MAGNETIC-RESONANCE ASSESSMENT OF INVERSION ANKLE INJURIES IN CHILDREN

A cohort of ten children with X-ray negative inversion ankle injuries were studied using Magnetic Resonance Imaging. The images obtained wer e scored oil six pathological criteria. Despite all tell having normal plain radiographs, 50 per cent were found to have direct evidence of growth plate injury. Seventy per cent of the cohort had periosteal ele vation including ail those with evidence of growth plate injury. This study supports previous work which suggested that children with 'X-ray ' negative acute inversion ankle injuries who exhibited the clinical s igns of injury to their lower fibular growth plate most probably have all undisplaced Salter-Harris Type 1 fracture of this structure, despi te normal radiographs. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reser ved.