Simultaneous Ligament Injury in Osteochondral Lesions of Talus in MRI Scans

Introduction. Considering the high prevalence and very difficult treatment of talus osteochondral lesions and uncertainty regarding the exact cause of this type of lesion in the ankle, it is necessary to investigate the accompanying factors. Therefore, using MRI images, this retrograde study was designed to investigate the frequency of chronic ligament injuries in patients with talus osteochondral lesions. Methods. In a case-control study, 34 MRIs with evidence of osteochondral injury and 25 MRIs without OCD were collected by examining MRIs of the last three years. All MRIs were reviewed for ligament and syndesmosis, and the OCD type and character­istics, including the lesion diameter, anatomical location, type, and depth, were record­ed. The study population characteristics were completed using the relevant checklist and pre-existing information. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 24. Results. The mean age was 36.2 ± 12.9 and 41.5 ± 11.9 in the case and control groups (p = 0.118). There was no significant difference in gender between groups. ATFL, AITFL, and CFL ligaments with a frequency of 61.8%, 44.1%, and 32.4% in the case group and 44%, 24%, and 16% in controls were the most common concomi­tant detected ligament injuries. Also, the medial and middle regions were the most common OCD sites, with a rate of 88% and 76%, respectively. Conclusions. The present study indicated more ligament injuries in patients with OCD than in the control group.