Fibula and its ligaments in load transmission and ankle joint stability

Wang, Qian; Whittle, Michael; Cunningham, James; Kenwright, John

Affiliations

¹Department of Anatomy, First Military Medical University, Guangzhou, China

²University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, Tennessee

³Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Bristol, Bristol Royal Infirmary, Bristol, England

⁴University of Oxford, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, Oxford, England

Abstract

A study was made of the role of the fibula in weightbearing and its contribution to ankle joint stability in 10 anatomic specimen lower limbs. On axial loading of the lower limb, the fibula was found to take an average of 17% of a 1500 N axial load. The proportion of the load carried by the fibula increased with the total loading. It also increased when the line of load was displaced laterally and when the ankle joint was in dorsiflexion and decreased when the line of loading shifted medially or the joint was plantar flexed. With loading, the lateral malleolus migrated distally relative to the medial malleolus, except after fibular osteotomy, when it migrated proximally. There was an approximately inverse relationship between proportional fibular loading and distal fibular migration. Cutting the inferior tibiofibular ligament reduced the proportional load in the fibula and increased its distal migration. The interosseous membrane modified the load distribution between the tibia and the fibula, with the distal fibula carrying a higher proportion of the axial load than did the proximal. Surgical repair of a ruptured inferior tibiofibular ligament, using either 1 or 2 screws, was associated with an abnormal pattern of load distribution and fibular displacement.

Links

DOI: 10.1097/00003086-199609000-00034

PubMed: 8804301

WoS: A1996VG55100034

Ovid: 00003086-199609000-00034

History

Received: 1994-03-16

Revised: 1995-04-28

Revised: 1995-11-27

Accepted: 1995-11-30

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Cited By (16)

Year	Entry
2004	Funk JR, Crandall JR. Calculation of long bone loading using strain gauges. In: Proceedings of the 32nd International Workshop on Human Subjects for Biomechanical Research. 2004.85-102.
2002	Funk JR, Rudd RW, Srinivasan SCM, King RJ, Crandall JR, Petit PY. Methodology for measuring tibial and fibular loads in a cadaver. In: Proceedings of the SAE World Congress & Exhibition. 2002; Detroit, MI. Warrendale, PA: Society of Automotive Engineers. SAE 2002-01-0682.
2011	Wei F, Hunley SC, Powell JW, Haut RC. Development and validation of a computational model to study the effect of foot constraint on ankle injury due to external rotation. Ann Biomed Eng. February 2011;39(2):756-765.
2008	John M. Schuberth D, Meagan M. Jennings D, Alex C. Lau M. Arthroscopy-assisted repair of latent syndesmotic instability of the ankle Arthroscopy. August 2008;24(8):868-874.
2021	Ghasem-Zadeh A, Galea MP, Nunn A, Panisset M, Wang X-F, Iuliano S, Boyd SK, Forwood MR, Seeman E. Heterogeneity in microstructural deterioration following spinal cord injury. Bone. January 2021;142:115778.
2011	Kellett JJ. The clinical features of ankle syndesmosis injuries: a general review. Clin J Sport Med. November 2011;21(6):524-529.
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2012	Wei F. Biomechanical Investigations and Computational Modeling of the Human Ankle [PhD thesis]. East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University; 2012.
2006	Monteleone BJ. Effects of Functional Ankle Instability on Ankle Joint Complex Dynamics and Motor Control [PhD thesis]. Calgary, AB: University of Calgary; August 2006.
1998	Hall GW. Biomechanical Characterization and Multibody Modeling of the Human Lower Extremity [PhD thesis]. Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia; May 1998.
2000	Funk JR. The Effect of Active Muscle Tension on the Axial Impact Tolerance of the Human Foot/ankle Complex [PhD thesis]. Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia; August 2000.