ArticleFoot & ankle international2026
Peroneal Artery Danger Zone With Syndesmotic Screw Fixation: A Computed Tomography Angiography Study.
Article in Foot & ankle international, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
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.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAdditional trans-syndesmotic screws (TSS) are used in "fibula pro-tibia" approach for unstable ankle fractures applied to high-risk patients (diabetes, smoking, osteoporosis, obesity). These patients are at higher risk of complications. The peroneal artery (PA) may be at risk with additional TSS fixation. Iatrogenic vascular compromise may explain these postoperative complications. Therefore, this study investigates the range in which the PA and its deep perforating branch (dPA) are at risk with TSS fixation and identifies safe zones to avoid iatrogenic injury in this vulnerable population.
methodsA retrospective analysis of lower extremity computed tomography angiograms (CTAs) was performed (2021-2022) in specified patients with comorbidities who might benefit from multiple syndesmotic screw fixation. CTAs were reformatted in the syndesmotic plane, and the PA was deemed at risk if a templated 3.5-mm syndesmotic screw intersected its course. Measurements were taken from both the tibial plafond and fibular tip and included the level where the PA and dPA branch entered and exited this danger zone.
resultsNinety-eight CTAs (196 limbs) were analyzed. Seventy-two patients were age ≥ 65 (mean 75, SD 8), 52 had diabetes, 16 were active nicotine users, and 16 had BMI ≥35. The PA was at risk in 98.5% (n = 195) limbs. The danger zone began 7.5 cm (SD 1.5 cm) proximal to the tibial plafond and 10 cm (SD 1.5 cm) proximal to the fibular tip. The dPA branch perforated the syndesmotic plane at 3.6 cm (SD 0.8 cm) proximal from the plafond and 6 cm (SD 0.9 cm) from the fibular tip. Finally, the PA and dPA were out of the danger zone at 2.5 cm (SD 0.4 cm) proximal from the tibial plafond and 5 cm (SD 0.6 cm) from the fibular tip. No difference was found between inclusion subgroups nor between individual patients' contralateral legs.
conclusionPA and dPA are at risk with TSS, notably in the distal fifth of the limb, ending ~2.5 cm proximal to the plafond. Knowledge of this zone aids in planning for TSS fixation, especially for high-risk patients.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.