Lateral process fractures of talus are rare injuries with a potential to cause significant morbidity if misdiagnosed. The appropriate management of these fractures is still controversial and only a few reports are avai- lable on this subject. We presented a case of a 37-year-old male with neglected fracture on the lateral process of talus which was misdiagnosed at the time of injury. The patient presented to 7 months after misdiagnosis with a chronic ankle pain. Our case is unique in the sense that it is a rare case of neglected fracture on the lateral process of talus which presented as a loose body in sinus tarsi. However, a surgery with an excision of the loose body presented a satis- factory outcome along with 2 years' follow-up. To our knowledge, it ought to be the first case reported in the English literature. Through this case report, we highlight the importance of high index of suspicion for such rare bony injuries while evaluating trauma to the lateral side of ankle and discuss the principles of management of these fractures.
Ankle Fractures ; Ankle Injuries ; surgery ; Ankle Joint ; surgery ; Diagnostic Errors ; Fractures, Bone ; surgery ; Humans ; Joint Dislocations ; Talus ; injuries

Ankle Fractures/surgery* ; Ankle Injuries ; Ankle Joint ; Bone Cysts/surgery* ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; Fractures, Bone ; Humans ; Talus/surgery*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the difference in sensitivity between X-ray and three-dimensional reconstruction of computed tomography (3D-CT) for the diagnosis of distal fibular avulsion fracture, and the radiographic presentation of the ossicle. METHODS: From January to October 2018, 92 patients with distal fibular avulsion fracture were visited for surgical treatment in Department of Sports Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, and 60 cases were finally enrolled according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Intraoperative detection was regarded as the gold standard, and the diagnostic sensitivity of preoperative ankle X-ray and 3D-CT for the distal fibular avulsion fractures was statistically determined. The ossicle maximum diameter as well as the degree of its displacement were also measured. On 3D-CT, the distance from the ossicle center point to the anterior fibular tuberosity (a), the distance to the fibular tip (b), and the a/b value was used to present the ossicle displacement. RESULTS: Among the 60 patients, 36 and the 52 patients were correctly detected by X-ray and 3D-CT, respectively, and the sensitivities was 60.0% and 86.7%, respectively (P=0.004). The mean diameter of the ossicle on X-ray and 3D-CT was (9.2±3.9) mm and (10.5±3.2) mm, respectively. The mean distance from the ossicle center to the anterior fibular tuberosity (a) was (17.5±3.6) mm and the mean distance to the fibular tip (b) was (17.4±4.8) mm, with mean a/b values of 1.1±0.7. The intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) for each measurement ranged from 0.891-0.998 with a high degree of consistency. CONCLUSION Compared with X-ray, 3D-CT has higher sensitivity in diagnosing distal fibular avulsion fractures, can help clinicians evaluate ossicle's location and choose surgical methods, and is recommended to be performed in patients with suspected distal fibula avulsion fractures in clinical practice.
Humans ; Fibula/surgery* ; Fractures, Avulsion ; Ankle ; X-Rays ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Ankle Fractures ; Ankle Joint ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVETo explore clinical results of open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) for posterior Pilon fracture through posterolateral approach.

METHODSSeventeen patients with posterior Pilon fracture were treated through posterolateral approach from February 2010 to April 2013. Among them,including 11 males and 6 females aged from 29 to 59 with an average of 43.4 years old. All fractures were associated with more than 20% of articular surface of distal tibial. The causes of injury included falling down (11 cases), traffic accident (4 cases) and sports injury(6 cases). Fracture classification was based on posterior pilon fracture by YU Guang-rong, including type I (6 cases), type II (2 cases) and type III (6 cases). Fracture healing time, fracture reduction and postoperative complications were observed, AOFAS score were applied to evaluate clinical efficacy.

RESULTSAll patients were followed up from 13 to 24 months with an average of 20.5 months. All incisions were healed at stage I, and fractures obtained healing,the time of fracture healing ranged from 12 to 21 weeks with an average of 15.2 weeks. No incision infection, neurovascular injury, bone ununion and fracture deformity were found after operation. Postoperative AOFAS score was 92.0 ± 10.2, and 14 cases got excellent results, 2 good and 1 moderate.

CONCLUSIONPosterior pilon fracture through posterolateral approach could obtain effective reduction, stable fixation. It is a safe, simple and effective operation for treating posterior Pilon fracture, and it is worth popularizing.

Adult ; Ankle Fractures ; surgery ; Ankle Joint ; surgery ; Female ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tibial Fractures ; surgery

OBJECTIVEThe objective of this article is to summarize the development of evaluation and treatment of posterior malleolus fracture (PMF).

DATA SOURCESData used in this review were mainly from English literature of PubMed data base. Study selection Articles were included in this review if they were related to the PMF or trimalleolar fracture.

RESULTSNo consensus was found regarding what sizes of posterior malleolus fragments would lead to ankle instability thus affecting prognosis and should be fixed. X-ray measurement is unreliable, while CT scan is widely recommended and it can recognize the occult posterior malleolus fractures associated with tibia shaft fractures, which are always undetected previously. Direct posterior malleolus fixation is suitable to stabilize syndesmotic injury. The basic and clinical researches support direct reduction and buttress plate fixation of posterior malleolus fracture through the posterolateral approach. Operative indications and timing of weight bearing are still in discussion.

CONCLUSIONSKnowing whether ankle instability occurs and the proper methods to diagnose, evaluate, and operate can help manage the fracture. Further biomechanical research on ankle stability and clinical study to compare various treatment methods are required.

Ankle Injuries ; surgery ; Fractures, Bone ; surgery ; Humans ; Orthopedic Procedures ; methods ; Tibial Fractures ; surgery

Ankle Fractures ; Femoral Fractures ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; Humans ; Patella/surgery* ; Patellar Dislocation/surgery*

OBJECTIVETo introduce the postero- lateral surgical approach to the posterior malleolar fracture and report its clinical outcomes in 32 cases.

METHODSThis study consisted of 32 cases, 22 males and 10 females with the mean age of 48 years (range, 21-63 years), suffering from posterior malleolar fracture. All cases were treated with the posterolateral surgical approach to the ankle. The average follow-up period was 28 months (range, 24-35 months). The clinical outcomes of these cases were evaluated on the basis of the Olerud-Molander Ankle (OMA) score and plain radiographs.

RESULTSAll cases showed radiological evidence of bony union at follow-up. The average OMA score was 82 points; 21 cases had excellent scores (90-100 points), 9 good (61-90 points), and 2 fair (31-60 points). The excellent-to-good rate was 93.8%. Although most cases did not show any wound dehiscence or necrosis, one patient had a superficial infection which healed after using antibiotic dressing and one had sural cutaneous nerve injury that underwent spontaneous remission without any treatment after three months. In addition, one presented with mild symptoms of peroneal tendonitis that disappeared after plate removal.

CONCLUSIONThe posterolateral approach offers an effective technique for fracture reduction and fixation of large posterior malleolar fragments.

Ankle Fractures ; Ankle Joint ; surgery ; Bone Plates ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; Humans

OBJECTIVEConventional fixation of syndesmotic injuries with screws remains problematic. A novel fibrewire device (Tightrope® has suggested advantages. However, small case series have reported high soft tissue complication rates. The purpose of our study was to quantify complication rates and further procedures in patients treated with Tightropes. A secondary objective was to determine incidence of complications and further procedures in those treated with syndesmotic screws over the same period.

METHODSAll patients undergoing syndesmotic fixation for ankle fracture between May 2008 and October 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. Incidence of complications, secondary procedures, maintenance of syndesmotic reduction and time spent on non-weight bearing were recorded. Family doctors were contacted for those treated with Tightropes to check for any complications managed elsewhere.

RESULTSThirty-five patients required syndesmotic fixation, in which 12 were treated with Tightropes. They were followed up in clinic for a mean of 12.4 weeks. Family doctors were contacted at mean 14.6 months after treatment to determine any complications suffered. There were no complications attributable to method of fixation. In this series, 12 patients underwent 13 procedures and no patient had recurrent diastasis at discharge; 23 patients treated with screw fixation underwent 45 procedures (19 were screw removals). There was 1 case of syndesmotic diastasis. Screw removal resulted in 2 minor complications.

CONCLUSIONTightrope fixation provideds effective syndesmotic fixation that is maintained at discharge. We do not experience soft tissue complications reported elsewhere.

Ankle Fractures ; Ankle Injuries ; surgery ; Bone Screws ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; instrumentation ; methods ; Humans ; Postoperative Complications

Fracture dislocation of the navicular bone, fracture of the cuboid, cuneiform, and longitudinal split fracture of the lateral malleolus is a rare combination of fractures. This is a high velocity injury fracture and can be caused by forcible plantar flexion and inversion of the foot at the time of impact onto the ground. Here we reported such a case in a 35-year-old male patient who was treated by open reduction and fixation with a partially threaded screw and two K-wires for the navicular bone, and two interfragmentary screws with a one third tubular plate for the lateral malleolus. K-wires were removed 6 weeks after surgery followed by partial weight bearing. After 6 months, the patient can walk normally with minimal pain and swelling of the foot.
Adult ; Ankle Fractures ; complications ; surgery ; Fractures, Bone ; complications ; surgery ; Humans ; Joint Dislocations ; complications ; surgery ; Male ; Tarsal Bones ; injuries

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical experiment of cortical screw in the treatment of tibiofibular syndesmosis separation together with ankle fractures.

METHODSFrom March 2008 to May 2012,42 patients with tibiofibular syndesmosis separation were treated with cortical screw, including 20 cases in the left and 24 cases in the right. All the patients had closed injury. According to Lauge-Hansen classification, there were 18 cases of supination-external rotation, in which 4 patients with injuries belong to type II, 8 patients with injuries belong to type III, 6 patients with injuries belong to type IV; 14 cases of pronation-external rotation, in which 6 patients with injuries belong to type III, 8 patients with injuries belong to type IV; and 12 cases of pronation-abduction, in which 4 patients with injuries belong to type II, 8 patients with injuries belong to type III. According to injury of ankle, 4 patients had injuries in one ankle, 28 patients had injuries in 2 ankles, and 12 patients had injuries in 3 ankles. All the patients were diagnosised definitely in sight of medical history, checking-up, iconography. The clinical effects were evaluated based on Baird-Jackson score and activity degree of ankle.

RESULTSAll the patient were followed up, and the duration ranged from 11 to 23 months, with an average of 15.7 months. No postoperative wound infection, nonunion, and tibiofibular syndesmosis separation again and other complications occurred. Postoperative Baird-Jackson score exhibited 91.56 ± 6.26 (75 to 99), and 26 patients got an excellent result, 10 good, 6 poor and 2 bad. One patient had nail broken after operation,and got good function after removing broken nail without external fixation. Other 1 patient had osteoarthritis to 1 degree, and got better result with the treatment of physical therapy and intra-articular injection.

CONCLUSIONCortex screw is the effective treatment for tibiofibular syndesmosis separation. Clear diagnosis, delicate operation and postoperative reasonable functional exercise are primary factor of prognosis.

Adult ; Ankle Fractures ; surgery ; Ankle Joint ; surgery ; Bone Screws ; Female ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome