What is a pylon fracture?

Tibial pylon fractures are a great challenge due to the great difficulty of their treatment. In this post we analyze the most interesting data regarding such interesting fractures.

The tibia (shin bone) and fibula are the bones of the calf. Pylon fractures are injuries that occur at the lower end of the tibia and involve the weight-bearing surface of the ankle joint. The fibula may also rupture. These injuries were first described more than 100 years ago and remain one of the biggest problems orthopaedic surgeons must treat.

The word pylon comes from the French and means "mortar hand". A mortar hand is a tool used to crush or crush things. This crushing describes what happens to the bones of the tibia and fibula in the ankle joint due to the high-energy impact of the injury.

Pylon fractures are very painful and debilitating injuries. Symptoms include pain and inability to bear weight on the leg. They usually cause an obvious deformity of the ankle joint. Swelling appears quickly and then bruising may occur.

What causes a pylon fracture?

The ankle joint is made up of three bones. The tibia is the main weight-bearing calf bone. The fibula is the thinnest outer bone of the calf. The ankle bone itself is called the talus. The three bones work together to provide movement and stability in the ankle joint.

Pylon fractures occur when the talus penetrates the leg with such force that the leg bones break at the ankle joint. These injuries are usually caused by falls and car accidents.

The patient's history is recorded. The orthopedic foot and ankle surgeon then performs a specific physical examination of the leg and ankle. The results of the examination help the surgeon determine the best way to treat a pylon fracture. The surgeon will also pay attention to other injuries that may be present.

The orthopedic foot and ankle surgeon will obtain x-rays of the patient's leg and ankle to see how much damage there is to the tibia and fibula. Bones may break in several places. The surgeon may obtain a computed tomography (CT) scan of the patient's ankle to see all broken areas of the tibia and fibula.

What are the treatment options?

Some pylon fractures do not require surgical treatment. These are usually low-energy injuries to the tibia and fibula in the ankle joint. The bones are still broken but the injuries are less serious. These low-energy pylon fractures can be treated with a leg cast.

Most pylon fractures have several breaks. There is often a large separation between the fractured fragments and instability in the tibia and fibula at the ankle joint. These fractured bones must be properly aligned with surgery.

The goals of treatment are to restore alignment and stability and allow the tibia and fibula to consolidate in the ankle joint. Once the fractures are healing or consolidating, the foot and ankle orthopedic surgeon will seek to restore movement and strength in the patient's ankle joint.

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