ADHESIONS OF DISTAL TIBIOFIBULAR SYNDESMOSIS - A CAUSE OF CHRONIC ANKLE PAIN AFTER FRACTURE

Ankle pain after uncomplicated ankle fractures poses a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge, especially in joints that exhibit insignificant radiographic changes. Ankle joint arthroscopy has become an important diagnostic and therapeutic tool for such cases. Adhesion of the dista l tibiofibular syndesmosis, as vet an undescribed entity, was found to be the cause of chronic ankle pain in 11 of 19 patients suffering fro m chronic ankle pain after an uncomplicated fracture of the ankle. Sym ptoms resolved after arthroscopic resection of the adhesions in all 11 patients. Arthroscopy has an important role in diagnosis and manageme nt of unexplained ankle pain after a seemingly uncomplicated fracture.