Introduction: Ankle sprain, especially injury to the anterior talofibular ligament, is one of the most common injuries of the musculoskeletal system. Lateral ankle sprains are treated conservatively, but 20–40% of cases develop chronic instability requiring surgical intervention. With more than 50 surgical techniques described for the treatment of chronic ankle instability, the Broström-Gould procedure is considered the gold standard. The arthroscopic technique is increasingly being used in the literature and in practice, which is said to be more successful in patients with severe damage to the anterior talofibular ligament, a high body mass index and in high-intensity athletes, as it causes less trauma to the surrounding tissue and therefore a shorter rehabilitation time. Although numerous studies have been conducted, it remains unclear which postoperative physiotherapy protocol provides the best outcomes. Purpose: The purpose of the thesis was to review physiotherapy protocols after the operative treatment of ankle instability based on a review of the literature. Methods: The literature search was conducted in the electronic database PubMed using the keywords "lateral ankle instability" AND "surgery" AND "rehabilitation". Openly available surveys in the English language were included. Results: Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, seven studies were included in the final review. Postoperative physiotherapy protocols varied among the studies. Immobilization in most studies represents the first phase of rehabilitation, while further rehabilitation includes exercises to strengthen the muscles of the lower limbs, stretching exercises to gain range of motion, and proprioceptive training. In all studies, less pain and better ankle function were recorded after surgery. In the analysis of subgroups of patients, there were no significant differences in the results according to the gender and age of the patients, but the influence of the body mass index on the functional results and the time of return to sports activities was observed. Operative complications were rare. Discussion and conclusion: The results of seven studies suggest that surgical reconstruction of the lateral ligaments in chronic ankle instability produces excellent clinical outcomes, regardless of the surgical technique and imprecise postoperative physiotherapeutic protocol. Further research is essential to understand the impact of early mobilization and different physiotherapy protocols on long-term treatment outcomes.
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