Functional Outcome of Patients with Tibiofibular Syndesmosis Injury

Introduction: The treatment of tibiofibular syndesmosis injuries remains challenging. Functional outcome evaluation for these patients allows to plan further treatment and rehabilitation measures. The aim of the study is to evaluate functional outcome of patients with surgically treated tibiofibular syndesmosis injury.

Materials and methods: Retrospective study of 107 patients with ankle injuries, admitted in the Hospital of Traumatology and Orthopaedics from December to February 2014 and 2015 and from June to August 2016 was conducted. In the study were included 74 patients (69.1%) with supination-external rotation injury according Lauge-Hansen classification. In one group were included patients who had tibiofibular syndesmosis rupture and underwent surgery with syndesmotic screw fixation (group A), in second group ‒ patients without syndesmosis rupture and underwent surgery without syndesmotic screw fixation (group B). For patients functional outcome evaluation we used Foot and Ankle Disability Index (FADI) score and compared results between two groups.

Results:In the A group were 28 patients (37.8%), in the B group were 46 pacients (62.2%).Functional outcome was evaluated in 29 patients 16 ‒ 37 months after trauma. According exclusion criteria in the Group A 12 patients (6 females, 6 males, mean age 47.3 years) had mean FADI score 89.7 SD +/-7.14; in B group 15 patients (11 females, 4 males, mean age 46.3 years) had mean FADI score 95.0 SD +/-3.83. There were no significant differences in FADI mean scores between the A and B groups (p>0.05).

Discussion and conclusions:

Our findings suggest that functional outcome in patients who undergo tibiofibular syndesmotic screw fixation surgery appear to be similar to the functional outcome of patients without syndesmosis rupture. In both groups patients had high FADI scores.Further studies need to be conducted.