Treatment of Medial Malleolus or Pure Deltoid Ligament Injury in Patients with Supination-External Rotation Type IV Ankle Fractures.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effect of internal fixation on postoperative ankle function in patients with supination-external rotation type IV ankle fractures, including medial malleolus fractures and deltoid ligament injury.

METHODS

Between January 2012 and June 2014, patients with medial structure injuries were enrolled in this study and assigned to the medial malleolus fracture group or the deltoid ligament group. The surgical procedures for the two groups were documented. The follow-up endpoint was the time point when the steel plate or screw was removed from the lateral ankle. The Olerud-Molander ankle scoring system was used to assess ankle function.

RESULTS

A total of 84 patients with supination-external rotation type IV ankle fractures had complete medical records and were included in this study. The average age of the patients was 44.16 years (range, 15-75). The patient sample included 39 males and 45 females. Overall, 49 patients (19 males and 30 females) suffered a medial malleolus fracture. The average age of these patients was 40.20 years (range, 15-75). Patients with a posterior malleolar fracture fragment >25% of the articular surface accounted for 81.6% (40 patients) of these patients. Overall, 35 patients (20 males and 15 females) experienced a deltoid ligament injury. The average age of these patients was 44.21 years (range, 17-73). Patients with a posterior malleolar fracture fragment >25% of the articular surface accounted for 11.5% (four patients) of these patients. Open reduction was performed in patients with medial malleolus fractures, and two 4.0-mm cannulated screws were used to fixate the posterior malleolus and the medial malleolus. The suture-anchor technique was used to repair the ligaments in patients with deltoid ligament injuries. The follow-up endpoint was the time point when the steel plate and screws were removed from the lateral ankle in patients. The average follow-up period was 13.4 months (range, 11-17). The Olerud-Molander ankle scoring system was used to assess postoperative ankle function. The average score for the patients in the medial malleolus fracture group was 90.3 points (range, 85-95). The average score for the patients in the deltoid ligament injury group was 87.7 points (range, 80-95). No significant differences were found in the scores between the two groups.

CONCLUSION

Medial malleolus fracture and deltoid ligament injury are two different presentations of supination-external rotation type IV ankle fractures. Anatomic reduction of the articular surface concurrent with restoration of ankle stability can achieve favorable results for these two injuries.