ABSTRACT
Objective@#To investigate clinical value of ankle arthroscopy in diagnosis of type Danis-Weber B ankle fracture with the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis injury.@*Methods@#From August 2014 to January 2018, a total of 52 cases of type Danis-Weber B ankle fractures with an average age of 35.37±11.19 years, including 31 males and 21 females were treated. Each patient underwent preoperative assessment, according to the patient's clinical manifestations and imaging examination before operation. The Cotton test and the external rotation test were conducted in the C arm X-ray to evaluate whether there is the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis injury. All fractures were treated with open reduction and internal fixation. Repair was conducted with 3.5 mm wire anchor and nail for triangular ligament injury. The Cotton test and external rotation test were performed under ankle arthroscopy. The injury of the lower tibiofibular syndesmosis was observed and evaluated by cotton test and external rotation test in patients who were found to be associated with lower tibiofibular joint injury. After internal fixation of fracture and repair of tibiofibular syndesmosis injury with TightRope, the repair effects of tibiofibular syndesmosis injury was observed under direct vision of ankle arthroscopy. The VAS score, AOFAS score and Baird-Jackson score was used as an index to observe the pain and ankle function before and after operation for 12 months follow-up.@*Results@#Preoperative X-ray showed 19 cases of lower tibiofibular joint injury. Preoperative CT showed 28 cases of lower tibiofibular joint injury. Preoperative MRI showed 39 cases of lower tibiofibular joint injury. A total of 36 cases of joint injury of lower tibiofibular syndesmosis were confirmed under arthroscopy of ankle. After repair of tibiofibular syndesmosis injury with TightRope, complete reduction and stability of inferior tibiofibular syndesmosis were confirmed under ankle arthroscopy. At 12 months after operation, the VAS score decreased from 8.13±1.32 points preoperation to 0.75±0.73 points after operation. The AOFAS and Baird-Jackson scores increased from 26.59±3.35 points, 16.44±3.63 points preoperation to 94.36±3.03 points, 90.29±6.45 points after operation, respectively. There was significant difference before and after operation (P<0.05). The postoperative VAS score, AOFAS score and Baird-Jackson score of 16 patients without lower tibiofibular ligament injury were confirmed in the ankle arthroscopy group, namely 0.58±0.67 points, 95.27±4.67 points, 91.98±9.23 points.@*Conclusion@#Ankle arthroscopy can be used to observe the injury of tibiofibular syndesmosis under direct vision. The positive rate of diagnosis of inferior tibiofibular syndesmosis injury was 69.2% (36/52). It can provide reliable evidence for correct diagnosis and treatment of type Danis-Weber B ankle fracture with lower tibiofibular joint injury with significant meaning in selecting operative methods and in evaluating the effect of lower tibiofibular ligament repair.
ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate clinical value of ankle arthroscopy in diagnosis of type Danis-Weber B ankle fracture with the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis injury.Methods From August 2014 to January 2018,a total of 52 cases of type Danis-Weber B ankle fractures with an average age of 35.37± 11.19 years,including 31 males and 21 females were treated.Each patient underwent preoperative assessment,according to the patient's clinical manifestations and imaging examination before operation.The Cotton test and the external rotation test were conducted in the C arm X-ray to evaluate whether there is the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis injury.All fractures were treated with open reduction and internal fixation.Repair was conducted with 3.5 mm wire anchor and nail for triangular ligament injury.The Cotton test and external rotation test were performed under ankle arthroscopy.The injury of the lower tibiofibular syndesmosis was observed and evaluated by cotton test and external rotation test in patients who were found to be associated with lower tibiofibular joint injury.After internal fixation of fracture and repair of tibiofibular syndesmosis injury with TightRope,the repair effects of tibiofibular syndesmosis injury was observed under direct vision of ankle arthroscopy.The VAS score,AOFAS score and Baird-Jackson score was used as an index to observe the pain and ankle function before and after operation for 12 months follow-up.Results Preoperative X-ray showed 19 cases of lower tibiofibular joint injury.Preoperative CT showed 28 cases of lower tibiofibular joint injury.Preoperative MRI showed 39 cases of lower tibiofibular joint injury.A total of 36 cases of joint injury of lower tibiofibular syndesmosis were confirmed under arthroscopy of ankle.After repair of tibiofibular syndesmosis injury with TightRope,complete reduction and stability of inferior tibiofibular syndesmosis were confirmed under ankle arthroscopy.At 12 months after operation,the VAS score decreased from 8.13 ± 1.32 points preoperation to 0.75±0.73 points after operation.The AOFAS and Baird-Jackson scores increased from 26.59±3.35 points,16.44±3.63 points preoperation to 94.36±3.03 points,90.29±6.45 points after operation,respectively.There was significant difference before and after operation (P＜0.05).The postoperative VAS score,AOFAS score and Baird-Jackson score of 16 patients without lower tibiofibular ligament injury were confirmed in the ankle arthroscopy group,namely 0.58±0.67 points,95.27±4.67 points,91.98±9.23 points.Conclusion Ankle arthroscopy can be used to observe the injury of tibiofibular syndesmosis under direct vision.The positive rate of diagnosis of inferior tibiofibular syndesmosis injury was 69.2％ (36/52).It can provide reliable evidence for correct diagnosis and treatment of type Danis-Weber B ankle fracture with lower tibiofibular joint injury with significant meaning in selecting operative methods and in evaluating the effect of lower tibiofibular ligament repair.
ABSTRACT
Objective To evaluate the clinical value of ankle arthroscopy in diagnosis and treatment of Danis-Weber type B ankle fracture associated with injury to the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis.Methods A retrospective study was conducted of the 35 patients who had been treated at Department of Orthopaedics,Ruijin Hospital North for Danis-Weber type B ankle fracture from February 2014 to December 2016.They were 23 males and 12 females,with an average age of 43.1 years (from 18 to 65 years).Each of them underwent 4 examinations to detect whether injury to the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis was complicated or not:preoperative CT and MRI,C-ann roentgenography and ankle arthroscopy before and after internal fixation of the ankle.The diagnostic rates of the complicated injury by the 4 examinations were compared.The patients complicated with injury to the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis received surgical repair of the injury using TightRope in addition to internal fixation of the ankle,and injury to the deltoid ligament was repaired simultaneously using 3.5 mm anchor nails in case the injury was concomitant.The repair and stability of the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis were observed using ankle arthroscopy again.Results The Cotton and external rotation tests under C-arm roentgenography before surgery and after internal fixation of the ankle demonstrated that 13 cases were complicated with injury to the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis.Of the other 22 patients who had not been diagnosed with the injury by C-arm roentgenography,6,13 and 11 were diagnosed with the injury respectively by CT,MRI and ankle arthroscopy.The diagnostic rates of Danis-Weber type B ankle fracture associated with injury to the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis were 37.1％ (13/35),54.3％ (19/35),74.3％ (26/35) and 68.6％ (24/35) respectively by C-arm roentgenography,CT,MRI and ankle arthroscopy.In the sensitivity to the injury,MRI ＞ ankle arthroscopy ＞ CT ＞ C-arm roentgenography,with significant differences between them (P ＜ 0.05).The ankle arthroscopy confirmed the repair efficacy in the 24 patients complicated with injury to the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis and negative results of Cotton and external rotation tests in them.Additionally,ankle arthroscopy revealed 16 cases of injury to the deltoid ligament at the medial ankle.Conclusions Ankle arthroscopy can provide evidence for correct diagnosis and treatment of Type B ankle fracture complicated with injury to the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis,because it allows direct observation of the medial deltoid ligament of the ankle and the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis.It can be also used to assess the stability of the tibiofibular syndesmosis after repair of the injury.