Classification and treatment of syndesmotic injury / 中国骨伤

The distal tibiofibular syndesmosis is a critical structure in maintaining the ankle stability. Syndesmotic injuries are usually associated with ankle fractures and high fibula fractures. Non-isolated and partially isolated syndesmotic injuries are involved in unstable injuries, which need to operative treatment. Partially isolated syndesmotic injuries belong to stable injuries, which should be treated with non-operative management. It is becoming clear that early fixation and stabilization for unstable injuries are probably better than non-treatment or delayed treatment. It still remains without consensus of accurately defining stable from unstable injuries and sufficiently differentiating between acute and chronic injuries. Because of stability, fixation type, and duration, the clinical efficacy is different. Screw fixation is a gold standard treatment of syndesmotic injury. However, it remains controversial that whether removal of the syndesmotic screw is required and effect of the level of syndesmotic screw insertion, limited micro-movement is one of disadvantages of screw fixation. Micro-movement of the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis has been paid more and more attention. Dynamic fixation is a viable alternative to the static fixation device, with lower re-operation rates and less complications, which has obtained a great short-term clinical efficacy. However, further long-term studies should be carried out to confirm this clinical efficacy. Optimized treatment strategies considering stability of syndesmotic injury, duration, and fixation type can help to improve clinical efficacy.

Management of High Ankle Sprain / 대한족부족관절학회지

High ankle sprain (distal tibiofibular syndesmosis injury) occurs from rotational injuries, specifically external rotation, and may be associated with ankle fractures. The prevalence of these injuries may be higher than previously reported because they may be missed in an initial examination. Syndesmosis injury can lead to significant complications in injured ankle joints, so a precise physical examination and radiological evaluation is necessary. The most important treatment goal is to have the tibia and fibula located in the correct position with respect to each other and to heal in that position. The methods to fix these injuries is controversial.

Fibular osteotomy and distal tibiofibular joint fusion for treatment of chronic malunited ankle fracture / 中华创伤骨科杂志

Objective To report the clinical treatment of chronic malunited ankle fractures by fibular osteotomy and distal tibiofibular joint fusion.Methods A retrospective analysis was done of the 36 patients with chronic malunited ankle fracture who had been treated from March 2013 to January 2016 in our hospital.They were 20 men and 16 women,aged from 25 to 59 years (average,36.7 years).They were treated by open reduction,fibular osteotomy to correct their rotation deformity,and distal tibiofibular joint fusion.The therapeutic efficacy was assessed postoperatively by the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot score.Results They were followed up for 10 to 36 months (average,26.5 months).No nonunion,implant failure or infection was observed.The AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score increased significantly from preoperative 36.4 ± 7.8 to 82.1 ± 9.4 at the final follow-up (t =73.379,P =0.000).An excellent and good rate of 86.1％ was achieved,giving 9 excellent,22 good and 5 fair cases.Mild limitation in ankle flexion and extension was observed in 5 cases.No significant differences were found between final follow-ups and preoperation regarding the ankle plantar flexion (32.0°± 2.4° versus 31.8° ± 3.5°) or the ankle dorsal extension (18.2° ± 1.7° versus 17.4° ± 2.4°) (P ＞ 0.05).Conclusion Fibular osteotomy and distal tibiofibular joint fusion can result in fine clinical effects in the treatment of chronic malunited ankle fractures.

Fibular osteotomy and distal tibiofibular joint fusion for treatment of chronic malunited ankle fracture / 中华创伤骨科杂志

Objective To report the clinical treatment of chronic malunited ankle fractures by fibular osteotomy and distal tibiofibular joint fusion.Methods A retrospective analysis was done of the 36 patients with chronic malunited ankle fracture who had been treated from March 2013 to January 2016 in our hospital.They were 20 men and 16 women,aged from 25 to 59 years (average,36.7 years).They were treated by open reduction,fibular osteotomy to correct their rotation deformity,and distal tibiofibular joint fusion.The therapeutic efficacy was assessed postoperatively by the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot score.Results They were followed up for 10 to 36 months (average,26.5 months).No nonunion,implant failure or infection was observed.The AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score increased significantly from preoperative 36.4 ± 7.8 to 82.1 ± 9.4 at the final follow-up (t =73.379,P =0.000).An excellent and good rate of 86.1％ was achieved,giving 9 excellent,22 good and 5 fair cases.Mild limitation in ankle flexion and extension was observed in 5 cases.No significant differences were found between final follow-ups and preoperation regarding the ankle plantar flexion (32.0°± 2.4° versus 31.8° ± 3.5°) or the ankle dorsal extension (18.2° ± 1.7° versus 17.4° ± 2.4°) (P ＞ 0.05).Conclusion Fibular osteotomy and distal tibiofibular joint fusion can result in fine clinical effects in the treatment of chronic malunited ankle fractures.

Localized Pigmented Villonodular Synovitis of the Proximal Tibiofibular Joint

Pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS) is a rare disease. It is a benign neoplastic process typically affecting young to middle-aged adults and most commonly involving the knee, hip, and shoulder joints. The symptoms include diffuse pain and swelling with discomfort. We report a rare case of localized PVNS originating at the proximal tibiofibular joint in a 39-year-old female patient with radiologic changes for short duration of time. The clinical history, plain radiographs, magnetic resonance imaging, and pathologic findings of the reported patient were reviewed. Complete surgical excision was performed and there was no evidence of recurrence after one-year follow-up.

Ankle Syndesmotic Injury / 대한족부족관절학회지

Ankle injuries may involve the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis and can be associated with a variable degree of trauma to the soft tissue and osseous structures that play an important role in ankle joint stability. Ankle syndesmotic injury may occur solely as a soft tissue injury or in association with variable ankle fractures. Ankle syndesmotic injury does not necessarily lead to ankle instability; however, the coexistence of deltoid ligament injury critically destabilizes the ankle joint. The prevalence of these injuries may be higher than previously reported. The diagnosis of syndesmotic injury as not always easy because isolated ankle sprains may be missed in the absence of a frank diastasis and syndesmotic instability may be unnoticed in the presence of bimalleolar ankle fractures. Controversies arise at almost every phase of treatment includings : type of fixation(screw size, type of implant), number of cortices required for fixation and of need for hardware removal. Regardless of controversies, the most important goal should be restore and maintain the normal tibiofibular relationship to allow for healing of the ligamentous structures of the syndesmosis.

Bone bolt for the treatment of the haplo-detached of distal tibiofibular joint / 中国基层医药

Objective To observe the results of bone bolt crews in treatment of the haplo-detached distal tibiofibular joint.Methods The haplo-detached distal tibiofibular joint were fixed with bone bolt in 7 patients.Their outcomes were evaevaluated according to Mast and Teipner criteria and X-ray.Results All 7 patients were followed up from 12 to 36 months.All were assessed as good,and no fair or poor cases were found.Conclusion Bone bolt fixation was believed to be a good method to treat the haplo-detached distal tibiofibular joint with simple operation,beared shear force and control of brew tightress and was helpful in weight loading and functional exercises in the earlier period after operation,so bone bolt fixation was good in practical value in clinc.

A Case of Isolated, Localized Form, Pigmented Villonodular Synovitis of the Proximal Tibiofibular Joint

To the best of our knowledge, there have been no documented cases of isolated pigmented villonodular synovitis in the proximal tibiofibular joint in Korea. We have experienced satisfactory outcome by performing excision in a patient who has isolated, localized form, pigmented villonodular synovitis in the proximal tibiofibular joint. We report on this case along with briefly reviewing the related literature.

Proximal Tibiofibular Arthrolysis in High Tibial Osteotomy / 대한정형외과학회잡지

High tibial osteotomy has been widely accepted as a method of treatments for middle-aged varus osteoarthritides with uncompartmental involvements. There have been several reports regarding the managements of fibula and their complications during the valgization procedure of tibia. They are, for example, osteotomy of fibular diaphysis or neck and excision of fibular head. Each level of fibular management is often complicated by nonunison, peroneal nerve palsy and lateral instability respectively. We have reviewed 20 cases of cases of high tibial osteotomy using proximal tibiofibular arthrolysis performed between March 1987 and February 1993. This method has proved excellent exposure of upper lateral tibia for the wedge removal, internal fixation and relief of the tethering effect of fibula. There was no peroneal nerve palsy relate to this degenerative change of the proximal tibiofibular was 3.4mm(range 1-11mm) and there was neither degenerative change of the proximal tibiofibular joint nor varus instability. In conclusion the arthrolysis of proximal tibiofibular joint can be highly recommended in high tibial osteotomy.