Lower Leg Clinical Presentations Flashcards
List Common Clinical Presentations at the Lower Leg
- Lower leg fractures
- Structural abnormalities
- Hallux rigidus
- Ankle sprains
- CAI
- Anterior ankle impingement syndrome
- Tendinopathies
- Achilles Tendon tear/rupture
- Plantar fascitis
- Metatarsalgia
- Interdigital Neuroma
using a tuning fork to test for lower leg fractures
- Test types
- provocation of pain
- sound conduction
- 128 Hz (256 and 512 Hz also described)
- Vibratory irritation at damaged periosteum
Clinical value of tuning fork test
- sensitivity questionable → poses a problem with use of tests for screening purposes
- may not aid in ID of fracture with mineralized callus
- better ID of transverse fractures than other fracture types
- less accurate for stress fractures
- bone shell more intact in earlier stages
Ultrasound
- Methodology
- provocation of pain
- heat absorbed at damaged periosteum
- Clinical Value
- negative LR and sensitivity questionable → poses a problem with use of tests for screening purposes
common MOI for distal tib/fib fractures
axial or rotational loading
Types of traumatic fractures of the distal tib/fib
- Unimalleolar fracture
- M or L malleolus
- Bimalleolar fracture
- M and L malleolus
- Trimalleolar fracture
- both malleoli and posterior rim of tibia
- Tibia and fibula shaft fracture
- Comminuted fracture of distal tibia
- intra-articular fractures
Types of hindfoot traumatic fractures
- calcaneus fractures
- common MOI → fall from a height
- intra-articular vs extra-articular
- talus fractures
- common MOI → forced ankle DF
- most intra-articular
- involving the head, neck or body
Common fractures of the midfoot and forefoot
- Navicular fractures
- Metatarsal fractures
- Phalangeal fractures
Navicular fractures
- dorsal avulsion at deltoid attachment
- tuberosity fractures
- body fractures
- stress fractures → common with insidious onset in w/b athlete
metatarsal fracture
- Common MOI → direct trauma
- 1st met vs mets
- 2nd-4th met → spiral common
- 5th met → avulsion fracture common, stress fracture
Phalangeal fractures
- Common MOIs → stubbing and direct trauma
recommended length for immobilization for fractures of the lower leg
- fibula → 7-8 weeks
- Metatarsal → 4-6 weeks
- Toes → 3-4 weeks
Pediatric Physeal Fractures
- Type I → growth plate only
- Type II → physis and metaphysis
- Type III → physis and epiphysis
- Type IV → epiphysis, physis, and metaphysis
- Type V → crush injury of physis
- Type VI (Rang’s)
- Type VII-IX (Ogden’s)
Type VI (Rang’s) physeal fracture
- involves perichondral ring or associated periosteum of physis
Types VII-IX (Ogden’s) physeal fractures
do not directly invovle physis, though may disrupt blood supply
- VII → osteochondral fracture of epiphysis
- VIII → fracture of metaphysis
- IX → avulsion of periosteum
Surgery for Pediatric Ankle Fractures
- reduction of displaced fracture (closed vs open)
- fixation vs no fixation
- ORIF common Types III and IV (articular surface concern)
prognosis for Pediatric Ankle Fractures
- Worse prognosis if >1 week prior to reduction
- Larger gap
- Gap >/= 3 mm for Types I and II
- Younger patients (amount of growth to come)
- Higher risk of physis arrest in types III, IV and V
- 2-40% with Type I and II
- 8-50% with Types III and IV
- F/U assessment 2 years s/p fracture
management of Types I and II physeal fractures
- typically casted 4-6 weeks following reduction
management of type III and IV physeal fractures
- long leg NWB cast weeks 1-4
- boot from week 5-8
- NWB first 2 weeks
- typically may remove for ROM
- If ORIF with type III (>2mm displacement), common hardware removal once healed
management of Type V physeal fractures
- if recognized early, may be managed with removal of affected physis area f/b fat graft
structural abnormalities at lower leg
- Talipes equinovarus
- Rearfoot varus
- Rearfoot valgus
- Forefoot varus
- Forefoot valgus
- Pes planus
- Pes cavus
- Hallux valgus
describe Talipes Equinovarus (clubfoot)
- commonly bilateral
- 1/800 births
- males > females
- characterized by:
- plantarflexed heel
- inversion STJ/varus rearfoot
- metatarsal adduction/varus forefoot
describe rearfoot abnormalities
- rearfoot varus
- inversion of the calcaneus with the subtalar in neutral (limited pronation)
- rearfoot valgus
- eversion of the calcaneus with the subtalar in neutral (excessive pronation and limited supination)
describe forefoot abnormalities
- forefoot varus
- inversion of the forefoot on the hindfoot with the subtalar joint in a neutal position
- forefoot valgus
- eversion of the forefoot on the hindfoot with the subtalar joint in a neutral position
describe pes planus
- rigid/congenital
- calcaneus in varus, midtarsal region in pronation, talus faces medially and downward, navicular displaced dorsal and lateral on talus
- acquired/flexible
- like rigid, but the foot is mobile
describe pes cavus
longitudinal arches accentuated
describe hallux valgus
- medial deviation of 1st metatarsal and lateral deviation of great toe
- gait implications
- collapse of the medial arch, especially as it relates to instability of the first metatarsal
- navicular drop
- position of pronation during push-off = less rigid foot
what is hallux rigidus
arthropathy of the great toe characterized by pain, swelling, and abnormal bone growth at the dorsal aspect of the 1st MTP