The clinical features in the diagnosis and treatment of Maisonneuve fracture / 中华骨科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To discuss the clinical features in the diagnosis and treatment of Maisonneuve fracture.Methods Twenty-three patients(16 males and 7 females)with Maisonneuve fractures were surgically treated in our hospital from August 2005 to August 2009.Mean patient age was 35.3 years(range,25-43 years).The causes of injuries were fall down injury(10 patients),sports related injury(8 patients),traffic injury(4 patients),and high falling injury(1 patient).All of the fractures were closed.The surgical procedures include ORIF of the medial malleolus or repair of the medial deltoid ligament and percutaneous screw fixation of the disrupted distal tibiofibular syndesmosis.The ankle function was evaluated by Baird-Jackson criteria.Results In all the 23 patients,9(39.13%)were misdiagnosed at the time of admission or emergency.Twenty-two patients were followed up and the average follow up time was 16.8 months(range,12-25months).No patient complained of pain,tenderness and obvious swelling of the ankle,and range of motion of the injured ankle was similar to that of the contralateral side.At the latest follow up,19 patients had resumed their preinjury activity level.Radiographs of all 22 patients showed union of all the fractures and normal mortises.And there was no traumatic arthritis and breakage of the syndesmotic screws.Baird-Jackson ankle functional score was from 85 to 100.In all the 22 patients,11 were rated as excellent,8 as good,and 3 as fair.The excellent and good rate was 86.4%(19/22).Conclusion Maisonneuve fracture is easy to be misdiagnosed.The lack of knowledge of this fracture and only initially focus on the local condition are the main reasons for the misdiagnosis.Surgical treatments include ORIF of the medial malleolus or repair of the medial deltoid ligament and percutaneous screw fixation of the disrupted distal tibiofibular syndesmosis.