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Is Load Application Necessary when Using Computed Tomography Scans to Diagnose Syndesmotic Injuries? A Cadaver Study

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Weight Bearing Cone Beam Computed Tomography (WBCT) in the Foot and Ankle

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Abstract

This cadaver study determines the impact of loading on the assessment of incomplete and more complete syndesmotic injuries when using weight bearing computed tomography (CT) scans. Fourteen paired male cadavers (tibial plateau to toe-tip) were included. Eight different measurements were performed to assess the integrity of the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis on axial CT scans. In a cadaver model, load application had no effect on the assessment of the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis in incomplete and more complete syndesmotic injuries. Only more complete injuries of the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis could be identified using axial CT images.

Based on Krähenbühl N, Bailey TL, Weinberg MW, Davidson NP, Hintermann B, Presson AP, Allen CM, Henninger HB, Saltzman CL, Barg A. Is load application necessary when using computed tomography scans to diagnose syndesmotic injuries? A cadaver study. Foot Ankle Surg, 2019 Feb 18 [epub ahead of print]; and Krähenbühl N, Weinberg MW, Davidson NP, Mills MK, Hintermann B, Saltzman CL, Barg A. Imaging in syndesmotic injury: a systematic literature review. Skeletal Radiol, 2018; 47(5): 631–48

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University Orthopedic Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

    Alexej Barg

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Barg, A. (2020). Is Load Application Necessary when Using Computed Tomography Scans to Diagnose Syndesmotic Injuries? A Cadaver Study. In: Weight Bearing Cone Beam Computed Tomography (WBCT) in the Foot and Ankle. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-31949-6_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-31949-6_12

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-31948-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-31949-6

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