Do age, gender, and region affect tibial slope? A multi-center study.

INTRODUCTION: Tibial slope is a parameter that is important to recognize in knee kinematics and knee surgery. A very wide range of values governing posterior tibial slope exist in the literature. This study is based on the hypothesis that age, gender and region may have an effect on the tibial slope. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 1800 lateral knee radiographies from five different countries [Turkey, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom (UK)] were utilized to measure the native posterior tibial slope. Participants were categorized in deciles with each decade of age after 40 years determined as a separate age group. Accordingly, four different age categories were formed in total, namely, the 40- to 49-, 50- to 59-, 60-69, and 70- to 79-year-old groups. Patients with severe knee osteoarthritis, those with a history of arthroscopic and open surgery around the knee, and those with severe morbid obesity and those outside the specified age group were excluded from the study. The angle between the line tangential to the medial tibial plateau and the proximal anatomical axis of the tibia was measured. RESULTS: The tibial slope values of both males and females in the Turkish population were found to be higher than those in other populations. It was observed that tibial slope values increased with age in females in all populations, except for those in the Spanish and UK populations. In the male population, it was found that tibial slope values increased with age in all populations except in the Spanish population. CONCLUSIONS: Region, age, and gender affect tibial slope in different populations in various ways. Our study shows that the region an individual lives in and living conditions affect the tibial slope.

Total fibula dislocation: A rare variant of a Bosworth fracture-dislocation injury.

To our knowledge and from our review of the literature, this is a previously unreported variant of a Bosworth fracture - total fibula dislocation. A 45 year old male presented after a high energy external rotation injury to his lower leg and was diagnosed with a total fibula dislocation with the distal fibula dislocated and incarcerated posteriorly to the tibia. Definitive management was operative with fixation of the proximal tibiofibular joint and repair of the posterolateral corner structures as well as fixation distally of the syndesmosis injury. A graded rehabilitation programme was followed and 6 months postoperatively the patient was hill walking and jogging. Bosworth fracture-dislocations are rare injuries that can often be missed during the initial presentation, especially when there is no fracture associated with a dislocation. An underappreciation for the severity of this injury can have major sequelae and the clinician should have a high index of suspicion when diagnosing this injury. An appreciation for Bosworth fracture dislocations and their variations are important for the trauma surgeon.