Management of Adolescent Three-Part Lateral Triplane Ankle Fracture with Ipsilateral Shaft of Tibia Fracture and Intact Fibula in COVID Pandemic: A Case Report with Review of Literature

Abstract

Introduction: Triplane fracture of ankle is a rare adolescent injury. Its association with ipsilateral tibial shaft fracture is very uncommon in pediatric orthopedic traumatology and rarely reported in the literature till date. Timely diagnosis and management is required to optimize the outcome and avoid complications. Case Report: This is a case of a 14-year-old male who sustained a twisting injury to his right leg during early phase of COVID-19 pandemic. He sustained a three-part lateral triplane fracture of the ankle with a concomitant displaced spiral fracture of the shaft of the right tibia. He underwent close reduction under fluoroscopy and above-knee casting for 10 weeks followed patellar tendon weight-bearing cast for 4 weeks. Both fractures healed uneventfully in 14 weeks with patient returning to full activities in 22 weeks. Conclusion: The ankle injury in adolescent age group (12–15 years) can easily be missed in the presence of the more obvious tibial fracture and therefore, we recommend ankle assessment of all patients with tibial shaft fractures in this age group both clinically and radiologically. Keywords: Triplane ankle fracture, tibia shaft fracture, adolescent.