Ultrasono-anatomy of the ankle ligaments.

The ligaments of the ankle are superficial and easily accessible at ultrasonography. Surprisingly, the reliability of this technique has never been proven. With this goal in mind, ten ankles were subjected to a ultrasono-anatomic comparison. The five principle ligamentous fascicles (three on the lateral side and two on the medial side) measured at ultrasonography and the values verified after dissection. This study shows that the ligaments of the ankle are analyzed with ultrasonography and that the measures done are valid and have a precision of 2 mm for the anterior fascicle and the lateral fascicle of the lateral ligamentous plane Due to its simplicity and its low price, ultrasonography appears to be an important method in evaluating the ligaments and the degree of seriousness of ankle sprains.