Arthroscopy-assisted reduction and percutaneous fixation for triplane fracture of the distal tibia.

Abstract

We report a case of triplane fracture of the distal tibia that was treated with arthroscopy-assisted reduction and percutaneous fixation. A 14-year-old boy with a triplane fracture of the distal tibia with 5-mm displacement of the articular surface was treated using a cannulated cancellous screw while viewing the fracture site via an arthroscope. Two months after surgery, the patient was able to walk without discomfort. Three months after surgery, he felt no pain when running and was able to fully participate in athletic activities with an American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society score of 100. In the second-look arthroscopy at one year after surgery, the articular surface of the fracture area was smooth and congruous. We believe that this technique can provide satisfactory clinical results because of an accurate anatomical reduction of the articular cartilage under direct visualization and the minimum invasion with minimum arthrotomy.