Comparing Outcomes of Screw Fixation and Non-Fixation for Small-Sized Posterior Malleolar Fragment in Ankle Trimalleolar Fractures

Purpose@#This study was undertaken to compare outcomes of screw fixation and non-fixation of a small-sized posterior malleolar fragment involving less than 25% articular surface in ankle trimalleolar fractures. @*Materials and Methods@#A total of 32 consecutive ankles (32 patients), with posterior malleolar fragment involving 15%-25% of the joint surface, were enrolled in the study. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to whether the fragment was fixed or not (fixed: 20 ankles, non-fixed: 12 ankles).The minimum follow-up period was 12 months. Median size of the posterior malleolar fragment in the fixed and non-fixed groups were 24.6% (range, 22.3%-25.0%) and 22.1% (range, 17.4%-24.3%), respectively. Complications as well as clinical and radiographic outcomes were compared and analyzed between the two groups. @*Results@#Clinical outcomes, including American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (p=0.501), visual analogue scale (p=0.578), and ankle range of motion (p=0.552), showed no difference between groups at the final follow-up. No differences were obtained in the radiographic outcomes, including joint stepoff (p=0.289) and fragment gap (p=0.289). Complications, including 1 case of delayed union and 1 case of wound infection, were reported in the fixed group. @*Conclusion@#Clinical outcomes and radiographic outcomes of the non-fixation group were satisfactory and comparable to the fixation group. Our results indicate that anatomical reduction with small-sized posterior malleolar fragment in ankle trimalleolar fractures is sufficient for satisfactory outcomes, without the need for additional internal fixation.

Subchondral Bone Restoration of Supra-acetabular Brown Tumor Secondary to Parathyroid Carcinoma: A Case Report / 대한고관절학회지

The causes of osteolytic lesions found in radiological examinations are not quite certain. Therefore, to determine the appropriate treatment method, various approaches and analyzes are required to find the real cause. Hyperparathyroidism is one of the diseases which forms osteolytic bone lesions so-called brown tumor. A 55-year-old woman who had painful osteolytic bone lesions in both hip joint areas was diagnosed as parathyroid carcinoma after serial work-up. She underwent parathyroidectomy and follow-up imaging showed a decrease in brown tumor size and bone consolidation in the subchondral bone destruction area. Proper evaluation of osteolytic bone lesions helps to avoid unnecessary operative treatments and the first choice for the treatment of osteolytic bone lesions caused by parathyroid carcinoma is parathyroidectomy.