ReviewArthroscopy, sports medicine, and rehabilitation2025
No Difference in Ligament Discontinuity Versus Thickening on Magnetic Resonance Imaging When Evaluating Anterior Talofibular Ligament Injuries: A Systematic Review.
Review in Arthroscopy, sports medicine, and rehabilitation, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Purpose: To systematically review the literature evaluating whether incorporating ligament thickening and increased signal intensity alongside ligament discontinuity on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) improves diagnostic accuracy for anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) injuries. Methods: Two independent reviewers conducted a systematic literature search on the basis of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, using the MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL Complete, and Scopus databases to find studies reporting MRI and ultrasound imaging findings after ATFL injuries. Statistical analyses were conducted via Review Manager, and a Results: In total, 15 studies met inclusion criteria, and 9 provided sufficient data for meta-analyses. MRI demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing ATFL injuries. There were greater diagnostic results for ligament thickening with increased signal intensity, but there was no statistically significant difference between diagnostic approaches on the basis solely of ligament discontinuity and the thickening with increased signal intensity. Pooled sensitivity ranged from 84.7% to 87.1%, whereas specificity ranged from 84.6% to 91.4%. Diagnostic odds ratios were consistently high across methods. Conclusions: This study found that incorporating ligament thickening and increased signal intensity alongside ligament discontinuity on MRI does not significantly improve diagnostic accuracy. Level of Evidence: Level III, systematic review of Level II and III studies.
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Registered trials
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