Abstract
Solitary ankle fracture or Achilles Tendon (AT) rupture might not be an uncommon injury.
However, concomitant ipsilateral ankle fracture with AT rupture is rare. The present
report discusses this rare combination. A 30-year-old female had fallen while rock
climbing and sustained a closed fracture of the medial malleolus with an ipsilateral
complete AT rupture. Most of the reported cases had similar patterns, not only in
terms of history, but also in terms of a similar fracture pattern. This rare combination
of orthopedic injuries tends to occur when an abrupt excessive force is applied to
the forefoot, with subsequent ankle hyperextension or hindfoot inversion. Imaging
studies are useful both for confirming the injuries and for medicolegal and research
purposes. Definitive treatment of the AT rupture is usually surgical in young active
patients. Concomitant malleolar fractures can be managed conservatively or surgically,
depending on the fracture configuration and degree of displacement. The importance
of a thorough clinical examination in assessing the musculoskeletal and neurovascular
structures in ankle injuries cannot be overemphasized. Knowledge of these injury patterns
is crucial to reducing the incidence of residual morbidity such as ankle and foot
weakness and loss of motion.
Level of Clinical Evidence
Keywords
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Article info
Footnotes
Financial Disclosure: None reported.
Conflict of Interest: None reported.
Identification
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© 2017 by the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. All rights reserved.
