Abstract
The purpose of the present study was to describe the anatomical structure of the tibiofibular syndesmosis. Dissection of the tibiofibular syndesmosis was performed on 30 cadaveric specimens of the ankle in adults. The stability of the tibiofibular mortise is ensured by three ligaments. The interosseous tibiofibular ligament forms a spatial network of fibers of a pyramidal shape filled with fibrofatty tissue. The anterior tibiofibular ligament consists of three parts: the upper one is the shortest, the medial one is the strongest and the lower part is the longest and the thinnest. The posterior tibiofibular ligament is a strong, compact ligament the lower margin of which literally forms the articular labrum for the lateral ridge of the trochlea of the talus. The so-called inferior transverse tibiofibular ligament, as this part of the ligament is sometimes characterized, cannot be considered as a separate ligament. Direct contact between the distal tibia and the fibula was found in 23 cases. Contact facets which were covered with articular cartilage were very small and located in the anterior half of the tibiofibular contact line. In the posterior part of the tibiofibular contact line a vertical V-shaped synovial plica attached by its lateral aspect to the fibula dipped between the two bones. In seven cases where there was no direct contact between the two bones this plica extended anteriorly to the anterior tibiofibular ligament. The findings show that in three quarters of cases the connection of the distal tibia and fibula is not a mere syndesmosis but also a synovial joint. The presented facts change traditional opinions on the structure of the tibiofibular syndesmosis and they should be reflected in the treatment of dislocation-fractures of the ankle as well as in case of so-called anterolateral ankle impingement.
Résumé
Le but du présent travail était de décrire la structure anatomique de la syndesmose tibio-fibulaire. La dissection de la syndesmose tibio-fibulaire a été réalisée sur 30 spécimens cadavériques de chevilles d'adultes. La stabilité de la mortaise tibio-fibulaire est assurée par trois ligaments. Le ligament tibio-fibulaire interosseux forme un réseau spatial de fibres, de forme pyramidale, dont les mailles sont remplies de tissu fibro-adipeux. Le ligament tibio-fibulaire antérieur est formé de trois parties; la partie supérieure est la plus courte, la partie médiale est la plus forte et la partie inférieure est la plus longue et la plus mince. Le ligament tibio-fibulaire postérieur est un fort ligament compact dont le bord inférieur forme littéralement un labrum articulaire destiné à la berge latérale de la trochlée du talus. Ce qui est classiquement appelé " ligament tibio-fibulaire transverse inférieur", comme on le dénomme parfois, ne peut être considéré comme un ligament séparé. Un contact direct entre l'extrémité distale du tibia et de la fibula a été trouvé dans 23 cas. Les facettes en contact, recouvertes de cartilage articulaire, étaient très petites et situées sur la moitié antérieure de la ligne de contact tibio-fibulaire. Sur la partie postérieure de la ligne de contact tibio-fibulaire, un repli synovial vertical en forme de V, attaché par son bord latéral à la fibula, plonge entre les deux os. Dans 7 cas où il n'y avait pas de contact direct entre les deux os, ce repli s'étendait vers l'avant jusqu'au ligament tibio-fibulaire antérieur. Nos constatations montrent que, dans trois quarts des cas, l'articulation entre la partie distale du tibia et celle de la fibula n'est pas une syndesmose pure, mais qu'il s'agit aussi d'une articulation synoviale. Les faits que nous présentons changent les idées traditionnelles sur les structures de la syndesmose tibio-fibulaire et ils devraient trouver des applications, principalement dans le traitement des luxations-fractures de la cheville, ainsi que dans les cas de ce que l'on désigne sous le terme de "conflit antéro-latéral de la cheville".
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This study was supported by the Research Goal of the 3rd Faculty of Medicine of Charles University: J 13/98:111 2000 3.
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Bartoníček, J. Anatomy of the tibiofibular syndesmosis and its clinical relevance. Surg Radiol Anat 25, 379–386 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-003-0156-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-003-0156-4