Ankle arthrography in acute injuries.

Ankle arthrography has proved to be a simple, quick, and useful method in evaluating the ligamentous ruptures in connection with ankle injuries. The observations of the present authors are based on almost 5000 arthrographies . On the lateral side, the ligamentous ruptures spring up in an anteroposterior direction so that the FTA ligament is ruptured first, and, in a continuing injure mechanism, the FC ligament is the next to be ruptured. Isolated ruptures of the FC ligament do not occur. The rupture of the FTP ligament does not appear in arthrography. The rupture of the deltoid ligament is rarer and it usually appears in connection with a pronation lateral rotation injury, especially if the patient has a high fibular fracture and there is no simultaneous fracture of the medial malleolus. The ruptures of tibiofibular ligaments are connected with pronation lateral injuries and fractures of the fibula, if the fracture is situated at the level of the talo-crural joint line or cranial to it.