Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39798008›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of orthopaedic surgery & traumatology : orthopedie traumatologie2025

Comparison of tibiofibular syndesmosis stability following treatment of proximal, middle, and distal third fibula fractures.

Sean Thomas, Garrett Berger, Brendan O'Leary, Zachary Brumm, Alexandra K Schwartz, William T Kent

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in European journal of orthopaedic surgery & traumatology : orthopedie traumatologie, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Sean ThomasSchool of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Garrett BergerDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California San Diego, 200 West Arbor Drive MC 8894, San Diego, CA, 92103, USA.
Brendan O'LearyDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California San Diego, 200 West Arbor Drive MC 8894, San Diego, CA, 92103, USA.
Zachary BrummSchool of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Alexandra K SchwartzDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California San Diego, 200 West Arbor Drive MC 8894, San Diego, CA, 92103, USA.
William T KentDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California San Diego, 200 West Arbor Drive MC 8894, San Diego, CA, 92103, USA. wkent@health.ucsd.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7065-9551

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeWhile treatment modalities for Maisonneuve fractures involving the proximal third of the fibula are established, no studies to date have reported outcomes associated with syndesmotic-only fixation of middle third fibular shaft fractures. The purpose of this study was to evaluate outcomes associated with syndesmotic-only fixation in the treatment of Maisonneuve fractures involving the middle third of the fibula.

methodsA retrospective review was conducted on 257 cases of syndesmotic ankle instability with associated fibular fractures at a level 1 trauma center between 2013 and 2023. Patients were divided into cohorts based on fibular fracture location in the proximal, middle, or distal third of the fibula. The Chi-square test of independence, two-sample t-test, and analysis of variance were used to compare outcome measures between cohorts.

resultsSixty-six patients were identified including 48% (n = 32) with proximal third fibular fractures, 20% (n = 13) with middle third fibular fractures, and 32% (n = 21) with distal third fibular fractures. Rates of infection, loss of reduction, wound healing complications, and reoperation did not vary significantly between cohorts. Functional outcome measures including range of motion, time to weight-bearing, and tibiofibular/medial clear space measurements at final follow-up were similar across cohorts.

conclusionPatients with Maisonneuve fractures involving the middle third of the fibula demonstrated positive outcomes with syndesmotic fixation alone, with no documented cases of infection, loss of reduction, or wound healing issues. By demonstrating maintenance of anatomic reduction and low rates of complications, our results support the use of syndesmotic-only fixation in the treatment of middle third Maisonneuve fractures.

Indexed as

Ankle InjuriesFibulaFracture Fixation, InternalFractures, BoneJoint InstabilityAdultAgedAnkle FracturesAnkle JointFemaleFibula FracturesHumansMaleMiddle AgedRange of Motion, ArticularRetrospective StudiesMaisonneuve fractureSyndesmosis injurySyndesmotic-only fixationTibiofibular syndesmosis

Identifiers

PMID39798008
PMCPMC11724774

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.