1. The repair of lateral instability of the ankle in twenty patients by the Watson-Jones technique has been reviewed.
2. The results were favorable—80 per cent were excellent or good and 20 per cent were fair or poor.
3. The existence of instability of the subtalar joint should be determined either preoperatively or at the time of operation. This instability may cause the surgeon to modify the procedure performed.
4. The presence of arthritic changes in the ankle preoperatively may be a contraindication to this operation. Stability may be obtained by the procedure, but arthritic changes were shown to progress following the operation in a few patients.