J Korean Fract Soc.  2001 Oct;14(4):677-684.

Treatement of Diastasis of the Distal Tibiofibular Syndesmosis

• Lee WC
• Ko HS
• Lee C
• Nam KH
• Ko KH
• Rha JD

Abstract

PURPOSE
To investigate the indication of transfixation of distal tibiofibular syndesmosis.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Twenty-two patients were surgically treated for diastasis of the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis and followed for more than one year. The decision to transfix the syndesmosis was made according to the result of intraoperative stress test.
RESULTS
In patients with bimalleolar fracture, good or excellent clinical results were obtained in all patients, and no widening of the medial clear space and I mm or no widening of the tibiofibular clear space was observed. In patients with deltoid ligament tear, good or excellent results were obtained in five patients, and the medial clear space was widened more than 1mm in three patients and tibiofibular clear space was widened 2mm or more in four patients.
CONCLUSION
We believe that transyndesmotic fixation is not required if anatomical bimalleolar fracture fixation is achieved, and in patients who have deltoid ligament rupture, it may be better to transfix the syndesmosis regardless of the level of fibular fracture.

Keyword

Distal tibiofibular syndesmosis; Diastasis; Transfixation

MeSH Terms

Ankle Fractures
Ankle Joint*
Exercise Test
Humans
Ligaments
Rupture
Tears