# STABILIZING ROLE OF THE LIGAMENTS OF THE HUMAN ANKLE

> **NIH NIH R01** · DREXEL UNIVERSITY · 1988 · $72,970

## Abstract

Traumatic injury of the ankle joint involving injury to the
collateral ligaments is one of the most frequently occurring
injuries at the lower limb.  These injuries most frequently occur
during a variety of athletic activities.  With the number of
participants in sports activities rapidly on the rise, it is expected
that the clinical diagnosis and treatment of such injuries is
becoming a growing problem.  The major goal of the proposed
work is to assist in solving this problem by developing a
quantitative diagnostic technique for identifying the damaged
ligaments in the chronically unstable joint.  The proposed
technique is based on the hypothesis that different combinations
of damaged collateral ligaments have different unique and
identifiable effects on the load-displacement and flexibility
characteristics of the ankle joint complex.  Based on the validity
of this hypothesis, the damaged ligaments can be identified by
comparing the load-displacement and flexibility characteristics of
the chronicaly unstable joint to those of the intact contralateral
joint.

To achieve the goal of the project, the following procedures will
be adopted.  An experimental system for determining the three
dimensional load-displacement characteristics of the ankle joint
will be developed.  This system will be based on measuring the
displacement of the calcaneus with respect to the shank in
response to controlled forces and moments applied to the foot.
The system will be utilized to determine the load-displacement
and flexibility characteristics of the chronically unstable ankle
and of the intact contralateral joint in thirty patients with
unilateral chronic ankle joint instability.  The difference between
the characteristics of the chronically unstable joint and those of
the intact joint will then be compared to the effect of artificially
induced ligament injuries on the characteristics of cadaveric
human ankle speciemens (as obtained previously in Part I).
Finally, the difference between the mechanical characteristics of
the chronically unstable joint and those of the intact contralateral
joint will be correlated with the site and extent of the ligament
injury as determined by:  1) patient's historical data; 2) physical
examination; 3) radiographic and MRI findings; and 4) surgical
findings.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3156658
- **Project number:** 2R01AR033838-04
- **Recipient organization:** DREXEL UNIVERSITY
- **SAM.gov UEI:** XF3XM9642N96
- **Principal Investigator:** SORIN SIEGLER
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1988
- **Award amount:** $72,970
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 1984-09-30 → 1991-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3156658

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3156658, STABILIZING ROLE OF THE LIGAMENTS OF THE HUMAN ANKLE (2R01AR033838-04). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3156658. Licensed CC0.

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