Journal of Musculoskeletal Trauma

Case Report

Successful reconstruction and functional recovery of a pediatric medial malleolus defect in an 8-year-old girl using autologous iliac crest bone grafting in Korea: a case report: Sung Yoon Jung, Dong-hee Kim, Sang-Hyun Lee, Ki-Hun Kim; Received January 15, 2026 Accepted March 4, 2026 Published online April 8, 2026; DOI: https://doi.org/10.12671/jmt.2026.00059 [Epub ahead of print]

Abstract PDF: An 8-year-old girl presented after a traffic accident with a severe crush and degloving injury of the medial right ankle and foot, a distal tibiofibular fracture, and medial midfoot bone defects. After staged irrigation and debridement with temporary external fixation, definitive reconstruction was performed on August 6, 2016. The medial malleolar defect (2.5×2.0 cm) was reconstructed using a contoured autologous iliac crest bone graft secured with internal fixation, and medial stability was augmented using harvested gluteal fascia as a deltoid ligament substitute fixed with suture anchors. A bone-cement spacer was placed adjacent to the injured physis to mitigate physeal bridging, and the extensive soft-tissue defect was covered with a free anterolateral thigh flap and skin graft. During follow-up, progressive varus deformity and contracture were managed with corrective osteotomy and plating, Achilles tendon lengthening, Z-plasty, and Ilizarov fixation. At the final follow-up (March 6, 2025), the limb-length discrepancy was 5 mm, active ankle dorsiflexion was 0° (passive dorsiflexion 5°), and the patient was pain-free with full participation in daily activities, including hiking and dancing. This case emphasizes the value of an integrated staged strategy that combines bony reconstruction, medial stabilization, physeal management, and durable soft-tissue coverage during skeletal growth. Level of evidence: IV.

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Original Article

Triplane Fracture Management: Prediction of Periosteal Entrapment and the Need for Open Reduction by Measurements of the Physeal Fracture Gap in Preoperative Computed Tomography Scans: Dae Hee Lee, Joo Han Kwon, Jae Uk Jung; J Korean Fract Soc 2024;37(1):1-7. Published online January 31, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.12671/jkfs.2024.37.1.1

Purpose
This study measured the physeal fracture gap on preoperative ankle computed tomography (CT) to predict the periosteal entrapment that requires an open reduction in distal tibia triplane fractures.
Materials and Methods
This study retrospectively reviewed patients who had undergone internal fixation for a triplane fracture from April 2004 to September 2022. The demographic data, including age,body mass index, and past medical history, were analyzed. In the radiographic evaluations, ankle CT and ankle simple radiographs, including anteroposterior (AP), lateral, and mortise views, were taken preoperatively. Postoperatively, simple ankle radiographs were obtained periodically, including AP, mortise, and lateral views. The physeal fracture gap was measured on ankle CT, and the larger gap between the coronal and sagittal view of CT was selected. The residual physeal gap <2 mm was considered an adequate reduction.
Results
Of 17 cases, three demonstrated successful reduction using closed reduction techniques. Periosteal entrapment was observed in 14 cases open reduction cases. In all three closed reduction cases, the physeal gap estimated on preoperative ankle CT was under 3 mm with a mean gap of 2.4±0.2 mm (range, 2.1-2.5 mm). In the remaining 14 open reduction cases, the measured physeal gap was over 3 mm, averaging 5.0±2.7 mm (range, 3.1-12.2 mm). There was a significant difference in the preoperative physeal gap between the two groups (p<0.01). Overall, good reduction was achieved in all 17 cases; the postoperative physeal gap was under 2 mm with a mean of 1.0±0.5 mm (closed reduction group, 0.5±0.2 mm; open reduction group, 1.1±0.5 mm).
Conclusion
Open reduction is strongly recommended for triplane fractures with a physeal fracture gap of 3 mm or more in preoperative ankle CT, suggesting the possibility of an entrapped periosteum in the fracture gap.

Citations

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Diagnostic values of radiographic indices for predicting periosteal entrapment in pediatric proximal phalangeal base physeal fractures of toes
Ho Young Park, Jeong-Seok Moon, Kiwook Kim
Skeletal Radiology.2026; 55(1): 97. CrossRef

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