Revision of failed syndesmotic fixation with a suture button device: report of two cases

摘要

INTRODUCTION: Disruption of the syndesmosis can be associated with a broad spectrum of external rotation injuries to the ankle. The syndesmosis is an important contributor to ankle stability, and if injury goes unrecognized or untreated it can have consequences leading to long-term disability of the ankle. We present two patients with external rotation ankle injuries with syndesmotic disruption who were initially treated with syndesmotic stabilization by placement of stainless steel screw implants and subsequently required revision because of early postoperative syndesmotic diastasis and fixation failure. The ankles were revised with a suture-button implant (Tightrope, Arthrex, Naples, Fla.), which successfully maintained reduction of the syndesmosis throughout treatment.