title: In vivo fibular motions during various movements of the ankle.
abstract: In eight healthy volunteers the angular and translatory motions of the fibula in relation to the tibia were investigated by roentgenstereophotogrammetry. Tantalum markers (0·8mm) were introduced into the tibia and fibula of the right leg. Examinations were performed with full body load in 10° increments of plantar-/dorsiflexion and pro-/supination of the foot, and during internal/external rotation of the leg. The reproducibility was found to be good. From 30° of plantar flexion to 30° of dorsiflexion there was an average widening of the ankle mortise of 1·04 mm and an average backward translation of the fibula in relation to the tibia of 1·03 mm. These displacements were statistically significant (P < 0·5). Seventy-two per cent of the width increase occurred in the plantar flexion part of the arc. The upwards/downwards displacement of the fibula in no case exceeded 0·1 mm. The outward/inward rotation of the fibula was small. Movements resulting from input pro-/ supination of the foot and from internal/external rotation of the leg were small.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, University of Lund, Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: O K
authors.initials: OK
authors.lastname: Svensson
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lundberg
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Walheirn
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Selvik