Aims

This study aimed to compare the outcomes of two different postoperative management approaches following surgical fixation of ankle fractures: traditional cast immobilization versus the Early Motion and Directed Exercise (EMADE) programme.

Introduction

Early clinical examination combined with MRI following a high ankle sprain allows accurate diagnosis of syndesmosis instability. However, patients often present late, and for chronic injuries clinical assessment is less reliable. Furthermore, in many centres MRI may be not be readily available. The aims of the current study were to define MRI characteristics associated with syndesmosis instability, and to determine whether MRI patterns differed according to time from injury.

Aims

Posterior malleolar (PM) fractures are commonly associated with ankle fractures, pilon fractures, and to a lesser extent tibial shaft fractures. The tibialis posterior (TP) tendon entrapment is a rare complication associated with PM fractures. If undiagnosed, TP entrapment is associated with complications, ranging from reduced range of ankle movement to instability and pes planus deformities, which require further surgeries including radical treatments such as arthrodesis.

Abstract

Aims

The aim of this study was to compare the functional and radiological outcomes and the complication rate after nail and plate fixation of unstable fractures of the ankle in elderly patients.

Introduction and Objective. Postoperative management regimes vary following open reduction and internal fixation of unstable ankle fractures. There is an evolving understanding that poorer outcomes could be associated with non-weight bearing protocols and immobilisation. Traditional non-weight bearing cast immobilisation may prevent loss of fixation, and this practice continues in many centres. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to compare the complication rate and functional outcomes of early weight-bearing (EWB) versus late weight-bearing (LWB) following open reduction and internal fixation of ankle fractures. Materials and Methods. We performed a systematic review with a meta-analysis of controlled trials and comparative cohort studies. MEDLINE (via PubMed), Embase and the Cochrane Library electronic databases were searched inclusive of all date up to the search time. We included all studies that investigated the effect of weight-bearing following adults ankle fracture fixation by any means. All ankle fracture types, including isolated lateral malleolus fractures, isolated medial malleolus fractures, bi-malleolar fractures, tri-malleolar fractures and Syndesmosis injuries, were included. All weight-bearing protocols were considered in this review, i.e. immediate weight-bearing (IMW) within 24 hours of surgery, early weight-bearing (EWB) within three weeks of surgery, non-weight-bearing for 4 to 6 weeks from the surgery date (or late weight-bearing LWB). Studies that investigated mobilisation but not weight-bearing, non-English language publications and tibial Plafond fractures were excluded from this systematic review. We assessed the risk of bias using ROB 2 tools for randomised controlled trials and ROBINS-1 for cohort studies. Data extraction was performed using Covidence online software and meta-analysis by using RevMan 5.3. Results. After full-text review, fourteen studies (871 patients with a mean age ranged from 35 to 57 years) were deemed eligible for this systematic review; ten randomised controlled trials and four comparative cohort studies. Most of the included studies were rated as having some concern with regard to the risk of bias. There is no important difference in the infection rate between protected EWB and LWB groups (696 patients in 12 studies). The risk ratio (RR) is 1.30, [95% CI 0.74 to 2.30], I. 2. = 0%, P = 0.36). Other complications were rare. The Olerud-Molander Ankle Score (OMAS) was the widely used patient-reported outcome measure after ankle fracture fixation among the studies. The result of the six weeks OMAS analysis (three RCTs) was markedly in favour of the early weight-bearing group (MD = 10.08 [95% CI 5.13 to 15.02], I. 2. = 0%P = <0.0001). Conclusions. The risk of postoperative complications is an essential factor when considering EWB. We found that the overall incidence of surgical site infection was 6%. When comparing the two groups, the incidence was 5.2% and 6.8% for the LWB and EWB groups. This difference is not clinically important. On the other hand, significantly better early functional outcome scores were detected in the EWB group. These results are not without limitations. Protected early weight-bearing following open reduction and internal fixation of ankle fractures is potentially safe and improve short-term functional outcome. Further good-quality randomised controlled trials would be needed before we could draw a more precise conclusion

Flexible fixation techniques combined with anatomic (open) syndesmosis reduction have demonstrated improved functional outcomes and rates of malreduction. Suture-button devices allow physiologic motion of the syndesmosis without need for implant removal, which may lower the risk of recurrent syndesmotic diastasis. There is limited longer-term assessment of the maintenance of reduction between static and flexible syndesmotic fixation using bilateral ankle CT evaluation.

This is an a priori planned subgroup analysis of a multi-centre, randomized clinical trial comparing static syndesmosis fixation (two 3.5 mm screws) with flexible fixation (single knotless Tightrope) for patients with AO- OTA 44-C injuries. Patients who completed bilateral ankle CT scans at 3- and 12-month follow-up were included. The primary outcome measure was syndesmotic malreduction based on bilateral ankle CT scans, using the uninjured, contralateral ankle as a control. Anterior (ASD), middle (MSD), and posterior (PSD) syndesmosis distance were calculated to measure syndesmosis reduction. Secondary outcomes included re-operation, adverse events and functional outcomes including the EQ5D, Olerud-Molander Ankle Score (OM), Foot and Ankle Disability Index (FADI), and Work Productivity Activity Impairment Questionnaire (WPAI). Paired samples t-tests were used to compare injured to control ankles (R, v 3.5.1).

42 patients (24 Group S, 18 Group T) were included. ASD for Group T was 5.22mm (95%CI 4.69–5.77) at 3 months compared to 4.26mm (95%CI 3.82–4.71; p=0.007) in controls and 5.38mm (95%CI 4.72–6.04) at 12 months compared to 4.44mm (95%CI 3.73–5.16; p=0.048) in controls. ASD for Group S was 4.63mm (95%CI 4.17– 5.10) at 3 months compared to 4.67mm (95%CI 4.24–5.10; p=0.61) in controls, but significantly increased to 5.73mm (95%CI 4.81–6.66) at 12 months compared to 4.65mm (95%CI 4.15–5.15; p=0.04) in controls. MSD results were similar; Group T had a larger MSD than control ankles at 3 months (p=0.03) and 12 months (p=0.01), while the MSD in Group S was not different at 3 months (p=0.80) but increased at 12 months (p=<0.01). 88% (21/24) of Group S had broken or removed screws by 12 months. Unplanned re-operation was 15% in Group S and 4% in Group T (p=0.02), with an overall re-operation rate of 30% in Group S. There was no significant difference between treatment groups for EQ-5D, OM, FADI or WPAI at 3- or 12-month follow-up.

Tightrope fixation resulted in greater diastasis of the ASD and MSD compared to contralateral, uninjured ankles at 3- and 12-months post-fixation. Group S initially had syndesmotic reduction similar to control ankles, but between 3- and 12-months post-fixation, there was significantly increased syndesmosis diastasis compared to controls. The majority of Group S (88%) had either broken screws or scheduled screw removal, which may explain the increased tibio-fibular diastasis seen at 12-months.

Nearly one quarter of ankle fractures have a recognized syndesmosis injury. An intact syndesmosis ligament complex stabilizes the distal tibio-fibular joint while allowing small, physiologic amounts of relative motion. When injured, malreduction of the syndesmosis has been found to be the most important independent factor that contributes to inferior functional outcomes. Despite this, significant variability in surgical treatment remains. This may be due to a poor understanding of normal dynamic syndesmosis motion and the resultant impact of static and dynamic fixation on post-injury syndesmosis kinematics. As the syndesmosis is a dynamic structure, conventional CT static images do not provide a complete picture of syndesmosis position, giving potentially misleading results. Dynamic CT technology has the ability to image joints in real time, as they are moved through a range-of-motion (ROM). The aim of this study was to determine if syndesmosis position changes significantly throughout ankle range of motion, thus warranting further investigation with dynamic CT.

This is an a priori planned subgroup analysis of a larger multicentre randomized clinical trial, in which patients with AO-OTA 44-C injuries were randomized to either Tightrope or screw fixation. Bilateral ankle CT scans were performed at 1 year post-injury, while patients moved from maximal dorsiflexion (DF) to maximal plantar flexion (PF). In the uninjured ankles, three measurements were taken at one cm proximal to the ankle joint line in maximal DF and maximal PF: Anterior (ASD), middle (MSD), and posterior (PSD) syndesmosis distance, in order to determine normal syndesmosis position. Paired samples t-tests compared measurements taken at maximal DF and maximal PF.

Twelve patients (eight male, six female) were included, with a mean age of 44 years (±13years). The mean maximal DF achieved was 1-degree (± 7-degrees), whereas the mean maximal PF was 47-degrees (± 8-degrees). The ASD in DF was 3.0mm (± 1.1mm) versus 1.9mm (± 0.8mm) in PF (p<0.01). The MSD in DF was 3.3mm (±1.1mm) versus 2.3mm (±0.9mm) in PF (p<0.01). The PSD in DF was 5.3mm (±1.5mm) versus 4.6mm (±1.9mm) in PF (p<0.01). These values are consistent with the range of normal parameters previously reported in the literature, however this is the first study to report the ankle position at which these measurements are acquired and that there is a significant change in syndesmosis measurements based on ankle position.

Normal syndesmosis position changes in uninjured ankles significantly throughout range of motion. This motion may contribute to the variation in normal anatomy previously reported and controversies surrounding quantifying anatomic reduction after injury, as the ankle position is not routinely standardized, but rather static measurements are taken at patient-selected ankle positions. Dynamic CT is a promising modality to quantify normal ankle kinematics, in order to better understand normal syndesmosis motion. This information will help optimize assessment of reduction methods and potentially improve patient outcomes. Future directions include side-to-side comparison using dynamic CT analysis in healthy volunteers.

Syndesmotic ankle injuries are present in one fourth of all ankle trauma and may lead to chronic syndesmotic instability as well as posttraumatic ankle osteoarthritis. The main challenge remains distinguishing them from other types of ankle trauma. Currently, the patient's injured and non-injured ankles are compared using plain radiographs to determine pathology. However, these try to quantify 3D displacement using 2D measurements techniques and it is unknown to what extent the 3D configuration of the normal ankle syndesmosis is symmetrical.

We aimed to assess the 3D symmetry of the normal ankle syndesmosis between the right and left side in a non- and weightbearing CT.

In this retrospective comparative cohort study, patients with a bilateral non-weightbearing CT (NWBCT; N=28; Mean age=44, SD=17.4) and weight-bearing CT (WBCT; N=33; Mean age=48 years; SD=16.3) were analyzed. Consecutive patients were included between January 2016 and December 2018 when having a bilateral non-weightbearing or weightbearing CT of the foot and ankle. Exclusion criteria were the presence of hindfoot pathology and age less than 18 years or greather than 75 years. CT images were segmented to obtain 3D models. Computer Aided Design (CAD) operations were used to fit the left ankle on top of the right ankle. The outermost point of the apex of the lateral malleolus (AML), anterior tubercle (ATF) and posterior tubercle (PTF) were computed. The difference in the coordinates attached to these anatomical landmarks of the left distal fibula in the ankle syndesmosis with respect to right were used to quantify symmetry. A Cartesian coordinate system was defined based on the tibia to obtain the direction of differences in all six degrees of freedom. Statistical analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney U test to allow comparison between measurements from a NWBCT and WBCT. Reference values were determined for each 3D measurement in a NWBCT and WBCT based on their 2SD. The highest difference in translation could be detected in the anterior-posterior direction (Mean AP_NWBCT= −0.01mm; 2SD=3.43/Mean AP_WBCT=−0.1mm; 2SD=2.3) and amongst rotations in the external direction (Mean AP_NWBCT=−0.3°; 2SD=6.7/Mean AP_WBCT=-0,2°; 2SD=5.2). None of these differences were statistically significant in the normal ankle syndesmosis when obtained from a NWBCT compared to a WBCT (P>0.05).

This study provides references values concerning the 3D symmetry of the normal ankle syndesmosis in weightbearing and non-weightbearing CT-scans. These novel data contribute relevantly to previous 2D radiographic quantifications. In clinical practice they will aid in distinguishing if a patient with a syndesmotic ankle lesion differs from normal variance in syndesmotic ankle symmetry.

Aims

Malreduction of the syndesmosis has been reported in up to 52% of patients after fixation of ankle fractures. Multiple radiological parameters are used to define malreduction; there has been limited investigation of the accuracy of these measurements in differentiating malreduction from inherent anatomical asymmetry. The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence of positive malreduction standards within the syndesmosis of native, uninjured ankles.

Aims

Preoperative talar valgus deformity ≥ 15° is considered a contraindication for total ankle arthroplasty (TAA). We compared operative procedures and clinical outcomes of TAA in patients with talar valgus deformity ≥ 15° and < 15°.

Aims

In a randomized controlled trial with two-year follow-up, patients treated with suture button (SB) for acute syndesmotic injury had better outcomes than patients treated with syndesmotic screw (SS). The aim of this study was to compare clinical and radiological outcomes for these treatment groups after five years.

Aims

Cone beam CT allows cross-sectional imaging of the tibiofibular syndesmosis while the patient bears weight. This may facilitate more accurate and reliable investigation of injuries to, and reconstruction of, the syndesmosis but normal ranges of measurements are required first. The purpose of this study was to establish: 1) the normal reference measurements of the syndesmosis; 2) if side-to-side variations exist in syndesmotic anatomy; 3) if age affects syndesmotic anatomy; and 4) if the syndesmotic anatomy differs between male and female patients in weight-bearing cone beam CT views.

Background

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 4.5mm 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?

Introduction

Injury to the syndesmosis is not always clearly demonstrated on radiographs and different tests have been described to assess for injury. In the presence of a significant injury to the syndesmosis, surgical fixation is often indicated and various fixation methods have been described. If the result of surgery is any mal-reduction of the fibula, this may result in ongoing ankle pain. Assessing how well the fibula has been reduced intra-operatively is currently limited to image intensifier views. We have previously developed a simple assessment, which has been shown to give accurate intra-operative demonstration of an injury to the syndesmosis. Our objective was to ascertain if the same test could demonstrate any malreduction of the fibular after repair of a syndesmosis injury.

Aims

This study assessed the association of classes of body mass index in kg/m² (classified as normal weight 18.5 kg/m² to 24.9 kg/m², overweight 25.0 kg/m² to 29.9 kg/m², and obese ≥ 30.0 kg/m²) with short-term complications and functional outcomes three to six years post-operatively for closed ankle fractures.

Reoperations may be a better way of tracking adverse outcomes than complications. Repeat surgery causes cost to the system, and often indicate failure of the primary procedure resulting in the patient not achieving the expected improvement in pain and function. Understanding the cause of repeat surgery at the primary site may result in design improvements to implants or improvements to fusion techniques resulting in better outcomes in the future. The COFAS group have designed a reoperation classification system. The purpose of this study was to outline the inter and intra observer reliability of this classification scheme.

To verify the inter- and intra-observer reliability of this new coding system, six fellow ship trained practicing foot and ankle Orthopaedic surgeons were asked to classify 62 repeat surgeries from a single surgeons practice. The six surgeons read the operation reports in random order, and reread the reports 2 weeks later in a different order. Reliability was determined using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and proportions of agreement. The agreement between pairs of readings (915 for inter observer for the first and second read – 61 readings with 15 comparisons, observer 1 with observer 2, observer 1 with observer 3, etc) was determined by seeing how often each observer agreed. This was repeated for the 366 ratings for intra observer readings (61 times 6).

The inter-observer reliability on the first read had a mean intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.89. The range for the 15 comparisons was 0.81 to 1.0. Amongst all 1830 paired codings between two observers, 1605 (88%) were in agreement. Across the 61 cases, 45 (74%) were given the same code by all six observers. However, the difference when present was larger with more observers not agreeing. The inter-observer reliability test on the second read had a mean ICC of 0.94, with a range of 0.90. There were 43 (72%) observations that were the same across all six observers. Of all pairs (915 in total) there was agreement in 804 pairs for the first reading (88%) and disagreement in 111 (12%). For the second reading there was agreement in 801 pairs (86%) and disagreement in 114 (14%). The intra-observer reliability averaged an ICC value of 0.92, with a range of 0.86 to 0.98. The observers agreed with their own previous observations 324 times out of 366 paired readings (89% agreement of pairs).

The COFAS classification of reoperations for end stage ankle arthritis was reliable. This scheme potentially could be applied to other areas of Orthopaedic surgery and should replace the Claiden Dindo modifications that do not accurately reflect Orthopaedic outcomes. As complications are hard to define and lack consistent terminology reoperations and resource utilisation (extra clinic visits, extra days in hospital and extra hours of surgery) may be more reliable measures of the negative effects of surgery.