Osteonecrosis of the distal tibia after a pronation external rotation ankle fracture: literature review and management.

Abstract

Posttraumatic osteonecrosis of the distal tibia is a rare but recognized complication of Weber C ankle fractures. To our knowledge, we report the first documented case managed with early percutaneous drilling of the defect. The patient noticed an improvement in symptoms, and magnetic resonance imaging confirmed resolution of the avascular area. The previously reported complication of secondary periarticular collapse and subsequent osteoarthritis was avoided. We advocate that a high index of suspicion, early detection, and drilling can encourage neovascularisation and prevent secondary joint destruction.