SHEN Yang, SHI Xiuxiu, FENG Pengpeng, SUN Haiyan, WANG Guishan, MU Jiedan, LI Xiao
Objective To explore the characteristics of balance and gait of patients after lateral ankle ligament reconstruction and compare them with healthy individuals in order to help develop precise and personalized postoperative rehabilitation programs. Methods Thirty male patients undergoing ankle ligament reconstruction surgery at the Fourth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital between October 1, 2023 and August 1, 2024 were selected as the study group, while another thirty healthy male peers served as the control group. The balance platform was used to collect data on the two groups of subjects regarding the area and perimeter of their motion trajectories, anterior-posterior and lateral standard deviations, average movement distance of the center of foot pressure on the X and Y axes, and their stability limit values under both eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions. A three-dimensional gait analysis system was employed to collect gait parameters and assess gait characteristics, including the double support phase, foot angle, step uniformity, support phase, swing phase, gait cycle, ankle dorsiflexion-plantarflexion, inversion-eversion, step frequency, step speed, and step width. Results In the eyes-open state, the motion trajectory area, motion trajectory perimeter, lateral standard deviation of the trajectory, and anterior-posterior standard deviation of the trajectory of patients in the ankle ligament reconstruction group were all greater than those of the control group(Z=-3.504 to -2.454, all P<0.05). In the eyes-closed state, the motion trajectory area, motion trajectory perimeter, lateral standard deviation of the trajectory, anterior-posterior standard deviation of the trajectory, and the average movement distance of the center of pressure on the Y-axis in the ankle ligament reconstruction group exceeded those of the control group(Z=-3.755 to -2.247, all P<0.05). The stability limit value of the ankle ligament reconstruction group was lower than that of the control group(Z=2.292, P=0.022). During walking, compared with the control group, there was a decrease in step frequency and step speed in the reconstruction group(Z=-2.434, -3.756, P=0.015, <0.001), but a significant increase in the double support phase(Z=-4.132, P<0.001)and swing phase(Z=-2.432, P=0.015)in the affected side of the reconstruction group, the support phase(Z=-2.225, P=0.024), step length(Z=-2.561, P=0.010), while the ankle dorsiflexion/plantar flexion range of motion(Z=-3.297, P=0.001) was significantly reduced. The healthy side also showed a significant increase in the double support phase(Z=-2.366, P=0.018). Compared with the healthy side, patients in the reconstruction group had a significant increase in the double support phase(Z=-2.513, P=0.012)and swing phase(Z=-3.962, P<0.001)in the affected side, while the support phase(Z=-4.007, P<0.001)and ankle dorsiflexion/plantar flexion range of motion(Z=-2.188, P=0.029)were significantly reduced. Conclusion Eight weeks after lateral ankle ligament reconstruction, patients' balance stability remains impaired under both eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions, with more pronounced anterior-posterior instability when eyes are closed. Abnormal gait patterns persist during walking.