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VOLUME 9 , ISSUE 3 ( November, 2014 ) > List of Articles

CASE REPORT

Proximal tibiofibular dislocation: a case report and review of literature

R. A. Nieuwe Weme, M. P. Somford, T. Schepers

Keywords : Dislocation, Fibula, Knee, Luxation, Tibia, Tibiofibular joint

Citation Information : Weme RA, Somford MP, Schepers T. Proximal tibiofibular dislocation: a case report and review of literature. 2014; 9 (3):185-189.

DOI: 10.1007/s11751-014-0209-8

License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Published Online: 01-06-2018

Copyright Statement:  Copyright © 2014; The Author(s).


Abstract

An isolated dislocation of the proximal tibiofibular joint is uncommon. The mechanism of this injury is usually sports related. We present a case where initial X-rays did not show the tibiofibular joint dislocation conclusively. It was diagnosed after comparative bilateral AP X-rays of the knees were obtained. A closed reduction was performed and followed by unrestricted mobilization after 1 week of rest. A review of the literature was conducted on PubMed MEDLINE. Thirty cases of isolated acute proximal tibiofibular joint dislocations were identified in a search from 1974. The most common direction of the dislocation was anterolateral, and common causes were sports injury or high velocity accident related. More than 75 % of the cases were successfully treated by closed reduction. Complaints, if any, at the last follow-up (averaging 10 months, range 0–108) were, in the worst cases, pain during sporting activities. We advise comparative knee X-rays if there is a presentation of lateral knee pain after injury and diagnosis is uncertain. Closed reduction is usually successful if a dislocation of the proximal tibiofibular joint is diagnosed. There is no standard for after-care, but early mobilization appears safe if there are no other knee injuries.


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