An classification of posterior malleolar fractures by computed tomography and its guide to clinical treatment / 中国矫形外科杂志

ABSTRACT

[Objective]To classify fractures of posterior malleolus by computed tomography and guide its clinical treatment.[Method]From January 2003 to October 2006,eighty-eight patients who had been treated surgically for the posterior malleolar fractures were reviewed.There were 53 males and 35 females.The mean age was 42.3 years(ranged,18～75 years).All the patients' preoperative radiograph and computed tomographic scans were reviewed,and each fracture was categorized according to the size,location and fracture line of the major fragment and the stable state of mortise.The classification was applied to treat 88 patients.[Result]On the basis of the computed tomographic images,the posterior malleolar fractures were categorized into four types.There were type Ⅰ(stable) in 23 cases,type Ⅱ(borderline) in 26 cases,type Ⅲ(big unstable posterolateral oblique) in 18 cases and type Ⅳ(medial-extension) in 21 cases.Type Ⅰ included type Ⅰ1(small shell)in 5 cases and type I2(small posterolateral oblique) in 18 cases.Type Ⅱ included type Ⅱ1(moderate posterolateral oblique without lateral-posterior dislocation of talus)in 15 cases and type Ⅱ2(moedrate postero-lateral oblique with lateral-posterior dislocation of talus)in 11 cases.All patients were followed up for an average of 31months(ranged from 12 to 48 months).According to the Baird-Jackson scoring system,the results were rated as being excellent in 62 cases,good in 13 cases,moderate in 8 cases,and poor in 5 cases,with the good-excellent rate being 85.2%.[Conclusion]Computed tomographic scans can demonstrate the pathoanatomy of the posterior malleolar fracture and provided guidance for clinical treatment.