• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.156-162
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• 2008

Purpose: Open fractures of the foot and ankle require prompt repair of the wound due to the complexity of anatomy, insufficiency of soft tissues and inadequate blood supply. Early flaps and skin grafts are used for this purpose yet general condition of the patient as well as local wound environment often precludes such treatment options. Vacuum- Assisted Closure (VAC) is recently being used in such cases. This study was done to validate the use of VAC together with silver antimicrobial dressing materials in contaminated open fracture wounds. Materials and Methods: We have selected 10 patients with Gustillo-Anderson type III open fractures of the foot & ankle treated with VAC and silver antimicrobial dressing materials from March 2007 to January 2008. The relationship between duration of treatment with wound size, contamination, and degree of soft tissue damage was analyzed. Results: The average age of patients was 36.6 years. The average amount of VAC application time was 23.4 days. Silver dressing materials were used for 16.8 days. Average wound healing time was 51.9 days. Statistically significant relationship was found between wound size, VAC application time and silver dressing material application time. No complications such as osteomyelitis were found after treatment. Conclusion: VAC technique is recently being used in open fractures with wide skin and soft tissue defects, producing good results. A wide array of dressing materials such as silver dressing is in development. We have incorporated the VAC technique together with silver dressing materials in the treatment of open fractures and achieved complication free results.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.82-87
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• 1998

The ankle is a complex structure supporting the entire musculoskeletal system during standing and walking. And so the goals of operative treatment for ankle fractures are to obtain an anatomical reduction that is maintained by stable fixation, resulting in a healed fracture and recovery of normal function. The 64 patients who had ankle fractures were treated by arthroscopic reduction(20 cases) and open reduction (43 cases) in Konkuk university hospital from February 1991 to October 1997 and the results were analyzed in clinical and radiological aspects. The following results were obtained. According to the criteria of Meyer, arthroscopic assisted reduction group had good or excellent results in 18 cases (90%) and open reduction group good or excellent in 35 cases (83%). The difference of the results was not significant statistically, but arthroscopic assisted reduction technique has several advantages over open technique; the best assessment of articular surface, lower wound problem, postoperatively faster rate of rehabilitation and minor discomfort.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.182-188
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• 2013

Purpose: We evaluate clinical manifestations and radiologic features of ankle fracture & dislocation, as well as the usefulness of computed tomography on posterior ankle fracture & dislocation to study factors contributing to ankle fracture & dislocation. Material and Methods: Ankle dislocation was defined as the center of talar body being translated over the cortex of tibia on AP or lateral view on simple X-ray. Surgical treatments of 30 patients from January 2007 to March 2012 were categorized according to the injury mechanism, the direction of dislocation and fracture site. Joint involvement of posterior malleoalr fracture was evaluated through simple x-ray and computed tomography. We treated surgically if posterior malleolus fracture involves more than 25% of dital tibial articular surface. Thereafter, clinical outcomes were identified through radiographs and by using the AOFAS score. Results: The mean age was 42(13-78) years old, and slip down was the most common injury mechanism (13 cases). Car accident (6 cases) and fall accident (4 cases) were the next frequently found injury mechanisms. As for the types of ankle fracture, posterior fracture and dislocation (21 cases, 43.3%) was most commonly found. Out of these 21 cases, 15 cases involved trimalleolar fracture, and 19 cases were associated with posterior malleolar fracture. Danis-weber type B and C patients were 11 cases and 10 cases respectively. Articular involvement of posterior malleolar fracture turned out to be average 27.9%(5.1%~49.1%) on simple x-ray. The rate was evaluated as average 31.7%(12.6%~55.3%) on computed tomography which was conducted 15 times, and led us to more meaningful data. Conclusion: Anterolateral fracture and dislocation often accompanied open dislocation. Posterior fracture dislocation was most commonly found. Posterior malleolus was an important factor that ensures posterior stability of the ankle joint. Computed tomograph is useful to evaluate the articular involvement of posterior malleolar fracture.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.208-210
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• 2002

We report a case of calcaneal tuberosity fracture, of which skin was at risk, treated urgently with limited open reduction and internal fixation, using 2 cannulated screws under local anesthesia.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.59-65
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• 2022

The posterior malleolar fracture is relatively common fracture of the foot and ankle, but several aspects of this are still controversial. If the posterior malleolus is involved in the ankle fracture, the prognosis is usually poor. A computed tomography scan is essential for accurate diagnosis and treatment planning. Although indirect reduction and the anterior to posterior screw fixation technique have the advantages of a small incision with the requirement of relatively simple skills, direct open reduction and fixation from the posterior side provide a more biomechanically stable and accurate reduction. The precise reduction of the posterior malleolar fragment helps to achieve congruency of the tibia and fibula in the incisura and contributes to syndesmotic stability. It is important to determine the indications for surgical treatment by comprehensively evaluating the three-dimensional structure of the posterior malleolar fracture and all related injuries to the ankle.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.105-107
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• 2010

The scanty literature on distal tibiofibular synostosis includes descriptions of relatively few specific complaints. Here we report a case of a 24-year-old young soldier who sustained a left ankle lateral malleolar fracture about 6 months ago and was initially treated by the open reduction and internal fixation with plate & screw. But 6 months later, he suffered from an vague ankle pain, each time the symptoms occurred right after an active ambulation, ankle dorsiflexion, especially when he had exercised aggressively. The radiographs revealed that there was a mature distal tibiofibular synostosis. We treated the patient with surgical excision of synostosis. Post-operative condition was satisfied to all concern and the result was found to be excellent during one-year follow-up.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.174-181
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• 2013

Distal tibia fractures were mainly caused by high energy trauma and the lower legs were enveloped in poor soft tissue. Therefore, there are many open fractures and concomitant soft tissue injuries in distal tibia fractures. For the restoration of ankle function, the surgical treatment was performed in distal tibia fractures. However, it is difficult to treat the distal tibia fracture surgically. There are many complications in distal tibia fracture due to highly comminuted fracture and poor soft tissue condition. There are many surgical methods for distal tibia fractures, such as, external fixator, intramedulary nailling, open reduction & internal fixation, and minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis. We reviewed the surgical treatments of distal tibia fractures.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.25-30
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• 2020

Purpose: Generally, the treatment of ankle trimalleolar open fractures is divided into two stages: external fixation and debridement; and secondary internal fixation. On the other hand, this two-stage operation takes considerable treatment time and is challenging in procedures requiring reduction. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the radiologic and clinical results of an immediate one-stage internal fixation operation considering the wound conditions to overcome two stage operation disadvantages. Materials and Methods: From September 2009 to January 2018, 24 cases of ankle trimalleolar open fractures, who underwent immediate internal fixation and were followed up for at least one year, were studied retrospectively. The open wound was divided into the Gustilo-Anderson classification. Open reduction and internal fixation were performed on every medial and lateral malleolar fracture. On the other hand, with posterior malleolar fractures, surgical or conservative treatment was performed depending on the fragment size. The radiologic outcome was evaluated using the Burwell and Charnley criteria and American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) scores, and complications, such as infection and posttraumatic arthritis, were used for the clinical evaluation. Results: The wound was classified into eight cases (33.3%) of type I, 11 cases (45.8%) of type II, and five cases (20.8%) of type IIIa. The degree of reduction was anatomical, fair, and poor in 16 cases (66.7%), six cases (25.0%), and two cases (8.3%), respectively. The mean AOFAS score was 79 points, and there were complications, such as infection in three cases (12.5%) and post-traumatic arthritis in two cases (8.3%). Conclusion: Satisfactory results were obtained through immediate surgical treatment in ankle trimalleolar open fractures of types I, II, and IIIa.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.93-96
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• 1998

A tibialis posterior and flexor digitorum longus tendon rupture associated with a closed bimalleolar ankle fracture occured in a 30 years old man due to traffic accident. The tendon injury was not recognized before surgery but was diagnosed at the time of operation. The treatment was open reduction and internal fixation of the ankle fracture with primary repair of the ruptured tendons. one year postoperatively, he had a nearly full range of ankle and toes motion without pain and a radiologic normal longitudinal arch. This associated tendon injury, although rare, maybe first time in reviewed similar reports, should be considered in the management of ankle fracture because the tendon rupture could easily have been overlooked.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.105-108
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• 2006

Open calcaneal fractures are potentially devastating hindfoot injuries, in which the status of soft tissue envelope is very important. The reversed adipofascial flap has a merit of simplicity and minimal complication compared to free tissue transfer. We report of a case of open calcaneal fracture with soft tissue defect of hindfoot, which was successfully treated with reversed adipofascial flap.