Maisonneuve fracture
The Maisonneuve fracture is a spiral fracture of the proximal third of the fibula associated with a tear of the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis and the interosseous membrane. There is an associated fracture of the medial malleolus or rupture of the deep deltoid ligament of the ankle. This type of injury can be difficult to detect.
| Maisonneuve fracture | |
|---|---|
| Radiograph showing a Maisonneuve fracture of the proximal fibula | |
| Specialty | Orthopedics |
| Symptoms | Swelling around medial and lateral sides of ankle joint, pain during external rotation of foot |
| Complications | Osteoarthritis, peroneal nerve palsy |
| Causes | Forceful, external rotation of the foot |
| Risk factors | Sporting injuries, falls, motor vehicle accidents |
| Diagnostic method | Physical examination, radiography, X-ray, CT, MRI, arthroscopy |
| Differential diagnosis | Isolated tibiofibular syndesmosis injury, isolated fibula fracture |
| Treatment | Orthopedic casting, ORIF, CRIF |
The Maisonneuve fracture is typically a result of excessive, external rotative force being applied to the deltoid and syndesmotic ligaments. Due to this, the Maisonneuve fracture is described as a pronation-external rotation injury according to the Lauge-Hansen classification system. It is also classified as a Type C ankle fracture according to the Danis-Weber classification system.
The Maisonneuve fracture is similar to the Galeazzi fracture in the sense that there is an important ligamentous disruption in association with the fracture. The fracture is named after the surgeon Jules Germain François Maisonneuve.