Comparison between Suture-Button Technique with Syndesmotic Repair and Screw Fixation Technique for Complete Ankle...

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic surgery
• Biomechanics
• Anatomy

Background:

• The tibiofibular syndesmosis is crucial for ankle stability.
• Acute syndesmotic injuries often require surgical intervention.
• This study compares suture-button fixation with syndesmotic repair against screw fixation for these injuries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To biomechanically compare suture-button fixation plus syndesmotic repair with screw fixation for tibiofibular syndesmosis injuries.
• To evaluate the torsional strength and rotational stiffness of these fixation methods.

Main Methods:

• Utilized 20 cadaveric lower extremities (10 feet per group).
• Performed suture-button fixation with syndesmotic repair on one group and screw fixation on the other.
• Conducted cyclic loading tests before and after surgical fixation to assess biomechanical properties.

Main Results:

• Suture-button fixation with syndesmotic repair demonstrated torsional strength comparable to screw fixation.
• No significant difference in mean failure torque was observed between the two groups.
• Rotational stiffness was significantly lower in the suture-button fixation/augmentation group.

Conclusions:

• Suture-button fixation/augmentation provides biomechanical properties similar to screw fixation in terms of torsional strength.
• This technique allows for more flexible, physiological movement of the syndesmosis.
• Suture-button fixation/augmentation is a potentially valuable alternative for treating ankle syndesmosis injuries.