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Correspondence to Author: Laura do Carmo Geraldino, Ayghor Amaral Costa, Caio Vinícius Guillen Gallucci, Cibele Leite Marsura, Lucas Silveira Martins, Hyalla Kayoma Fernandez Roussenq, Júlio Cézar Martins Frazão, Juliana Barroncas Serpa, Fernanda Grazielle da Silva Azevedo Nora. 

Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology Hospital Municipal Antônio Giglio, Osasco, São Paulo, Brazil.
LAM – Movement Architecture Laboratory UFG – Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil Avenida Esperança s/n, Campus Samambaia, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil.

DOI: 10.52338/tjop.2026.5558

Abstract:

Objective: To analyze the clinical, surgical, anesthetic, and functional outcomes of young adults undergoing surgical treatment for ankle ligament injury and to investigate whether the mechanism of injury is associated with differences in time to return to sport.
Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted including 36 young adult patients of both sexes who underwent surgical treatment for ankle ligament injury. Injury mechanisms were categorized as high-energy inversion sprain, rotational trauma with chronic instability, recurrent sprain with associated injuries, or sports-related trauma without associated injuries. Surgical techniques included direct ligament repair and ligament reconstruction using autologous grafts. Anesthetic techniques and time to return to sport were recorded. Categorical variables were expressed as absolute frequencies and percentages. The association between injury mechanism and return-to-sport time was assessed using the chi-square test, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05.
Results: High-energy inversion sprain was the most prevalent injury mechanism (38.9%), followed by rotational trauma with chronic instability and sports-related trauma without associated injuries (22.2% each). Return-to-sport time ranged from 3 to 12 months depending on injury complexity and surgical strategy. Patients treated with direct ligament repair demonstrated shorter return-to-sport intervals compared with those undergoing ligament reconstruction. However, no statistically significant association was observed between injury mechanism and time to return to sport (p = 0.41).
Conclusion: In young adults undergoing ankle ligament surgery, return to sport is not determined solely by the mechanism of injury. Although injury severity and surgical complexity influence descriptive recovery timelines, return-to-sport outcomes appear to be multifactorial, highlighting the need for individualized surgical decision-making and criterion-based rehabilitation strategies.

Keywords: Ankle ligament injury; Chronic ankle instability; Surgical reconstruction; Return to sport; Young adults.

Citation:

Dr. Fernanda Grazielle da Silva Azevedo Nora, Clinical, Surgical, And Functional Outcomes After Ankle Ligament Surgery In Young Adults: A Retrospective Analysis. The Journal of Orthopaedics 2026.