In a series of 921 patients with acute inversion trauma of the ankle joint, the diagnostic features of lateral ligamentous ruptures were evaluated. Patients with proven lateral ligamentous rupture (150 patients in this series) were submitted to a prospective trial to compare three methods of treatment. In the 50 patients operated upon, the results of clinical diagnosis, stress radiography, and ankle arthrography were compared with surgical findings. Clinical diagnosis proved to be of very little value. The positive signs of ankle arthrography showed a reliability of 96% in predicting ligamentous rupture. Inversion stress radiography under full anesthesia showed a reliability of 92%, but the same investigation under local anesthesia, however, was only 68%.

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Adhesive capsulitis or "frozen ankle" is a syndrome resulting from repeated ankle sprains, or perhaps following immobilization after trauma. Ankle arthrography is a useful and safe diagnostic procedure in this syndrome. Typical arthrographic features are described together with case histories of two patients with frozen ankle. We suggest that early mobilization of the patient following trauma is particularly important in preventing the development of a forzen ankle syndrome.

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From literature study, surgical findings and cadaver experiments, it is unlikely that, in an inversion type ankle sprain, rupture of the anterior tibiofibular ligament frequently accompanies rupture of the capsule and the lateral ligaments. Contrary to the experience of other authors, we found the presence or absence of a) a contrast-free zone, b) the tibiofibular recess, or c) both together, on ankle arthrography in no way indicative of a rupture of the anterior tibiofibular ligament. Contrast leakage out of the joint into the soft tissues without leakage below and lateral to the lateral malleolus indicates rupture of the joint capsule. Leakage below and lateral to the lateral malleolus indicates rupture of the anterior talofibular ligament. The anatomic relationships between the syndesmosis, the joint capsule, the tibiofibular recess and the anterior talofibular recess and the anterior talofibular ligament were studied on cadavers and during surgery. Contrast spread in the soft tissues is probably determined by the arrangement of and damage to the soft tissues and by the size of the haematoma and follows the path of least resistance.