Maisonneuve fracture: case report of a missed diagnosis

We report the case of a Maisonneuve fracture of the fibula in which the diagnosis was initially missed. The patient presented with a chief complaint of medial ankle pain. Rentograms of the ankle were unremarkable, and the proximal fibula was not examined. He returned four days later with increased pain, at which time examination revealed tenderness along the proximal fibula and medial ankle. Roentgenograms showed widening of the medial joint space of the ankle and an oblique crush of the proximal fibula. The patient underwent open reduction and internal fixation of the syndesmosis and repair of the deltoid ligament, and recovered uneventfully. Physical examination of ankle injuries should include the proximal fibula.