title: Tension band fixation of medial malleolus fractures.
abstract: A prospective study on tension band fixation of medial malleolus fractures was performed on 30 consecutive patients with 31 fractures from October 1987 until December 1990. All patients had at least a displaced medial malleolus fracture unreduced by closed methods. The fractures were classified into small, medium and large using a modified Lauge-Hansen classification. There were no nonunions or movements of wires postoperatively and only two patients had subjective complaints with reference to the wires that required hardware removal. There was one 2-mm malreduction and one patient with a wound slough and subsequent osteomyelitis. One fragment had 2 mm of displacement after fixation but went on to union. A biomechanical study was undertaken to compare fixation of the medial malleolus with K wires alone, K wires plus a tension band, and two cancellous screws. The tension band fixation provided the greatest resistance to pronation forces: for times stiffer than the two screws and 62% of the intact specimen. Tension band fixation of the medial malleolus is a biomechanically strong and clinically acceptable method of treatment for displaced medial malleolus fractures. This method of fixation may be especially useful for small fragments and in osteoporotic bone.
authors.affiliation: Division of Orthopaedics, Ohio State University, Columbus 43210.
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Ostrum
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Litsky
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016512:Ankle Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D001863:Bone Screws; D001864:Bone Wires; D005260:Female; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000379:methods*; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D011446:Prospective Studies