Medial malleolar stress fracture in athletes: diagnosis and operative treatment.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Stress fractures are common overuse injuries in athletes. Medial malleolar stress fractures are rare but they have an important clinical relevance because of their tendency to cause considerable disability and loss of time in sports without proper treatment. The diagnosis of medial malleolar stress fracture is often a challenge and it is therefore often delayed which may cause even further problems in the treatment. The purpose of this study was to increase the awareness of medial malleolar stress fractures as a possible cause for medial ankle pain and to stress the importance of MRI in the diagnostics as well as to evaluate the results of surgical treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between 1995 and 2008, a total of ten athletes with a medial malleolar stress fracture were operated at our centre. All operated cases during those years were included in the study. The cases were retrospectively analyzed. Return to pre-injury level of sport was evaluated and considered as an indicator of successful treatment. RESULTS: Initially all standard radiographs were negative whereas in MRI the fractures were all visible. After operative treatment all medial malleolar stress fractures healed clinically in three to four months and all except one of the athletes were able to return to their pre-injury level of sports. CONCLUSION: Early MRI is recommended if a medial malleolar stress fracture is suspected. Surgical treatment seems to result in rapid healing of the fracture and return to sports. In our opinion early surgery should be considered especially in athletes.

Anterior mid-tibial stress fractures. Results of surgical treatment.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: An anterior mid-tibial stress fracture is an uncommon, but possibly career threatening condition for an athlete. We wanted to evaluate the results of the surgical treatment of this notorious stress fracture and compare two different surgical methods. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Forty-nine anterior mid-tibial stress fractures were treated surgically in 45 patients during the years 1985-2005. All the patients were athletes, mainly runners. The mean age of the patients was 26 years. Thirty-four of the fractures occurred in men and 15 in women. The first method of treatment (anteromedial and lateral drilling) was used in 20 operations and the second method (laminofixation) in 29 operations. RESULTS: Good results were achieved with drilling in only 50 % of the operations, where as with laminofixation good results were achieved in 93 % of operations. This difference was statistically significant (p = .002). Healing of the stress fracture after laminofixation occurred in less than 6 months. The length of the plate used in the laminofixation had no effect on the end result. CONCLUSIONS: An anterior mid-tibial stress fracture may often lead to delayed union or non-union in vigorously training athletes. Surgical treatment with laminofixation proved to be superior to tibial fracture site drilling.