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Keyhole surgery for ankle instability: a less invasive fix?

NCT ID NCT04736238

Disease control Sponsor: Peking University People's Hospital Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Aug 18, 2026 · Last updated Aug 19, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This trial compares two surgical techniques for repairing a torn ligament in the ankle that causes chronic instability after repeated sprains. One approach uses a minimally invasive arthroscope, while the other is the standard open Broström procedure. The study will measure outcomes like ankle function, pain, recovery time, complications, and patient satisfaction to see which method works better.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
Arthroscopy surgery (total arthroscopic repair of the anterior talofibular ligament)
What this could lead to
If successful, this could establish a less invasive surgical option for chronic ankle instability, potentially leading to faster recovery and fewer complications than the standard open procedure.
What could go wrong
This is a relatively small trial, and results may not apply to all patients. Surgery carries risks such as infection, nerve damage, or incomplete symptom relief, and the arthroscopic technique may not be suitable for every type of injury.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

54 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Jun 2018

Finished

Jan 2025

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

Children (under 18), adults (18 to 64) and older adults (65 and over)

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. A history of acute lateral ankle sprain. 2. The patient has chronic instability of the lateral ankle joint, including functional instability or mechanical instability; functional instability refers to the patient's subjective ankle joint looseness or instability; mechanical instability refers to the presence of the ankle joint History of repeated sprains, positive examination of the front drawer test or positive X-ray examination of the stress position (inversion stress, anterior axial stress). 3. The ankle MRI suggested the anterior talofibular ligament injury. 4. It is invalid after 3 months of formal conservative treatment. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Co-infection. 2. There was a previous ankle fracture in the affected limb. 3. The affected limb has previously undergone foot and ankle surgery. 4. Ankle inverted arthritis or Charcot joint disease. 5. Suffer from mental illness.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

ankle injury

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Ankle sprains Anterior talofibular ligament injury

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Peking University People's Hospital

    Beijing, China

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.