The A.N.K. Device Instrumentation in The Management of Distal Tibiofibuler Ligament Diastasis of The Ankle

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to report the application and results of the A.N.K. device. Which provides an elastic fixation in the management of syndesmosis ligament injuries of the ankle as a substitute for rigid fixation. Our material is consisted of 84 ankles of 84 patients who were treated in the Orthopaedics and Traumatology Department of Taksim State Hospital from January 1987 to October 1991. While the long part of the device stabilizes the fracture of the fibula intramedullary, the curved short part fixes it to the tibia. There is no need for extraction of the device for early weight bearing. We evaluated our results according to objective, subjective and radiologic criteria of Burwal and Charnley. Radiologicaly 83.3% good, 9.5% fair and 7.2% poor results and objectively 80.9% good, 11.9% fair and 7.2% poor results were obtained. As a result, this device which was designed in 1982 and presented to the ortopaedic surgeons' should be preferred to rigid transfixation techniques because of providing an elastic fixation and early functional management.