Syndesmotic Injuries

Syndesmotic injuries are commonly known as high ankle sprains. High ankle sprains comprise up to 12% of all ankle sprains, but have also been shown to make up 25% of ankle sprains in collision sports. Syndesmotic injuries are difficult to diagnose accurately and are associated with a less predictable outcome and a prolonged recovery.

Dr Kent recently published an important article on syndesmotic injuries in the highly regarded international journal - Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology & Arthroscopy (KSSTA).

Kent S, Yeo G, Marsland D, Randell M, Forster B, Lutz M, Okano S. Delayed stabilisation of dynamically unstable syndesmotic injuries results in worse functional outcomes. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc DOI 10.1007/s00167-020-05962-1

A view-only copy of the paper can be found at https://rdcu.be/b3oxP

Summary

Dr Kent obtained extensive experience in the management of syndesmotic injuries, including elite athletes, during his foot & ankle fellowship in Brisbane in 2019, under the tutelage of Dr Ben Forster & Dr Michael Lutz.

The results of the above paper, authored by Dr Kent, show that unstable syndesmotic injuries treated surgically within 6 weeks perform better in terms of pain, function and quality of life than patients treated at a later date. The key message from this article is that for patients with a suspected high ankle sprain, early referral to a foot & ankle surgeon is imperative, as delayed intervention can result in worse results.