The ligaments on both sides of your ankle joint are incredibly strong, and they need to be in order to support and stabilize your ankle during all sorts of movements and motions. However, if you step awkwardly and sprain or fracture your ankle, these supportive ligaments can become damaged, and if you don’t work to help them regain strength, they won’t be able to provide enough support to your ankle, leaving you susceptible to future injuries. It’s incredibly important that you work to restore strength and function in your ankle ligaments following an injury, and while conservative techniques oftentimes get the job done, sometimes the only real way to address the damage is with a surgical procedure.

Ankle ligament reconstruction surgery is typically performed using the Brostrom-Gould technique. We explore the procedure in greater depth in today’s blog.

Ankle Ligament Reconstruction – Brostrom-Gould Technique

The Brostrom-Gould technique is the most common surgery to address damaged ankle ligaments that don’t respond well to conservative treatments. This method is ideal because it allows for more natural healing and provides significant artificial strength to the recovering ankle ligaments.

With the Brostrom-Gould technique, the doctor will create a few small incisions above the damaged ligaments on the outside of the ankle. Using specialized tools and a microcamera that relays a live feed of the ligaments to a monitor in the operating room, the surgeon can carry out the operation on a minimally invasive basis, which limits tissue damage and speeds up the recovery timeline.

Once in place, the damaged and overstretched ankle ligaments are tightened with sutures. This is akin to mending a tear in fabric by sewing it back together, which not only allows it to take its original form, but also reinforces the area, making it less likely that a tear or loosening reemerges. The procedure can be completed in short order, as most surgeons can finish the operation in 45-90 minutes depending on how the ligaments need to be addressed.

After surgery has been completed, the patient will have their foot immobilized for a few weeks before gradually taking on more stress. Weeks of physical therapy exercises will be pursued to restore strength and function in the ankle. It is incredibly important that you follow through with your in-person and home-based physical therapy exercises if you want to return to a pre-injury level of fitness. Surgery provides the foundation for healthy recovery, but surgery alone won’t get your ankle ligaments back to full strength. You’ll need to put in the work during your physical therapy exercises and rehabilitation plan.

Most patients are back to walking and other low-impact activities by six weeks post-op, but a return to high impact activities and athletics can take 3-6 months. Returning to high impact activities too quickly can damage the ligaments or cause the sutures to fail, so follow your surgeon’s rehab plan carefully and ensure you get clearance before pursuing activities that may be outside your current restrictions.

The Brostrom-Gould technique is typically very effective at restoring strength and stability in the ankle joint, and many patients say that their ankle actually feels stronger than it did prior to their injury once their rehab is complete. Don’t let nagging ankle instability keep you down any longer. Instead, connect with Dr. McDonald and his team to get set up with an individualized treatment plan today. For more information, or for help managing a different foot or ankle issue, connect with Dr. McDonald’s office today at (860) 244-8889.