Background:

Ten percent of all ankle fractures, 20% of the fractures treated surgically, and 1-18% of all sprains involve a syndesmosis injury. The methods used for reduction are metal or bioabsorbable syndesmotic set screws, direct repair, and sutures with or without buttons. The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical function of patients who sustained Weber B ankle fractures and were treated with the TightRope system or a syndesmotic set screw.

Material and methods:

An observational, comparative, cross-sectional study was conducted between March 2012 and March 2015. The AOFAS ankle scale was used to assess function in patients with Weber B fractures with a syndesmosis injury treated with a 3.5 mm tricortical set screw or with the TightRope system.

Results:

Forty-three patients were included, their mean age was 47 years. The single-factor ANOVA test was used to compare the results of both groups. The latter showed that at 3, 6 and 12 months the TightRope group showed a significant improvement based on the AOFAS score, compared with the set screw group (p = 0.05).

Discussion:

The use of the TightRope system results in better clinical function in the short term compared with the 3.5 mm tricortical set screw, according to the AOFAS scale.