What is a triquetral fracture?

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One unfortunate move or fall and suddenly your world turns upside down. Triceps fracture is one of the most serious injuries that can affect the ankle joint.

It occurs suddenly and violently, which is associated with very severe pain. The injury makes it impossible to walk, making daily life much more difficult. What to do then? How to cope with such a serious injury?

What is a triquetral fracture?
What are the most common causes?
How do you recognize a triquetral fracture?
What to do right after a fracture?
Diagnosis and treatment of triquetral fracture.
Rehabilitation under the care of specialists.

While it all sounds scary, you can get back to fitness and health faster than you think. Anything is possible if you get an accurate diagnosis, effective treatment and rehabilitation, as well as full care of specialists.

What is a triquetral fracture?

A triquetral fracture is a complex and serious injury to the ankle joint and foot. It affects as many as three key bone structures at the same time. The fracture involves:

Lateral ankle (the end of the fibula),
The medial ankle (the end of the tibia),
Posterior ankle (the back edge of the tibia).

The injury usually occurs under the action of a very high force that exceeds the natural range of motion in the ankle joint. Thus, these are often situations in which the ankle is twisted under a heavy load (such as jumping off a height and landing on an unevenly aligned foot). The force of the injury is sometimes so great that, in addition to fractures, the ankle joint is often dislocated and the fibula-tibial ligament is torn.

Although a triquetral fracture falls into the category of very extensive and serious injuries, it is relatively rare. When it does occur, however, immediate medical intervention and the support of a good orthopedist are necessary.

What are the most common causes of a triquetral fracture?

A triquetral fracture is a high-energy type of injury. Thus, it is formed as a result of a very high force. The most common causes are thus:

traffic accidents (e.g., being hit during a car accident can cause deformity of the ankle joint);
unfortunate falls from heights (e.g., jumping or falling from a great height on a misaligned foot causes the entire force of the impact to be transferred to the ankle joint);
Impacts and crushing (e.g., a direct and severe blow to the ankle joint that exceeds its strength).

Triceps fracture also occurs in sports, where injuries are primarily caused by sudden or unfortunate movements. They can occur as a result of, among other things: tripping over an opponent's leg in a basketball game, slipping while running, or an unlucky landing during a long jump.

How do you recognize a triquetral fracture?

Hard to ignore symptoms of triquetral fracture, as they are distinctive and unfortunately very painful. Among the most common are:

Immediate swelling and bruising of the joint,
Severe and piercing pain in the ankle joint,
The inability to put weight on the leg and move the foot,
leg numbness.

If, in addition, the joint has been dislocated, a pronounced deformity is visible (the foot may be at an unnatural angle).

What to do right after a triquetral fracture?

If you suspect you have a triquetral fracture, as soon as possible consult an orthopedist. The best solution is to go to the emergency room immediately. If you do not have the ability to get to the hospital on your own, it may be necessary to call an ambulance. Under no circumstances don't try to stand on your leg, which suffered the injury. If possible, cool the fracture site and put the leg on a slight elevation.

After a triceps fracture with ankle joint deformity, refrain from eating. This form of injury may require setting the damaged structure with the use of anesthesia. Its administration, on the other hand, is possible only after a certain amount of time has passed since the last meal.

A triquetral fracture is an injury that is most often „unstable” in nature. This means that the damaged bones are unable to maintain their correct position. As a result, it is extremely important Urgent surgical intervention and subsequent rehabilitation under the guidance of a physiotherapist. Improper treatment and downplaying rehabilitation with a physiotherapist, on the other hand, can lead to very serious consequences: loss of physical fitness and deterioration of quality of life.

Diagnosis and treatment of triquetral fracture

In the case of a triquetral fracture, correct diagnosis and recognition of the problem is key. The most important issue is to determine whether, along with the fracture, there is also a dislocation of the joint. The orthopedist therefore begins with a detailed history and physical examination. Once the initial diagnosis is made, the following is also applied specialized imaging studies:

x-rays (X-rays),
ultrasound (USG) examination,
computed tomography (CT),
MRI.

If a triquetral fracture is accompanied by a dislocation, then the orthopedist performs joint adjustment with local anesthesia or the support of an anesthesiologist.

Due to the unstable nature of the injury in most cases, Triceps fracture requires surgical treatment. It primarily involves correct alignment of the bone and ankle joint, as well as fusing the damaged structures with metal plates and screws. Importantly, however, the surgery is usually not performed immediately after the fracture. Sometimes it is necessary to postpone the surgery for as long as a few days or more. The determinant of when surgery can be performed is the condition of the skin over the fracture site.

Rare, however, are the cases in which The triquetral fracture is stable in nature, meaning there was no displacement. However, in such a situation, non-operative treatment is possible, which involves immobilizing the leg in a cast for about 8-12 weeks.

However, regardless of whether we are talking about surgical treatment or non-operative treatment, the most important stage of recovery, is the effective rehabilitation.

Rehabilitation under the care of physiotherapists - return to full fitness

Recovering from a triceps fracture It is a multi-stage process, staggered over time. First of all, you need to remember that the bone fusion time should not exceed 12 weeks. However, the good news is that you can already take short walks with the help of orthopedic crutches on the 3rd day after the operation. Partial weight-bearing of the limb, on the other hand, is possible after 4-6 weeks. In turn, a gradual return to full weight-bearing of the limb can begin in the 6th-8th week after surgery.

Early rehabilitation under the care of physiotherapists However, it can be started as soon as the orthosis or plaster dressing is in place. In this phase, very gentle exercises are performed without putting weight on the limb (e.g. isometric exercises of the quadriceps of the thigh and ischiofemoral muscles). As the rehabilitation process progresses, the physiotherapist incorporates further exercises and therapies (e.g., muscle and fascial therapy, lymphatic massage, ultrasound stimulation).

Full recovery is a process that takes time and depends on your age, physical condition and commitment to the rehabilitation process. Fortunately, you can always count on Support from physiotherapists and orthopedists at Profizjoclinic. We provide the best care, help you recover full efficiency and restore life pain-free. Although rehabilitation after a triceps fracture is a challenging road, we're with you and serve with our support, knowledge and experience.