a fair result; and four, a poor result, (The result of the second procedure on an ankle that was operated on twice was not i ncluded.) The result was good or excellent for twenty-eight of the thi rty-four ankles in professional dancers, compared with only two of the six ankles in amateur dancers.