Posterior Buttress Fixation in Weber Type-B Lateral Malleolar Fractures

Purpose: To assess the clinical outcomes of posterior buttress fixation of Weber type-B lateral malleolar fractures. Materials and Methods: Between May 2000 and November 2003, 33 Weber type-B lateral malleolar fractures in 32 patients were treated with posterior plating. Screw fixation was performed to be perpendicular to the plate. At 24 months of follow-up, clinical evaluations were performed based on the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot scale. Results: All the screws were oriented perpendicularly to the plates, except for 3 anteroposterior interfrag-mentary fixations. Anatomical reduction was achieved in all cases. There were no major postoperative complications and no cases of peroneal tendinitis. There were 12 cases of later plate removal. Among them, 3 cases reported mechanical irritation, such as 2 with tibial irritations and 1 with palpation of the inferior portion of the plate. The Mean AOFAS ankle-hindfoot scale was 92.5 points (range; 78 to 100 points). Conclusion: Posterior fibular plating with screw fixation, perpendicular to the plate, is considered an excellent fixation modality for Weber type-B lateral malleolar fractures.