Temporary Cast Application in Dislocated Ankle Fractures Leads to High Rates of Secondary Loss of Reduction: Does the Lauge-Hansen Injury Type Matter?

BACKGROUND: For the temporary treatment of ankle fracture dislocations (AFDs), previous studies indicate higher rates of secondary loss of reduction (LOR) with splint immobilization, prompting consideration for expanding indications for external fixation (ExFix). However, these studies did not investigate the influence of fracture morphology to further improve patient selection. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of Lauge-Hansen injury type on the LOR rate in bimalleolar or trimalleolar AFDs for temporary cast vs ExFix immobilization. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, patients with isolated AFD cases treated at our institution from 2011 to 2020 were reviewed. Inclusion criteria required radiographs depicting initial dislocation and appropriate reduction after Cast or ExFix immobilization. Exclusion criteria encompassed concomitant injuries, open fractures, conservative management as well as surgery performed within 48 hours or at a different facility. Patients were grouped by temporary treatment (Cast or ExFix). The primary endpoint was LOR prior to definitive surgery across various Lauge-Hansen types. RESULTS: The LOR rate was significantly higher in the cast group (40/152, 26.3%) compared to the ExFix group (5/191, 2.6%; P < .0001). In the cast group, LOR was associated with an increase in time to definitive surgery by a mean of 3 days (P < .002). During cast treatment, LOR was significantly more likely for pronation abduction (P = .001) and supination external rotation injuries (P < .0001), whereas no significant differences were observed for pronation external rotation (P = .006), supination adduction (P > .99), and fractures not classifiable (P > .99). CONCLUSION: In cases of AFDs resulting from supination external rotation or pronation abduction trauma according to the Lauge-Hansen classification, especially in the setting of an additional posterior malleolar fracture, primary application of external fixation should be considered to reduce the risk for secondary loss of reduction. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, retrospective cohort study.

Irreducible Ankle Fracture Dislocation Because of Tibialis Posterior and Flexor Digitorum Longus Tendon Entrapment in the Interosseous Membrane: A Case Report.

CASE: We describe the case of a 63-year-old man with anterior ankle dislocation and fracture confirmed by x-ray. Postreduction x-ray and computed tomography (CT) revealed Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthesefragen/Orthopaedic Trauma Association (AO/OTA) type 44C3 and Lauge-Hansen pronation-external rotation-type ankle fractures. CONCLUSION: This was a rare case of ankle fracture dislocation because of entrapment of the tibialis posterior and flexor digitorum longus tendons in the interosseous membrane. Tendon entrapment should be suspected in cases of high-energy injuries, Weber type C fractures, Lauge-Hansen pronation-external rotation fractures, syndesmosis widening, and irreducible fractures using manual closed reduction. Fractures and soft tissues should be evaluated by changing the CT settings.

[Treatment of ankle fractures].

Fractures of the ankle joint are among the most frequent fractures encountered in any accident and emergency department. The traditional classification systems, i.e. the Lauge-Hansen- and the Weber classifications, have proven inadequate, when it comes to deciding, whether treatment should be surgical or conservative. About ten years ago, a stability-based classification was proposed in view of the fact, that the stabilisation of osteosynthesis depends on the stability of the ankle joint. The literature shows excellent long-term results for conservatively treated stable ankle joint fractures.

Fractura luxación de Lisfranc en un paciente con enfermedad de Hansen. Presentación de caso / Lisfranc fracture-dislocation in a patient with Hansen´s Disease. Case presentation

Introducción: Las lesiones de la articulación de Lisfranc se producen por traumas de alta energía; pero cuando se presentan en pacientes con enfermedad de Hansen y daño del sistema nervioso periférico, los traumas repetitivos de pequeña intensidad pueden conducir a este tipo de lesión. Objetivo: Presentar un caso interesante dada la asociación en un paciente con Hansen de una lesión de Lisfranc causado por un trauma de baja energía. Presentación de caso: Paciente de 64 años de edad fototipo V, con antecedentes de Hansen Lepromatoso, que por traumas repetitivos de baja intensidad y un proceso séptico sobreañadido, presentó fractura-luxación de Lisfranc del tipo divergente, se comentan los antecedentes, el cuadro clínico, los exámenes laboratorio, ultrasonidos, estudio radiológico y el tratamiento impuesto. Conclusiones: La discapacidad en manos y pies por trastornos neurológicos en pacientes con lepra lepromatosa de más de 5 años de evolución es bastante frecuente, pero asociado a luxofractura de Lisfranc de tipo divergente, por trauma de baja intensidad, no lo es, ya que este tipo de lesión normalmente se produce por traumas de alta energía(AU)

Introduction: Lisfranc joint lesions are produced by high energy traumas, but when they present in patients with Hansen´s disease and damage to the peripheral nervous system, the low intensity repeated traumas can lead to this type of lesion. Objective: To present an interesting case, given a particular association on a patient with Hansen´s disease and a Lisfranc lesion, caused by a low energy trauma. Case presentation: 64 years old Phototype V patient with antecedents of lepromatous Hansen´s disease who presented Lisfranc fracture-dislocation of a divergent type after low intensity repeated traumas, and a septic superadded process. The antecedents, clinical picture, laboratory tests, ultrasounds, radiological study, and the treatment indicated are all analyzed. Conclusions: Disability in hands and feet due to neurological disorders in patients with lepromatous leprosy of more than 5 years of evolution is very frequent, but it is not so frequent when associated to a Lisfranc fracture-dislocation of a divergent type due to low intensity trauma, because this type of lesion is normally caused by high energy traumas(AU)

[Anterior dislocation of the fibula resulting from surgical malreduction: a case report].

Ankle joint fracture is one of the most common types of fracture. There are many researches on the injury mechanism, treatment principles and surgical techniques. A type of injury which combines posterior dislocation of fibula, known as the Bosworth injury, is relatively rare. In 1947, Bosworth first described this type of injury as an unusual ankle fracture dislocation with fixed posterior fracture dislocation of the distal part of the fibula. In this type of fracture, the proximal fibular shaft fragment locks behind the tibialis posterior tubercle. This rare ankle fracture variant is often not recognized in initial radiographs and requires a computed tomographic (CT) scan for verification. But there are already many reports, discussing the injury mechanism, treatment principles and surgical techniques. However, there are few reports of anterior dislocation of the fibula, caused by either injury or surgery. The mechanism of the injury is still not clear. This article reports a case of anterior dislocation of the fibula. We report a patient with left ankle open fracture (Lauge-Hansen pronation-external rotation stage III, Gustilo IIIA). Open reduction and internal fixation was done in the initial surgery, but ended up with poor reduction, resulting in fibula anterior dislocation, anterior dislocation of talus and tibia fibular dislocation. The fibula was dislocated anteriorly of the tibia, which rarely happened. The patient suffered severe ankle joint dysfunction. The second operation took out the original internal fixation, reduced the fracture, and reset the internal fixation. The function of ankle joint was improved obviously after operation. But because of the initial injury and the two operations, the soft tissue around the fracture was greatly damaged. 6 months after the second operation, and the fracture still not healed, so the bone graft was carried out in the third surgery. Two months after the third surgery, the function of the ankle was significantly better than before, but the fracture healing was poor, which needed further review. Through this case, we understand the rare type of ankle fracture with anterior dislocation of the fibula, and recognize that the timing and quality of initial surgery has a great impact on the patient's prognosis and rehabilitation period.