Characteristics of damage to the fibal bone in fractures of the ankle and distal tibile

Abstract

The study purpose was the evaluation of fibula injuries in malleolar fractures and distal tibia fractures (segments 44 and 43 according to AO/OTA fracture classification), to reveal the most typical types of injuries and morphological fracture parameters, which could be important for the development of the intramedullary fixator of the fibula. Radiological data of 57 patients with malleolar fractures and 54 patients with distal tibia fractures were evaluated. In ankle injuries the vast majority of fibula fractures (84.2 %) were presented by transsyndesmotic injuries (type B according to AO/OTA), majority of fibula fractures (89 %) were simple, without signs of comminution, the fracture plane passed at an angle of 33.1^о ± 10.7^о to the axis of the fibula, the center of fracture was located at the level of 21.6 ± 8.8 mm from ankle articular surface. In distal tibia fractures fibula injuries were more variable: in 20 % of cases there were no fibula fracture at all, 6 % involved the proximal part, 27 % – shaft and 47 % distal part of the fibula. Comminuted fractures were seen in 32 % of cases, the center of the fracture was located from 10 mm distal to the tibia articular surface to 317 mm proximal to it (Ме 35 mm, Q1-Q3: 15–68 mm). The revealed data shows that most important for the development of the intramedullary fibular fixator are ankle injuries, which have more predictable pattern.