Fracture Patterns & Classifications
An SER injury most commonly results in this type of fibular fracture.
What is a spiral oblique fracture of the distal fibula?
This type of screw provides interfragmentary compression.
What is a lag screw?
A positive Thompson test indicates rupture of this tendon.
What is the Achilles tendon?
This syndrome results from increased pressure within a closed fascial compartment.
What is compartment syndrome?
A decreased Böhler’s angle suggests a fracture of this bone.
What is the calcaneus?
This classification system is used for talar neck fractures.
What is the Hawkins classification?
When performing ORIF for a bimalleolar fracture, this malleolus is typically fixed first.
What is the fibula?
The most common site of peroneal tendon subluxation is behind this structure.
What is the fibula?
This condition represents bone death due to disrupted blood supply.
What is AVN?
The “fleck sign” indicates injury to this ligament complex.
What is the Lisfranc ligament?
An open tibial fracture with a 9 cm laceration, extensive periosteal stripping, and heavy contamination would be classified as this Gustilo–Anderson type.
What is Type IIIB?
This temporary fixation method is often used in high-energy trauma to restore length, alignment, and rotation before definitive fixation.
What is a spanning exfix?
An inversion ankle injury with persistent posterolateral pain may indicate a tear of this tendon, often associated with a fibular avulsion fragment.
What is the peroneus brevis tendon?
Nonunion after a fifth metatarsal fracture is most commonly due to this region in the bone.
What is poor blood supply to the metaphyseal-diaphyseal junction?
A loss of height and increased width of the calcaneus on lateral and axial views indicates disruption of this articular surface.
What is the posterior facet of the subtalar joint?
A tongue-type calcaneal fracture extends into this portion of the bone.
What is the posterior tuberosity?
This type of fixation construct is preferred for vertical medial malleolar fractures to resist shear forces.
What is antiglide or buttress plating?
A “Dancer’s fracture” refers to this type of injury.
What is an avulsion fracture of the fifth metatarsal styloid?
Bonus: which tendon is also sometimes affected?
This is the most feared complication after talar neck fractures.
What is AVN of the talus?
A lucent area with sclerotic margins on the medial talar dome following an ankle injury suggests this diagnosis.
What is an OCD of talus?
This fracture pattern sometimes involves comminution at the base of the second metatarsal and always widening between the first and second rays.
What is Lisfranc fracture/dislocation?
This fixation technique is placed on the tension side of an eccentrically loaded fracture that converts tensile load into compressive load.
What is tension band fixation?
This tendon rupture can mimic an ankle sprain and is often missed, leading to collapse of the medial arch over time.
What is posterior tibial tendon rupture?
This subtle but critical technical error during syndesmotic fixation leads to persistent pain and early posttraumatic arthritis despite stable fixation.
What is malreduction or overcompression of the syndesmosis?
Classically fixation of a posterior malleolus fracture is indicated when the fragment involves this percentage (or more) of the tibial plafond articular surface.
What is 25-30%?