Triplane Ankle Fracture with Concomitant Ipsilateral Shaft of Tibia Fracture: Case Report and Review of Literature

INTRODUCTION: Triplane fracture is a rare adolescent ankle injury. Its association with ipsilateral tibial shaft fracture is very rarely reported in the literature. CASE REPORT: This is a case of a 14-year-old male who sustained a twisting injury to his right leg after a fall from a height. He sustained a minimally displaced spiral fracture of the mid-shaft of his right tibia with a concomitant ipsilateral two part triplane fracture of the ankle. He underwent minimally invasive percutaneous locking plate fixation for tibial fracture and percutaneous screw fixation for an ankle fracture. Both fractures healed uneventfully in 10 weeks with complete functional recovery in 12 weeks. CONCLUSION: The ankle injury, in such cases, can easily be missed in the presence of the more obvious tibial fracture and emergency physicians should also be aware of such injuries. As this injury is peculiar to the adolescent age group, we recommend ankle assessment of all patients with tibial shaft fractures in this age group.