Displaced Salter-Harris Type I Distal Fibula Fractures: Two Case Reports and a Review of the Literature

Abstract

Salter-Harris type I (SH-I) fractures of the distal fibula are commonly encountered in pediatric orthopedics. We describe 2 unique cases of adolescents with completely displaced SH-I distal fibula fractures that were treated operatively. In the first case, a closed reduction attempt failed and the patient required open reduction and internal fixation of the distal fibula and syndesmosis. The syndesmotic ligaments were avulsed from the distal fibular metaphysis. In the second case, closed reduction of the distal fibula fracture was partially successful, but anatomic reduction could not be achieved without open reduction. The distal fibula fracture was fixed with an intramedullary screw. We believe this pattern of injury represents a variant of the adolescent transitional ankle fracture. Because the distal tibial physes were nearing complete closure in these patients, the energy propagated through the distal fibular physis. To the best of our knowledge, this combination of injuries has not been previously reported. This type of physeal fracture raises concern for premature physeal closure, fibular growth disturbance, syndesmotic instability, and medial (deltoid ligament) injury. Both patients had excellent outcomes after anatomic reduction and fixation of the displaced SH-I distal fibula fractures at 1 and 6 years of follow up, respectively.