Deltoid Ligament Rupture in Ankle Fracture: Diagnosis and Management
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Review Article Deltoid Ligament Rupture in Ankle Fracture: Diagnosis and Management Abstract Simon Lee, MD The last stage of a supination-external rotation ankle fracture involves Johnny Lin, MD either transverse fracture of the medial malleolus or rupture of the deltoid ligament. When the deltoid ligament ruptures, a “bimalleolar Kamran S. Hamid, MD, MPH equivalent” ankle fracture occurs, and the surgeon is presented with Daniel D. Bohl, MD, MPH several diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. In the native ankle, the deltoid ligament provides restraint to eversion and external rotation of the talus on the tibia. In bimalleolar equivalent ankle fractures, there is often gross medial instability even after fibular reduction. Retraction of the deltoid with subsequent healing in a nonanatomic position theoretically may cause instability, persistent medial gutter pain, and loss of function with risk of early arthritis. In mild cases, deltoid injury may not be obvious, and potential diagnostic techniques include preoperative and intraoperative stress radiography, MRI, and ultrasonography. The most common injury pattern is avulsion from the medial malleolus, and most current repair techniques involve direct repair of the capsular and deltoid injuries involving suture anchors in the medial malleolus and imbrication of the superficial and deep deltoid fibers. To date, there is limited From the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Rush University Medical evidence of superior clinical outcomes with the addition of deltoid Center, Chicago, IL. repair compared with open reduction and internal fixation of the fibula Dr. Lee or an immediate family alone. member serves as a board member, owner, officer, or committee member of the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society. Dr. Lin or an immediate ost rotational injuries about reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) family member has received research Mthe ankle fit the supination- of both malleoli is indicated to restore or institutional support from Arthrex external rotation (SER) model of the stability to the mortise. However, and has received nonincome support landmark 1950 study by Lauge-Han- when the deltoid ruptures and the (such as equipment or services), sen.1,2 According to this model, with medial malleolus remains intact, the commercially derived honoraria, or other non–research-related funding the foot supinated, external rotation of injury is termed a bimalleolar equiv- (such as paid travel) from Medwest. the talus on the tibia produces (1) alent ankle fracture, indicating that Neither of the following authors nor rupture of the anterior-inferior tibio- although the medial malleolus re- any immediate family member has received anything of value from or has fibular ligament, (2) oblique fracture mains intact, the ruptured deltoid stock or stock options held in a com- of the lateral malleolus, (3) rupture of ligament renders the ankle function- mercial company or institution related the posterior-inferior tibiofibular lig- ally unstable. ORIF of the fibula is directly or indirectly to the subject of ament (or posterior malleolar frac- recommended in these cases, and the this article: Dr. Hamid and Dr. Bohl. ture), and (4) either transverse fracture syndesmosis is typically repaired with J Am Acad Orthop Surg 2018;00:1-11 of the medial malleolus or rupture of syndesmotic fixation if unstable. DOI: 10.5435/JAAOS-D-18-00198 the deltoid ligament. When the medial However, controversy remains re- malleolus fractures before the deltoid garding the assessment of deltoid Copyright 2018 by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. ligament ruptures, the injury is called a integrity and long-term consequences bimalleolar ankle fracture, and open of deltoid repair. Month 2018, Vol 00, No 00 1 Copyright Ó the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited. Deltoid Ligament Rupture in Ankle Fracture Figure 1 ondary to external rotation force. Either the superficial or the deep deltoid ligament can rupture as an avulsion from the medial malleolus (majority), as an avulsion from the distal insertion (minority), or as a midsubstance tear (least common).10-12 Ruptures are most commonly of both the superficial and deep portions but canalsobeisolatedtoeitherportion alone. Michelson et al13 conducted a cadaver study of different stages of SER ankle injuries in which they transected ligaments and/or made Schematics showing the anatomy of the deltoid ligament. A, The superficial bony osteotomies to simulate frac- deltoid ligament consists of the superficial posterior tibiotalar ligament, tures and then subjected the cadaver tibiocalcaneal ligament, the tibiospring ligament, and the tibionavicular ligament. specimens to axial loading through B, The deep deltoid ligament consists of the deep posterior tibiotalar ligament and the deep anterior tibiotalar ligament. physiologic motions. These authors demonstrated that the talus continues to move in a physiologic manner calcaneal, tibiospring, and tibiona- following SER stages I-III, presum- Anatomy and vicular ligaments (Figure 1, A). Second, ably because the deltoid functions as Biomechanics the deep ligament is confluent with an effective medial tether, stabilizing the tibiotalar joint capsule and inserts The tibiotalar joint has been described the talus sufficiently to guide its onto the medial aspect of the talus as as a mortise and tenon joint because of motion. It is only when the deltoid the deep anterior tibiotalar ligament its similarity to the woodworking joint ligament is rendered incompetent (originating from the anterior malleo- of the same name. The medial, lateral, (SER stage IV) that talar motion be- lus just deep to the tibionavicular and and posterior malleoli, together with comes abnormal. tibiospring ligaments) and deep pos- their supporting ligaments and the In another important cadaver study, terior tibiotalar ligament (originating contours of the tibial plafond and talar Ramsey and Hamilton14 demonstrated from the posterior malleolus and in- dome, stabilize the talus under the the implications of small changes in tercollicular groove) (Figure 1, B). tibia.3,4 The syndesmotic ligaments tibiotalar alignment. These authors The deltoid ligament is critical in the stabilize the fibula within the incisura. showed that even a 1-mm lateral normal biomechanics of the ankle, On the lateral side, the anterior and deviation of the talus on the tibia re- serving as the tether of the talus to the posterior talofibular ligaments and sults in a 42% reduction in the tibio- medial malleolus to guide the talus the calcaneofibular ligament pro- talar contact area. This phenomenon through normal physiologic motion.6-8 vide restraint to talar inversion and represents a dramatic alteration in The superficial deltoid is understood to anterior/posterior talar translation. joint kinematics that has the potential be the primary restraint to hindfoot On the medial side, the deltoid com- to lead to abnormal cartilage wear and eversion, whereas the deep deltoid is plex stabilizes the talus against the degenerative change. understood to be the primary restraint medial malleolus. to talar external rotation.7 Valgus tilt- The deltoid complex is a large, fan- ing of the talus within an intact mortise like structure that originates from the requires complete ruptures of both the Diagnostic Techniques medial malleolus and inserts broadly deep and superficial ligaments.6,9 onto the talus, calcaneus, and navic- Distinguishing bimalleolar equivalent ular5 (Figure1).Thedeltoidcanbe ankle fractures from isolated lateral dividedintotwoligamentsbasedonits malleolar fractures is critical because insertion sites. First, the superficial Pathoanatomy and isolated lateral malleolar fractures can ligament originates primarily from the Pathomechanics generally be managed nonsurgically, anterior malleolus of the medial mal- whereas lateral malleolar fractures leolus, fanning out to include the In the Lauge-Hansen1,2 model of SER associated with deltoid incompetence superficial posterior tibiotalar, tibio- injury, the deltoid is ruptured sec- constitute unstable injuries requiring 2 Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Copyright Ó the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited. Simon Lee, MD, et al ORIF in most patients.15 The avail- become the external rotation stress Magnetic Resonance able methods of testing for rupture test.21,22 Park et al21 took radiographs Imaging of the deltoid ligament are reviewed of six fresh cadaver ankles with sim- Nortunen et al23 identified 61 patients here. ulated SER ankle fractures and found with isolated lateral malleolar frac- that a medial clear space of $5mm tures resulting from SER mechanisms. with manual dorsiflexion and external Physical Examination Patients were evaluated with a manual rotation was a reliable predictor of external rotation stress test, and the Swelling, ecchymosis, and medial ten- deep deltoid ligament status. Michel- anterior and posterior portions of the derness are physical examination find- son et al22 conducted a similar study deep deltoid ligament were investi- ings that have been advocated for use with respect to gravity stress views gated using MRI. The authors found in determining whether there is injury (where the patient lies in the lateral that all 61 patients had injuries to the to the deltoid ligament in the setting position and gravity is allowed to deltoid ligament on MRI. These