MRI of spring ligament tears.

Abstract

Surgical repair of the spring ligament is becoming recognized as an important management component of adult-acquired flatfoot, yet little literature exists on the MRI appearance of spring ligament abnormalities. In this article, we describe the MRI appearance of surgically proven spring ligament tears. MRI findings present in surgically proven spring ligament tears include an abnormal spring ligament caliber, signal intensity, waviness, a full-thickness gap, and posterior tibial tendonopathy. The finding unique to cases with surgically proven tears is a full-thickness gap in the ligament, seen in 79% of the cases in our series. When multiple abnormalities are seen in the spring ligament in conjunction with a full-thickness gap, the diagnosis of a tear can be made with confidence.