title: External rotation stress imaging in syndesmotic injuries of the ankle: comparison of lateral radiography and radiostereometry in a cadaveric model.
abstract: We compared the value of 7.5 Nm external rotation stress in diagnosing tibiofibular syndesmotic injuries of the ankle on lateral radiographs with radiostereometric analysis (RSA) in 10 cadaveric legs. After sectioning 2 ligaments, RSA showed an increase in posterior translation and external rotation of the fibula. This increase in posterior translation was smaller than the posterior displacement of the fibula on the lateral radiograph, and RSA showed mainly an increase in external rotation of the fibula that can not be measured on conventional radiographs. We conclude that instability of the syndesmosis in cadaveric ankles can be detected with 7.5 Nm external rotation stress RSA, but that external rotation stress lateral radiography is unreliable.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Annechien
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Beumer
authors.forename: Edward R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Valstar
authors.forename: Eric H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Garling
authors.forename: Wibeke J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: van Leeuwen
authors.forename: Willy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sikma
authors.forename: Ruud
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Niesing
authors.forename: Jonas
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ranstam
authors.forename: Bart A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Swierstra
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016512:Ankle Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001175:Arthrography / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008023:Ligaments, Articular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000293:injuries*; D010780:Photogrammetry; D012399:Rotation