Chronic Injury of Distal Tibiofibular Syndesmosis with Ankle Fracture Dislocation: A Case Report

Syndesmotic injury is one of the major causes of ankle pain and arthritis in athletes. Syndesmotic instability may remain undetectable when occurring with ankle fractures.

Case Report:

 A 59-year-old man presented to the orthopedic clinic with a history of surgery for fracture-dislocation of ankle two months before his visit. During revision surgery, we performed an open reduction, tension band wiring (TBW), and syndesmotic screw fixation. The results were satisfactory, with an almost full ankle range of motion (ROM) and good skin condition.

Early diagnosis and treatment of syndesmosis injury can prevent the complications such as chronic pain, osteoarthritis (OA), and stiffness. There is no consensus on the treatment of syndesmosis injury, but the main factors in determining the treatment plan are tibiofibular joint stability or instability and the amount of time that the injury has occurred. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) can also be used in addition to X-rays in cases of suspected syndesmosis injury.