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Proper portal placement is critical to performing good diagnostic and therapeutic arthroscopy. When the portals are positioned improperly, visualization can be impaired, making diagnosis and treatment more difficult. Three main anterior portals are available in arthroscopy of the ankle: anteromedial, anterolateral, and anterocentral. Posterior portals are also routinely used in ankle arthroscopy and can be established at a posterolateral or posteromedial position or directly through the Achilles tendon. Because of the potential for serious complications, the anterocentral and transAchilles portals are no longer used. Other portals have been described to obtain more complete access, particularly to the posterior compartment of the ankle joint. This work reviews the relationships that exist between the most important anatomic structures and arthroscopic portals of the ankle.

The biomechanical anatomy of the ankle ligaments continues to be a subject of interest because detailed knowledge of these structures is essential for proper diagnosis and treatment of the injuries affecting them. Lesions to the ankle ligaments are one of the most common sports injuries and the origin of soft tissue impingement syndrome. Together with the ligaments of the tibiofibular syndesmosis, two large ligamentous complexes are the main static stabilizers of the ankle joint: the lateral collateral ligament and the medial collateral (or deltoid) ligament. This article provides an anatomic description of the various ligaments of the ankle joint, with particular emphasis on specific anatomic details that are often omitted or little known and that have considerable clinical interest because of their involvement in soft tissue syndrome.