The management of posterior ankle impingement syndrome in sport: A review

• There is a lack of prospective studies on the treatment of PAIS.
• Long term outcomes from open and endoscopic surgery are satisfactory.
• Complications rates are comparable between open medial and endoscopic surgery.
• Return to sporting activities is quicker in artho-endoscopically treated patients.
• No evidence supports superior long term results with any one technique.

A literature review has been undertaken to assess the efficacy of management of Posterior Ankle Impingement Syndrome with an emphasis on sport. The evidence is confined to Level IV and V studies. There is a lack of prospective studies on the natural history of this condition and the outcomes of conservative treatment. Dance dominates the literature accounting for 62% of reported sports. Forty-seven papers have reported on the surgical outcomes of 905 procedures involving both open and artho-endoscopic techniques. 81% of patients required excision of osseous pathology and 42% soft-tissue problems resolving. There is a lack of standardisation of outcome reporting particularly in the open surgery group. However, the complication rates are relatively low: 3.9% for open medial, 12.7% for open lateral and 4.8% for arthro-endocopic surgery. Return to sport appears quicker for all activities in the arthro-endoscopic group but comparison of long term outcomes is more difficult with no evidence supporting superior long term results of one technique over another. Soccer players appear to return more quickly to activity than dancers.