Three-Dimensional Analysis of Ankle Instability after Tibiofibular Syndesmosis Injuries

2007 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 348-352 ◽  
Author(s):  
Atsushi Teramoto ◽  
Hideji Kura ◽  
Eiichi Uchiyama ◽  
Daisuke Suzuki ◽  
Toshihiko Yamashita
Keyword(s):  
Ankle Joint ◽  
Ankle Instability ◽  
External Rotation ◽  
Tracking System ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Traction Force ◽  
Tibiofibular Syndesmosis ◽  
Tibiofibular Ligament ◽  
Distal Tibiofibular Syndesmosis ◽  
Fresh Frozen

Background Rupture of the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis commonly occurs with extreme external rotation. Most studies of syndesmosis injuries have concentrated only on external rotation instability of the ankle joint and have not examined other defects. Hypothesis Syndesmosis injuries cause multidirectional ankle instability. Study Design Controlled laboratory study. Methods Ankle instability caused by distal tibiofibular syndesmosis injuries was examined using 7 normal fresh-frozen cadaveric legs. The anterior tibiofibular ligament, interosseous membrane, and posterior tibiofibular ligament, which compose the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis, were sequentially cut. Anterior, posterior, medial, and lateral traction forces, as well as internal and external rotation torque, were applied to the tibia; the diastasis between the tibia and fibula and the angular motion among the tibia, fibula, and talus were measured using a magnetic tracking system. Results A medial traction force with a cut anterior tibiofibular ligament significantly increased the diastasis from 1.1 to 2.0 mm ( P = .001) and talar tilt angles from 9.6° to 15.2° ( P < .001). External rotation torque significantly increased the diastasis from 0.5 to 1.8 mm ( P= .009) with a complete cut; external rotation torque also significantly increased rotational angles from 7.1° to 9.4° ( P = .05) with an anterior tibiofibular ligament cut. Conclusion Syndesmosis injuries caused ankle instability with medial traction force and external rotation torque to the tibia. Clinical Relevance Both physicians and athletes should be aware of inversion instability of the ankle joint caused by tibiofibular syndesmosis injuries.

Distal Fibular Length Needed for Ankle Stability

2006 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 185-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eiichi Uchiyama ◽  
Daisuke Suzuki ◽  
Hideji Kura ◽  
Toshihiko Yamashita ◽  
Gen Murakami
Keyword(s):  
Ankle Joint ◽  
External Rotation ◽  
Traction Force ◽  
Distal Fibula ◽  
Rotational Angle ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Long Term Stability ◽  
Ankle Stability ◽  
Fresh Frozen ◽  
The Stability

Background: The fibula is commonly used for bone grafts. Previous clinical and biomechanical studies have suggested that the length of the residual portion of the distal part of the fibula has an important effect on the long-term stability of the ankle joint. However, we cannot find clear-cut guidelines for the amount of bone that can be harvested safely. Methods: Using six normal fresh-frozen cadaver legs, motions of the tibia, talus and calcaneus were measured. The fibula was cut sequentially 3 cm from the proximal tip of the fibula and distally 10 cm, 6 cm, and 4 cm from the distal tip of the lateral malleolus. The angular motion of each bone was measured while a medial and lateral traction force of 19.6 N was applied to the proximal tibia. Angles of the tibia, talus, and calcaneus were measured. Results: Sequential resection of the fibula increased the inversion angles of the ankle joint. The proximal 3-cm cut increased the inversion angle from 42.1 ± 6.2 degrees to 49.6 ± 3.6 degrees, and the distal 4-cm cut increased the angle from 57.6 ± 6.6 degrees to 67.4 ± 5.9 degrees. The rotational angles were almost constant with sequential resections of the fibula; however, the distal 4-cm cut increased the rotational angle from 11.3 ± 25.1 degrees to 78.7 ± 37.5 degrees. Conclusions: The whole fibula including the head is essential for the stability of the ankle joint complex, and the distal fibula is responsible for stabilizing the ankle mortise during external rotation and inversion. We recommend fixation of the syndesmosis or bracing to prevent ankle joint instability with rotation of the talus in the mortise, especially when the distal fibula is shortened 6 cm or more.

Impact of Torque on Assessment of Syndesmotic Injuries Using Weightbearing Computed Tomography Scans

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 710-719 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola Krähenbühl ◽  
Travis L. Bailey ◽  
Maxwell W. Weinberg ◽  
Nathan P. Davidson ◽  
Beat Hintermann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Computed Tomography ◽  
Axial Load ◽  
External Rotation ◽  
Ct Scans ◽  
Deltoid Ligament ◽  
Tibiofibular Syndesmosis ◽  
Tibiofibular Ligament ◽  
Distal Tibiofibular Syndesmosis ◽  
Axial Ct ◽  
The Impact

Background: The diagnosis of subtle injuries to the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis remains elusive. Conventional radiographs miss a large subset of injuries that present without frank diastasis. This study evaluated the impact of torque application on the assessment of syndesmotic injuries when using weightbearing computed tomography (CT) scans. Methods: Seven pairs of male cadavers (tibia plateau to toe-tip) were included. CT scans with axial load application (85 kg) and with (10 Nm) or without torque to the tibia (corresponding to external rotation of the foot and ankle) were taken during 4 test conditions. First, intact ankles (native) were scanned. Second, 1 specimen from each pair underwent anterior inferior tibiofibular ligament (AITFL) transection (condition 1A), while the contralateral underwent deltoid transection (condition 1B). Third, the lesions were reversed on the same specimens and the remaining intact deltoid or AITFL was transected (condition 2). Finally, the distal tibiofibular interosseous membrane (IOM) was transected in all ankles (condition 3). Measurements were performed to assess the integrity of the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis on digitally reconstructed radiographs (DRRs) and on axial CT scans. Results: Torque impacted DRR and axial CT scan measurements in almost all conditions. The ability to diagnose syndesmotic injuries using axial CT measurements improved when torque was applied. No significant syndesmotic morphological change was observed with or without torque for either isolated AITFL or deltoid ligament transection. Discussion: Torque application had a notable impact on two-dimensional (2-D) measurements used to diagnose syndesmotic injuries for both DRRs and axial CT scans. Because weightbearing conditions allow for standardized positioning of the foot while radiographs or CT scans are taken, the combination of axial load and torque application may be desirable. Clinical Relevance: Application of torque to the tibia impacts 2-D measurements and may be useful when diagnosing syndesmotic injuries by DRRs or axial CT images.

scholarly journals Restoration of Tibiofibular Kinematics with a Tricortical Screw or Suture Button Fixation After Syndesmotic Ankle Injuries

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 2473011417S0000
Author(s):  
Conor Murphy ◽  
Thomas Pfeiffer ◽  
Jason Zlotnicki ◽  
Volker Musahl ◽  
Richard Debski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Screw Fixation ◽  
External Rotation ◽  
Tracking System ◽  
Optical Tracking ◽  
Ankle Injuries ◽  
Suture Button ◽  
Tibiofibular Ligament ◽  
Cortical Screw ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Posterior Translation

Category: Ankle, Sports, Trauma Introduction/Purpose: Anterior inferior tibiofibular ligament (AITFL), Posterior inferior tibiofibular ligament (PITFL) and Interosseous membrane (IOM) disruption is a predictive measure of residual symptoms after ankle injury. In unstable injuries, the syndesmosis is treated operatively with cortical screw fixation or a suture button apparatus. Biomechanical analyses of suture button versus cortical screw fixation methods show contradicting results regarding suture button integrity and maintenance of fixation. The objective of this study is to quantify tibiofibular joint motion in syndesmotic screw and suture button fixation models compared to the intact ankle. Methods: Five fresh-frozen human cadaveric specimens (mean age 58 yrs.; range 38-73 yrs.) were tested using a 6-degree-of- freedom robotic testing system. The tibia and calcaneus were rigidly fixed to the robotic manipulator and the subtalar joint was fused. The full fibular length was maintained and fibular motion was unconstrained. Fibular motion with respect to the tibia was tracked by a 3D optical tracking system. A 5 Nm external rotation moment and 5 Nm inversion moment were applied to the ankle at 0°, 15°, and 30° plantarflexion and 10° dorsiflexion. Outcome variables included fibular medial-lateral (ML) translation, anterior-posterior (AP) translation, and external rotation (ER) in the following states: 1) intact ankle, 2) AITFL transected, 3) PITFL and IOM transected, 4) 3.5 mm cannulated tricortical screw fixation, 5) suture button fixation. An ANOVA with a post-hoc Tukey analysis was performed for statistical analysis (*p<0.05). Results: Significant differences in fibular motion were only during the inversion moment. Fibular posterior translation was significantly higher with complete syndesmosis injury compared to the intact ankle at 0°, 15°, and 30° plantarflexion and the tricortical screw at 15° and 30°. Significantly higher fibular posterior translation was observed with the suture button compared to the intact ankle at 15° and 30 plantarflexion and to the tricortical screw at 15°. ER was significantly increased with complete injury compared to the tricortical screw at 0° and 30° plantarflexion. The suture button demonstrated significantly greater ER at 0° plantarflexion and 10° dorsiflexion compared to the intact ankle. The only significant difference in ML translation exists between the tricortical screw and complete injury at 30° plantarflexion. Conclusion: The suture button did not restore physiologic motion of the syndesmosis. It only restored fibular ML translation. Significant differences in AP translation and ER persisted compared to the intact ankle. The tricortical screw restored fibular motion in all planes. No significant differences were observed compared to the intact ankle. These findings are consistent with previous studies. This study utilized a novel setup to measure unconstrained motion in a full length, intact fibula. Physicians should evaluate AP translation and ER as critical fibular motions when reconstructing the syndesmosis with suture button fixation.

scholarly journals Invisible Injuries in Ankle Fractures

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 2473011417S0001
Author(s):  
Robin Blom ◽  
Markus Knupp ◽  
Beat Hintermann ◽  
Sjoerd Stufkens
Keyword(s):  
Ankle Instability ◽  
External Rotation ◽  
Plantar Flexion ◽  
Axial Loading ◽  
Ankle Fractures ◽  
Deltoid Ligament ◽  
Neutral Position ◽  
Need For Treatment ◽  
Ligament Rupture ◽  
Fresh Frozen

Category: Ankle, Trauma, Biomechanical Introduction/Purpose: Ankle fractures are often associated with ligamentous injuries of the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis, the deltoid ligament and are predictive of ankle instability, early joint degeneration and long-term ankle dysfunction. Detection of ligamentous injuries and the need for treatment remain subject of ongoing debate. In the classic article of Boden it was made clear that injuries of the syndesmotic ligaments were of no importance in the absence of a deltoid ligament rupture. Even in the presence of a deltoid ligament rupture, the interosseous membrane withstood lateralization of the fibula in fractures up to 4.5 mm above the ankle joint. Generally, syndesmotic ligamentous injuries are treated operatively by temporary fixation performed with positioning screws. But do syndesmotic injuries need to be treated operatively at all? Methods: The purpose of this biomechanical cadaveric study was to investigate the relative movements of the tibia and fibula, under normal physiological conditions and after sequential sectioning of the syndesmotic ligaments. Ten fresh-frozen below-knee human cadaveric specimens were tested under normal physiological loading conditions. Axial loads of 50 Newton (N) and 700 N were provided in an intact state and after sequential sectioning of the following ligaments: anterior-inferior tibiofibular (AITFL), posterior-inferior tibiofibular (PITFL), interosseous (IOL), and whole deltoid (DL). In each condition the specimens were tested in neutral position, 10 degrees of dorsiflexion, 30 degrees of plantar flexion, 10 degrees of inversion, 5 degrees of eversion, and externally rotated up to 10 Nm torque. Finally, after sectioning of the deltoid ligament, we triangulated Boden’s classic findings with modern instruments. We hypothesized that only after sectioning of the deltoid ligament; the lateralization of the talus will push the fibula away from the tibia. Results: During dorsiflexion and external rotation the ankle syndesmosis widened, and the fibula externally rotated after sequential sectioning of the syndesmotic ligaments. After the AITFL was sectioned the fibula starts rotating externally. However, the external rotation of the fibula significantly reduced when the external rotation torque was combined with axial loading up to 700 N as compared to the external rotation torque alone. The most relative moments between the tibia and fibula were observed after the deltoid ligament was sectioned. Conclusion: Significant increases in movements of the fibula relative to the tibia occur when an external rotation torque is provided. However, axial pressure seemed to limit external rotation because of the bony congruence of the tibiotalar surface. The AITFL is necessary to prevent the fibula to rotate externally when the foot is rotating externally. The deltoid ligament is the main stabilizer of the ankle mortise.

Kinematics of the Ankle Joint Complex in Snowboarding

2005 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 394-403 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sébastien Delorme ◽  
Stavros Tavoularis ◽  
Mario Lamontagne
Keyword(s):  
Ankle Joint ◽  
Motion Tracking ◽  
External Rotation ◽  
Tracking System ◽  
Plantar Flexion ◽  
Movement Patterns ◽  
Alpine Skiers ◽  
Motion Tracking System

Because snowboarders are known to injure their ankles more often than Alpine skiers, it has been postulated that stiffer snowboard boots would provide better protection to the ankle than current soft boots do. Snowboarders are also known to injure their front ankle more often than their back ankle, presumably because of the asymmetrical rotations of the ankles due to asymmetrical binding adjustement. To test these hypotheses, we measured the kinematics of the feet and legs of 5 snowboarders wearing soft boots and stiffer step-in boots during snowboarding maneuvers using an electromagnetic motion tracking system. The results were expressed in anatomically relevant rotations of the ankle joint complex, namely dorsi-/plantar flexion, eversion/inversion, and internal/external rotation. The measured ankle rotations show differences in the movement patterns of the front and back legs. Step-in boots were shown to allow less dorsiflexion, eversion, and external rotation than softer boots, possibly explaining why they are associated with a lower rate of fractures of the talus than soft boots.

Three-Dimensional Computed Tomographic Characterization of Normal Anatomic Morphology and Variations of the Distal Tibiofibular Syndesmosis

2018 ◽  
Vol 57 (6) ◽  
pp. 1130-1136 ◽  
Author(s):  
George T. Liu ◽  
Easton Ryan ◽  
Eric Gustafson ◽  
Michael D. VanPelt ◽  
Katherine M. Raspovic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Tibiofibular Syndesmosis ◽  
Computed Tomographic ◽  
Distal Tibiofibular Syndesmosis

scholarly journals THE FEATURES OF TIBIOFIBULAR INJURY IN PATENTS WITH ANKLE FRACTURES

2010 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 22-26
Author(s):  
N. F. Fomin ◽  
A. G. Ovdenko ◽  
R. A. Nadjafov ◽  
A. N. Bogdanov
Keyword(s):  
Ankle Joint ◽  
Soft Tissues ◽  
Minimal Invasive ◽  
Ankle Fractures ◽  
Fracture Treatment ◽  
Tibiofibular Syndesmosis ◽  
Distal Tibiofibular Syndesmosis

The role of interposition of soft tissues into tibiofibular syndesmosis is analyzed as a cause of unsatisfactory outcomes in the ankle joint pronation fracture treatment. The study is based on clinical (452 patients) and experimental material (36 experiments) including unfixed anatomic objects. The elevator for minimal invasive operative elimination of interposition of stumps of distal tibiofibular syndesmosis anterior and posterior ligaments is developed and tested.

scholarly journals Clinical Significance of Ankle Arthroscopy in the Diagnosis of Type B Ankle Fracture Associated with the Distal Tibiofibular Syndesmosis Injury

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 2473011419S0035
Author(s):  
Huang Qiang ◽  
Xu Xiangyang
Keyword(s):  
Internal Fixation ◽  
Ankle Fracture ◽  
External Rotation ◽  
Ankle Arthroscopy ◽  
Tibiofibular Syndesmosis ◽  
Type B ◽  
Rotation Test ◽  
Distal Tibiofibular Syndesmosis ◽  
Syndesmosis Injury ◽  
Mri Diagnosis

Category: Arthroscopy, Trauma Introduction/Purpose: To investigate clinical significance of ankle arthroscopy in the diagnosis of type B ankle fracture associated with the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis injury. Methods: From February 2014 to December 2016, the authors diagnosed and treated 35 cases of type B ankle fractures. including 23 males and 12 females; with an average age of (43.05±12.480) years. Each patient underwent preoperative assessment: according to the patient’s clinical manifestations and imaging examination, and before the operation and after internal fixation of ankle fracture, the Cotton test and the external rotation test were done in the C arm X-ray, the initial diagnosis whether there is the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis injury. When the Cotton test and the external rotation test was used, Ankle arthroscopy was used to observe and evaluate whether there is the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis injury. For patients with the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis injury, In addition to the internal fixation of the ankle fracture, the TightRope was used to repair the injury. And observation of repair effect by ankle arthroscopy. Results: After internal fixation of ankle fracture, the Cotton test and the external rotation test was performed under the C arm X-ray, there were no the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis injury in 22 patients. Preoperative CT showed 6 cases of combined the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis injury, Preoperative MRI showed 13 cases of combined the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis injury. Ankle arthroscopy confirmed 11 cases of combined the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis injury. The sensitivity of ankle arthroscopy and MRI diagnosis combined with the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis injury was higher than that of CT sensitivity(P<0.05). The sensitivity of ankle arthroscopy for the diagnosis of the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis injury was weaker than that of MRI in the diagnosis of the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis injury (P<0.05). MRI diagnosis of the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis injury can be false positive. Conclusion: Ankle arthroscopy can directly observe the medial triangle ligament of the ankle, the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis injury, which provides the basis for correct diagnosis and treatment of Type B ankle fracture with the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis injury. And it can evaluate the stability of ankle after repairing the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis injury.

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