The Importance of the Deep Deltoid Ligament Repair in Treating Supination-External Rotation Stage IV Ankle Fracture: A Comparative Retrospective Cohort Study

Background. The necessity of the deep deltoid ligament repair in the treatment of supination-external rotation (SER) ankle stage IV fracture with deltoid ligament rupture is highly debated. We conducted this retrospective research aimed at exploring the curative effect of the deep deltoid ligament repair in treating SER fracture. Methods. Sixty-three patients with closed SER stage IV fractures received open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF), using either deep deltoid ligament repair (the DDLR group, 31 patients) or nondeep deltoid ligament repair (the NDDLR group, 32 patients). The radiographic parameters examined include the talocrural angle (TA), fibular length (FL), tibiomedial malleolar angle (TMMA), medial clear space (MCS), and tibiofibular clear space (TFCS). The functional performance parameters examined in the study were visual analog scale (VAS) pain score, American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot scales, and range of motion of bilateral ankles (RMBA). Complications, including bone nonunion, infection, and fragment displacement, were also recorded and compared. Results. Similar basic characteristics were found in both cohorts. All patients completed follow-up ranging from 12 to 22 months (mean time: 12.41 ± 4.21 months). The DDLR group had significantly reduced VAS score ( p < 0.05 ), with markedly increased RMBA ( p < 0.05 ) compared to the NDDLR group. The two cohorts showed similar follow-up performance at 3 months ( p > 0.05 ), 6 months ( p > 0.05 ), and 12 months ( p > 0.05 ), in terms of parameters including TA, FL, TMMA, MCS, TCS, and AOFAS ankle-hindfoot scales. Conclusion. Although similar radiographic performances were achieved in both cohorts, the DDLR group displayed enhanced functional outcome postsurgery, indicating that DDLR may be a better potential for the treatment of SER stage IV fracture with deltoid ligament rupture.

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Whether need to repair deltoid ligament injuries in Supination-external Rotation type Ⅳ ankle fractures

Foot & Ankle Orthopaedics ◽

10.1177/2473011418s00523 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 3 (3) ◽

pp. 2473011418S0052

Author(s):

Yunfeng Yang

Keyword(s):

Scoring System ◽

External Rotation ◽

Ankle Fractures ◽

Ligament Injury ◽

Deltoid Ligament ◽

Ligament Injuries ◽

Clear Space ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Supination External Rotation

Category: Ankle Introduction/Purpose: To evaluate the effect of repairing deltoid ligament in patients with supination-external rotation type? ankle fractures. Methods: Between January 2013 and June 2016, 35 patients of supination-external rotation type? ankle fractures associated with deltoid ligament injury had complete medical records and were included in this study. Among all, 30 cases involved pure deltoid ligament injuries while others also included medial malleolus fractures. All fractures were treated by open reduction and internal fixation. Patients were assigned to the repaired group (21 patients) or the non-repaired group (14 patients) according to whether deltoid ligament injuries were treated during the surgery. No significant difference was found in gender, age, injury pattern, time from injury to operation(P>0.05), which was comparable. Medial clear space, visual analogue scale(VAS) score, and American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society(AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot score(6 months, one year, two years after surgery), Baird-Jackson scoring system and complications were recorded. Results: Thirty-five patients were followed up 21-28months.The mean duration of operation in the repaired group was significantly longer than that of the non-repaired group.Baird-Jackson scoring system: the excellent rate of the repaired group was 90.5% while the non-repaired group was 85.7% . The VAS scores and the medial clear space of preoperative and final follow-up were significantly improved. At the last follow-up,2.85 percent of the patients presented with ankle instability while 8.5 percent of them occured traumatic arthritis. The AOFAS scores at 6, 12, and 24 months after operation were (82.1 ± 6.6; 86.2 ± 5.9; 91.5 ± 5.8) and (78.1 ± 6.5; 83.9 ± 5.6; 90.3 ± 5.6). However, none of them showed significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusion: It’s unnecessary to repair the deltoid ligament in patients with supination-external rotation type? ankle fractures when ankle mortise restores after the fractures are fixed.

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Health Related Quality of Life in Patients with Supination-External Rotation Stage IV Ankle Fractures

Foot & Ankle International ◽

10.1177/107110070502601207 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 26 (12) ◽

pp. 1038-1041 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Ryan Finnan ◽

Luke Funk ◽

Michael S. Pinzur ◽

Steven Rabin ◽

Laurie Lomasney ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

External Rotation ◽

Stage Iv ◽

Ankle Fractures ◽

Health Related Quality ◽

Related Quality ◽

Health Related ◽

Rotation Stage ◽

Supination External Rotation

Background: While open reduction of displaced ankle fractures generally is accepted as the standard of care, relatively little is known about the health related quality of life after treatment. It is generally accepted that clinical results of treatment for supination-external rotation stage IV ankle fractures are favorable. The goal of this investigation was to determine the relationship between clinical results and health-related quality of life outcome measures in a consecutive series of patients treated for closed supination-external rotation stage IV ankle fractures. Methods: Twenty-six of 156 patients who had operative treatment for closed, displaced supination-external rotation stage IV ankle fractures during a 9-year period, completed the Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment (SMFA) outcome questionnaire. Radiographs and clinical records were reviewed to determine quality of operative repair, postoperative morbidity, and the development of post-traumatic arthritis. Results: There were no postoperative complications. Of the 26 patients who returned the SMFA questionnaires, 19 had “good,” and seven had “fair” reduction of their fractures. Six showed radiographic evidence of arthritis at followup. Study participants reported scores that were similar to the general population in five of the six domains of the SMFA. Their scores in the mobility index were statistically less favorable (23.72 vs. 13.61, p = 0.016) when compared to the general population. Participants with “good” operative reductions and no evidence of arthritis at followup showed no significant difference to the general population. Participants with either a “fair” operative reduction or evidence of postoperative arthritis at followup had less favorable scores in the daily activities (mean 13.45 vs. 11.82, p = 0.004), mobility (43.43 vs. 13.61, p = 0.001), dysfunction (32.89 vs. 12.70, p = 0.014), and bother (35.80 vs. 13.77, p = 0.020) domains, when compared to the general population. Conclusions: The results of this investigation suggest that patients with excellent radiographic operative reductions and no arthritis as early as 6 months after surgery sustain no lasting unfavorable effect on health related quality of life. Patients with “fair” radiographic reduction, or presence of arthritis or both at followup, are likely to have a negative effect on their quality of life.

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Chronic Deltoid Ligament Insufficiency Repair with Internal Brace™ Augmentation

Foot & Ankle Orthopaedics ◽

10.1177/2473011417s000071 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2 (3) ◽

pp. 2473011417S0000

Author(s):

Manuel Pellegrini ◽

Giovanni Carcuro ◽

Natalio Cuchacovic ◽

Marcelo Somarriva ◽

Mario Escudero Heldt ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Functional Outcomes ◽

Short Form ◽

Stage Iv ◽

Deltoid Ligament ◽

Foot And Ankle ◽

Ankle Pain ◽

Ligament Repair ◽

Sf 36 ◽

Internal Brace

Category: Ankle, Arthroscopy, Sports Introduction/Purpose: Patients with chronic deltoid ligament insufficiency (CDLI) present a challenging situation in foot and ankle surgery. Although numerous surgical procedures have been described, optimal treatment is still a matter of debate. While the treatment armamentarium ranges from simple ligament repair to complex deltoid reconstructions with or without realignment osteotomies, direct repair augmented with an Internal Brace™ (Arthrex, Inc., Naples FL, USA) device appears to be an attractive intermediate option. We investigated functional outcomes and complications in patients with CDLI operated on using Internal Brace™ augmentation. Methods: After IRB approval, a prospective study was conducted. Patients were included if they were older than 18 years, presented medial ankle pain and/or giving way, exhibited asymmetric flexible hindfoot valgus, failed conservative treatment, and had a positive MRI evaluated by an independent radiologist. Patients with less than six months of follow-up, stage IV flatfoot deformity, neuropathy and/or inflammatory arthritis were excluded from the study. CDLI diagnosis was confirmed intraoperatively with the arthroscopic ankle drive-through sign. Patients were evaluated preoperatively and postoperatively using foot and ankle ability measure (FAAM) score, 36-item short form survey (SF-36), and grade of satisfaction. Paired t-tests were used to assess the pre- and postoperative FAAM and SF-36 scores. Results: Eleven patients met inclusion criteria. Nine patients were male and two female, with a mean age of 32 (18-61). Six ankles were right and five left. 88% presented with medial ankle pain, 67% medial drawer, 88% asymmetric hindfoot valgus, and 44% multidirectional ankle instability. No patient was lost to follow-up, with a mean follow-up time of 13.5 months (6-21). Preoperative FAAM and SF-36 scores improved from 58.7 to 75.3 and from 60.2 to 84.4 postoperatively, respectively (p<0.05). Two implant failures were observed, with no apparent compromise of construct stability. No patient was re-operated. Conclusion: Our results suggest that deltoid ligament repair with Internal Brace™ augmentation in patients with CDLI is a reliable option with good functional outcomes and high satisfaction grade in short term follow-up.

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Comparison of below knee cast and elasticated support bandage treatment foe an isolated fracture of the lateral malleolus

Journal of Society of Surgeons of Nepal ◽

10.3126/jssn.v17i2.17142 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 17 (2) ◽

pp. 12-17

Author(s):

Rajram Maharjan

Keyword(s):

Ankle Fracture ◽

External Rotation ◽

Lateral Malleolus ◽

Stage Ii ◽

Group A ◽

The Difference ◽

Group B ◽

Rotation Stage ◽

Supination External Rotation

Introduction: Ankle fractures are the most common type of fractures treated in orthopaedics with isolated malleolar fractures, accounting for two-thirds of fractures. The most common injury mechanism is supination external rotation, which accounts for the majority of all ankle fracture patterns. Supination external rotation stage II is the classic short oblique fracture of the distal fibula without a medial side injury, which responds well to non-operative treatment as it is a stable fracture. The purpose of this study is to compare efficacy of elasticated support bandage versus plaster cast in the patient with isolated lateral malleolus fracture (Lauge-Hansen supination- eversion external stage II.)Method: A prospective comparative study was carried out in the Department of Orthopaedics in Bir Hospital from February 2007 to January 2009. Patients with ankle fracture were initially treated by below knee posterior slab for seven days to allow the swelling to subside and on seventh day follow-up they were grouped in two groups. Group A were patients with below knee cast and Group B were elasticated support bandage. Both groups were followed-up in the 5th week for cast or elasticated bandage removal and were evaluated after a week, thereafter, every monthly for 3 months and finally at 6 month.Result: Of the 48 cases enrolled, the mean age of the patients was 38.85 years. The common mode of injury was fall from height followed by road traffic accident. The modified subjective ankle score of Olerud and Molander (1984) was found more in group B in comparison to group A in all follow ups. In initial three successive follow ups at 6 week, 12 week and at 3 month subjective score was found statistically significant (p> 0.05) however, it was not significant at 6 month follow up. The range of motion was significantly improved in group B in all follow ups but the difference between the two groups at 6 weeks and 10 weeks follow ups was statistically significant. Immobilized group required less analgesic but the difference was not significant statistically.Conclusion: Both below knee cast and elasticated support bandage treatment methods are safe, satisfactory and equally effective with a better early result in elasticated support bandage. Supination External Rotation stage II type fracture can be treated conservatively, if there is no medial tenderness.Journal of Society of Surgeons of NepalVol. 17, No. 2, 2014, Page: 7-11

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Comparison of Outcome of Deltoid Ligament Repair According to Location of Suture Anchors in Rotational Ankle Fracture

Foot & Ankle International ◽

10.1177/1071100720952053 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 107110072095205

Author(s):

Young Hwan Park ◽

Kyu Sun Jang ◽

Eui Dong Yeo ◽

Gi Won Choi ◽

Hak Jun Kim

Keyword(s):

Clinical Outcomes ◽

Ankle Fracture ◽

Deltoid Ligament ◽

Medial Malleolus ◽

Suture Anchors ◽

Ligament Repair ◽

Level Of Evidence ◽

Clear Space ◽

Retrospective Comparative Study

Background: The suture anchors for the repair of deltoid ligament in rotational ankle fracture are inserted mostly into the medial malleolus, but sometimes are placed into the talus depending on the rupture site. This study sought to compare the radiological and clinical outcomes of deltoid ligament repair according to using these 2 locations for suture anchor placement. Methods: The cases of 131 patients (114 patients with suture anchors on the medial malleolus and 17 patients with suture anchors on the talus) who underwent deltoid ligament repair along with ankle fracture fixation were retrospectively reviewed. Medial clear space oblique (MCSo), medial clear space perpendicular (MCSp), tibiofibular clear space (TFCS), and tibiofibular overlap (TFO) were measured as radiological outcomes, while the Olerud-Molander Ankle Score (OMAS) and visual analog scale (VAS) score for pain were calculated as clinical outcomes. The follow-up period did not differ between the 2 groups (16.8 ± 10.9 months in the medial malleolus group vs 17.9 ± 14.3 months in the talus group; P = .670). Results: There were no differences in MCSo, MCSp, TFCS, and TFO at 3 months after surgery and final follow-up. The OMAS and VAS for pain did not show intergroup differences at final follow-up. Conclusion: The surgical outcome of deltoid ligament repair in rotational ankle fracture did not differ whether the suture anchors were inserted into the medial malleolus or into the talus. Level of Evidence: Level III, retrospective comparative study.

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Outcome of primary deltoid ligament repair in acute ankle fractures: a meta-analysis of comparative studies

International Orthopaedics ◽

10.1007/s00264-019-04416-9 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 44 (2) ◽

pp. 341-347 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Motasem Salameh ◽

Abduljabbar Alhammoud ◽

Nedal Alkhatib ◽

Ahmed K. Attia ◽

Mohamed M. Mekhaimar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Functional Outcome ◽

Comparative Studies ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Ankle Fractures ◽

Deltoid Ligament ◽

Ligament Repair ◽

Pain Scores ◽

Clear Space ◽

Repair Group

Abstract Purpose The indications of deltoid ligament repair in ankle injuries with widened medial clear space in the absence of medial malleolus fracture remain controversial. Many authors reported no difference in long-term functional outcomes, while others stated that persistent medial clear space widening and malreduction are higher when deltoid ligaments went without repair. This meta-analysis aims to report the current published evidence about the outcomes of deltoid ligament repair in ankle fractures. Methods Several databases were searched through May 2018 for comparative studies. The primary outcome was the medial clear space correction, while secondary outcomes included maintenance of medial clear space reduction, pain scores, functional outcome, and total complications if any. Three comparative studies met the inclusion criteria for the meta-analysis. The analysis included a total of 192 patients, 81 in the deltoid ligament repair group and 111 in the non-repair group. Results The medial clear space correction and maintenance of the said correction on final follow-up radiographs were superior in the deltoid ligament repair group. Although the pain scores were better in the repair group at the final follow-up, this did not result in a better functional outcome, with similar total complication rates. Conclusion In conclusion, those who had their deltoid ligament repaired had superior early and late radiological correction of the medial clear space, an indicator of the quality of ankle reduction with better pain scores. However, no differences in the functional outcome and complications rate were reported.

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Therapeutic effects of internal fixation with support plates and cannulated screws via the posterolateral approach on supination external rotation stage IV ankle fracture

Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences ◽

10.12669/pjms.36.3.1671 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 36 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Zhongbing Liu ◽

Genling Tang ◽

Shuguang Guo ◽

Bin Cai ◽

Qingsong Li

Keyword(s):

Ankle Fracture ◽

External Rotation ◽

Stage Iv ◽

Cannulated Screw ◽

Posterolateral Approach ◽

Therapeutic Effects ◽

Cannulated Screws ◽

Support Plate ◽

Rotation Stage ◽

Supination External Rotation

Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic effects of internal fixation with support plates and cannulated screws via the posterolateral approach on supination external rotation stage IV ankle fracture. Methods: Eighty-five patients with SER-IV°ankle fracture and large posterior malleolar fracture treated from June 2016 to June 2018 in our hospital, were randomly divided into a support plate group (n=47) and a cannulated screw group (n=38). The treatment outcomes were compared regarding surgical time, amount of bleeding, time of fracture healing, postoperative complications, as well as the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) Ankle-Hindfoot Score and excellent rate one year later. Results: The surgical time and intraoperative blood loss of cannulated screw group were significantly lower than those of support plate group (P<0.05). There were four cases of posterior lateral incision redness complicated with obvious bloody exudation in support plate group on the postoperative 2nd day. One case developed into superficial incision infection subsequently, and one case suffered from deep infection. After dressing and treatment with sensitive antibiotics, stitch removal was delayed, and primary healing was obtained. In cannulated screw group, there were two cases of posterior lateral incision redness complicated with obvious bloody exudation on the postoperative 3rd day, without skin incision infection. One case had cannulated screw loosening two months after surgery, and the posterior malleolar fracture block was slightly displaced. The incidence of surgical complications in support plate and cannulated screw groups were 8.51% and 7.89%, respectively (P>0.05). The AOFAS scores of cannulated screw ((81.71 ± 12.39) points) and support plate groups ((86.62 ± 10.12) points) were significantly different (P<0.05). Conclusion: For patients with posterior malleolar fracture or osteoporosis, fixation using support plate is recommended. Cannulated screw fixation is suitable for for patients with poor conditions of skin soft tissues or basic diseases such as diabetes intolerant to long surgery. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.3.1671 How to cite this:Liu Z, Tang G, Guo S, Cai B, Li Q. Therapeutic effects of internal fixation with support plates and cannulated screws via the posterolateral approach on supination external rotation stage IV ankle fracture. Pak J Med Sci. 2020;36(3):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.3.1671 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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Transarticular external fixation versus deltoid ligament repair in treating SER IV ankle fractures: a comparative study

10.21203/rs.2.11749/v3 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Bohua Li ◽

Shanxi Wang ◽

Zhengdong Zhang ◽

Hai Yang ◽

Jun Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

External Fixation ◽

External Rotation ◽

Ankle Fractures ◽

Deltoid Ligament ◽

Functional Evaluation ◽

Ligament Repair ◽

Fracture Union ◽

Group 2 ◽

Supination External Rotation ◽

Group 1

Abstract Background The topic that whether the injured deltoid ligament should be repaired when associated with ankle joint fractures is still discussed. The objective of this study was to compare the clinical effect of open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) with deltoid ligament repair (DLR) or transarticular external fixation (TEF) in treating supination-external rotation type IV (SER IV) ankle fractures. Methods Between January 2012 and December 2015, 43 patients were diagnosed as SER IV ankle fractures, 20 underwent ORIF and transarticular external fixation (TEF) without DLR (group 1), 23 were treated with ORIF and DLR (group 2). The pre- and post-operative radiographic examination were performed, the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot score, the visual analog scale (VAS), the Medical Outcomes Short Form 36-item questionnaire score (SF-36), and the ankle range of motion (ROM) were used for functional evaluation. Results In both groups, the three scores improved significantly after surgery, but there was no significant difference between the two groups. At 6 weeks after surgery, patients in group 2 had better ankle ROM than group 1 (29.35 ± 2.033 vs. 40.35 ± 3.550, P < 0.001), but there was no difference at 12 months postoperatively. No cases of bone nonunion or post-traumatic arthritic changes were seen during the follow-up. Patients in group 1 required a shorter time to achieve fracture union than patients in group 2. Conclusions ORIF with TIF is an optional strategy to manage SER IV ankle fractures as it achieves comparable functional results to ORIF with DLR. It also allows patients to start relatively earlier weight-bearing and may promote fracture union. Keywords Transarticular external fixation; ORIF; Deltoid ligament repair; Supination-external rotation; Ankle fracture

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Systematic Review of Stress Radiographic Modalities Stability Assessment in Supination External Rotation Ankle Fractures

Foot & Ankle Orthopaedics ◽

10.1177/2473011419890861 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4 (4) ◽

pp. 247301141989086

Author(s):

Sohail Yousaf ◽

Alan Saleh ◽

Aashish Ahluwalia ◽

Shahnawaz Haleem ◽

Zara Hayat ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Ankle Joint ◽

External Rotation ◽

Imaging Modality ◽

Ankle Fractures ◽

Deltoid Ligament ◽

Stress Radiographs ◽

Clear Space ◽

Standard Radiographs ◽

Supination External Rotation

Background: Isolated distal fibular fractures resulting from supination external rotation (SER) injuries without evidence of obvious talar shift on standard radiographs present a diagnostic dilemma for clinicians. The status of the deep deltoid ligament, the main stabilizer of the ankle joint, is assessed by an increase in medial clear space (MCS) on radiographs. Therefore, these injuries can be either stable or unstable. In recent years, considerable clinical and research efforts have been made to determine ankle stability following SER fracture. The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate and compare the role of different stress radiograph modalities in assessing stability of the ankle with SER fractures with no obvious talar subluxation on standard radiographs. Methods: The electronic databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, Ovid, Cochrane Central, CINAHL, and Google Scholar were searched from January 2000 to January 2018 to identify literature relating to radiologic assessment of stability of SER ankle fractures. Results: Our literature search revealed 10 peer-reviewed articles that fulfilled inclusion criteria. This yielded a total of 698 patients. The systematic review found 3 broad categories of radiographic investigations in the assessment of ankle joint stability: external rotation (ER) stress radiographs, gravity stress views (GSV), and weightbearing (WB) radiographs. Proponents of WB radiographs have demonstrated how axial load can normalize ankle joint alignment in cases of proven instability. There was a consistently high grade of evidence for using a medial clear space (MCS) value of more than 4 to 5 mm to indicate an unstable ankle following SER fracture. Conclusion: In conclusion, the results of this systematic review support an MCS value of less than 4 to 5 mm as a good indicator of stability, regardless of choice of stress imaging modality. These patients can be allowed early weightbearing with expected good functional outcomes. Recent published literature favors WB stress radiographs as a reliable and safe technique for assessing stability in SER ankle fractures. However, it should be kept in mind that this is based on studies with relatively low grades of evidence. Level of Evidence: Level II, systematic review of variable quality studies.

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