INDUSTRY NEWS REGARDING LATERAL ANKLE INSTABILITY
The US Census Bureau reports that there are one
million ankle injuries annually and of those 85% are sprains. That
is equivalent to 1 in every 272 people in the U.S. alone who will
suffer from this condition. Additionally, The Clinics in
Podiatric Medicine and Surgery Journal reports that ankle
sprains represent 45% of sports related injuries. An ankle sprain
sounds harmless; however, the severity of an ankle sprain is not to
be underestimated. Left untreated, lateral ankle instability may
develop into more debilitating conditions such as; osteoarthritis,
synovitis, bone spurs, and eventually affect the foot, knee, hip,
and lower back.
The most common traditional
surgical procedures performed for chronic lateral ankle instability
include the Evans (1953), Brostrom (1966), and the Chrisman & Snook
(1969). Since then, all three procedures have undergone slight
modifications but nothing that has improved the recovery time. The
recovery for the above mentioned procedures includes weeks of being
in a cast, extensive physical therapy, and a recovery time of 6
months or longer. The success rate for the former surgical
procedures would give people the ability to walk but failed in
returning them to pre-injury status. The
Lim Procedure has patients returning to weight bearing
ambulation within 1 week and full athletic training within 4 weeks
with physical therapy.
Dr. Michael Williams proclaims,
“Dr. Lim has developed an excellent surgical solution for lateral
ankle instability utilizing a soft tissue implant that has the
advantages of minimal dissection and crafting of a new ankle
ligament while keeping the damaged one intact to promote healing.
The subsequent recovery is substantially shorter thus allowing
patients a quicker, pain free recovery time. There is a multitude of
lateral ankle stabilization procedures available, what I like about
The Lim Procedure is its logical execution.”
According to Dr. Spence D. Harper,
“The Lim Procedure for
lateral ankle stabilization is a significant advancement in
technique. It saves both OR time for the surgeon and recovery time
for the patient due to an innovative approach to reconstruction of
the ATF ligament using current medical technology for internal
fixation of soft tissue. Dr. Lim’s experience in the world of
professional athletics and private practice has proven this
procedure to be successful in many patient populations over the
course of nearly ten years of practicing this technique for lateral
ankle reconstruction.”
“Playing professional football left
my ankles weak and unstable. I thought I would never walk normally
again. Dr. Lim recreated ligaments in my ankles using his surgical
techniques to achieve the quickest recovery possible. Today my
ankles are stronger than ever! Dr. Lim has an outstanding
reputation, success rate and a caring personality. He establishes a
doctor/patient relationship that goes well beyond the norm. Grateful
to the Doc,” proclaims John Edwards formerly of the Indianapolis
Colts.
“Until the time I was diagnosed
with lateral ankle instability, I was completely unaware that I
suffered from a medical condition. I wrote off my lengthy history of
trips and falls to klutziness and assumed I would just have to live
with it for the rest of my life. I was thrilled to think there might
be a cure, even though I was a bit skeptical. The surgery was
completely successful and I was back on my feet within a week.
What’s even better is that I haven’t had a single trip or fall since
then. My only regret is that I couldn’t have had the surgery thirty
or forty years ago. Thank you,” states Karen Spera.
