"The ankle is a pseudo-ball-and-socket joint; the talus is the ball and the distal tibia and fibula act as the socket. This socket is only functional because the tibia (medial and posterior malleolus) and fibula (lateral malleolus) are held together tightly by the syndesmosis. The syndesmosis is a strong ligament that pulls the tibia and fibula together just above the distal tibiofibular joint."
"Weber A: below the syndesmosis (stable)"
"Weber B: at the syndesmosis (possibly unstable)"
"Weber C: above the syndesmosis (unstable)"
"An ankle x-ray series (AP and lateral views) is usually all that is needed to make a diagnosis."
"The AP and lateral views from an ankle x-ray will almost always allow detection of a lateral malleolar fracture. If there is a lot of soft tissue swelling over the lateral malleolus, but no fracture, then there has been a ligamentous injury. Remember that avulsion injuries may be small, and just involve the tip, or the internal surface of the malleolus."
"Weber A: below the syndesmosis (stable)"
"Weber B: at the syndesmosis (possibly unstable)"
Expected headings
"This is a basic article for medical students and other non-radiologists"
"Diagnosis"
"Mechanism"
"Relevant anatomy"
"Ankle injuries, like many fractures have a bimodal distribution. Young patients present following injuries in relatively high-energy trauma (e.g. motor vehicle accident, sporting injury), while older patients present following minor trauma (e.g. a simple fall)."
"Most patients present following an episode of trauma with ankle pain, tenderness and an inability to weight bear."
"The ankle is a pseudo-ball-and-socket joint; the talus is the ball and the distal tibia and fibula act as the socket. This socket is only functional because the tibia (medial and posterior malleolus) and fibula (lateral malleolus) are held together tightly by the syndesmosis. The syndesmosis is a strong ligament that pulls the tibia and fibula together just above the distal tibiofibular joint."