Is Torque Application Necessary When Using Computed Tomography Scans to Diagnose Syndesmotic Injuries? A Cadaver Study

Abstract

This cadaver study evaluates the utility of weight bearing computed tomography (CT) scans on the assessment of incomplete and more complete syndesmotic injuries. Ten male cadavers (tibial plateau to toe-tip) were included. The medial clear space (MCS), tibiofibular clear space (TFCS), and the tibiofibular overlap (TFO) were assessed on digitally reconstructed radiographs (DRRs) and on axial CT images. Torque application helps to diagnose incomplete syndesmotic injuries when using weight bearing CT scans. The TFO may be useful to identify incomplete syndesmotic injuries, while the MCS and TFCS predict more complete injuries.