MR TOMOGRAPHIC MONITORING OF HEALING OF T HE FIBULAR COLLATERAL LIGAMENT IN THE ANKLE AFTER RECENT RUPTURE

The therapy of fibular ligaments ruptures is still a controversial sub ject. Reports on healing processes following operative or conservative treatment have been verified hitherto by means of clinical examinatio ns and stress tests. The MRT, as a highly sensitive non-invasive metho d, allows exact documentation of the ligament structures in the ankle joints. This technique was used in a randomized clinical trial over a 6-month period. The 29 patients (ages 17 - 51 years) had recent ligame nt rupture [admission criteria: clinical signs of trauma, talar tilt i n anteroposterior stress radiographs (15 kp) greater-than-or-equal-to 10-degrees, talar shift greater-than-or-equal-to 10 mm] were examined with regard to ligament healing during functional therapy with AIRCAST pneumatic leg braces. Within the first week an MRT was done for verif ication of ligament injury. Treatment was conservative and functional: lower leg cast for 2 weeks and subsequent mobilization with protectio n provided by an AIRCAST brace. Follow-up examination was 3 months aft er injury, taking the form of clinical examination, a-p-radiographs wi th stress tests, and MRT. In all patients both clinical and radiologic al examination confirmed that ligament structures had healed, as was a lso verified by MRT.