Relationship between stress ankle radiographs and injured ligaments on MRI

Objective This study was performed to investigate the relationship between the injured lateral ankle ligaments on MRI and stress ankle radiographs. Materials and methods Two hundred and twenty-nine consecutive patients (mean age 35.5 years, SD 14.6 years; 136 males and 93 females) that underwent ankle stress radiographs and MRI for lateral ankle instability were included. Tibiotalar tilt angle and anterior translation of talus were measured on stress ankle radiographs. Degree of lateral ligaments (anterior talofibular, calcaneofibular, and posterior talofibular) and deltoid ligament injuries were evaluated and scored as intact (0), partial injury (1), and complete injury (2) on MR images. Effusion of ankle joint was also recorded. The effects of gender, age, injuries of ligaments, and ankle joint effusion on stress radiographs were statistically analyzed. Results Gender ( p = 0.010), age ( p = 0.020), and anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) injury ( p