Does arthroscopic repair show superiority over open repair of lateral ankle ligament for chronic lateral ankle instability: a systematic review and meta-analysis

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BACKGROUND: There is still no definite consensus on whether arthroscopic repair shows superiority over open repair for chronic lateral ankle instability. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the current comparative studies to make a generalized analysis. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases were searched from inception to April 2020. Included studies were assessed by the level of evidence and quality of evidence (Cochrane Handbook or MINORS). The process of data extraction was conducted by two independent authors. The comparative results of clinical outcomes, stress radiographic outcomes, and complication rates between two groups were pooled. Statistical analysis was performed using STATA. RESULTS: = 0%, P = .975) of arthroscopic repair group is not significantly different to that of open repair group. CONCLUSIONS: Arthroscopic repair for lateral ankle instability shows excellent clinical results comparable to open repair. Especially, arthroscopic repair might alleviate more pain due to the minimally invasive procedure. Patients receiving arthroscopic repair do not result in a higher total complication rate and nerve injury rate.