Reducing the Syndesmosis Under Direct Vision: Where Should I Look?

To compare the quality of syndesmotic reduction obtained using the incisura versus the ankle articular surface as the visual cue. Secondarily, we evaluated the difference in the anterior to posterior depth of the fibula to the tibia at the joint level and the fibula to the incisura 1 cm above the joint.

Seven surgeons reduced disrupted syndesmoses of 10 cadaveric ankles using either the anterolateral articular surface of the distal tibia to the anteromedial fibular articular surface or the location of the fibula within the incisura as a visual reference. Malreductions in translation were measured in millimeter from the anatomical position of the fibula. The anterior to posterior distances of the tibia and fibula were also measured at both levels to determine the differences in their depths.

The translational reduction was within 2 mm in 93% (0.7 ± 0.7 mm) of reductions using the articular surface as a reference compared with 80% (1.2 ± 1.0 mm) using the incisura as a reference (P = 0.0001). All surgeons' reductions were better using the joint articular surface as the visual reference. The difference in the fibular and the tibial depth was smaller at the level of the articular surface versus the incisura (2.1 mm vs. 5.9 mm; P = 0.0002).

The articular surface is a significantly more accurate visual landmark for translational reduction of the syndesmosis. This is potentially explained by the larger differences in the fibula and tibial depth at the incisura versus the articular surface.