Subtle Lisfranc Injuries: Fix It, Fuse It, or Bridge It?

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Sports Medicine
• Foot and Ankle Surgery

Background:

• Lisfranc injuries present a wide spectrum of severity and clinical manifestations, making management complex.
• Subtle Lisfranc injuries can result in chronic pain and permanent disability despite surgical advancements.
• Unstable Lisfranc injuries necessitate surgical intervention, but optimal techniques remain debated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current treatment options for Lisfranc injuries.
• To outline a strategy for selecting surgical techniques based on clinical presentation.
• To emphasize the importance of anatomic alignment for successful outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on Lisfranc injury management.
• Analysis of surgical techniques and their indications.
• Correlation of clinical presentation with treatment selection.

Main Results:

• Anatomic alignment is the most critical factor for successful Lisfranc injury outcomes.
• Surgical technique selection must be tailored to the specific clinical presentation.
• A clear guideline for choosing surgical approaches based on injury characteristics is presented.

Conclusions:

• Effective management of Lisfranc injuries hinges on precise surgical technique selection.
• Maintaining anatomic alignment is paramount for restoring function and preventing disability.
• This review provides a framework for optimizing surgical treatment decisions in Lisfranc injuries.