Staged treatment and internal fixation of floating ankle: A case report and literature review

RATIONALE: Floating ankle is a rare traumatic condition characterized by a combination of tibial and ipsilateral foot fractures, with the ankle remaining intact. It is usually caused by high-energy trauma and also presents with serious soft tissue damage. Its treatment is mainly restricted to external fixation, which results in poor outcomes. We present a patient with a floating ankle who underwent staged treatment and achieved full internal fixation, subsequently returning to normal activity. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 26 year- old man had an accident with an reel machine and sustained an open fracture on his right lower extremity. DIAGNOSES: Digital radiograph demonstrated a distal tibial fracture, fibular fracture, and multiple metatarsal fractures, which fulfilled the criteria for a floating ankle. INTERVENTIONS: Initial ankle-spanning external fixation was performed. After 21 days, the patient underwent open reduction and internal fixation on his first and fifth metatarsals, and K-wire fixation on his fourth metatarsal. The external fixator was replaced by plaster fixation. Seven days later, the patient underwent internal fixation of his leg, open reduction and internal fixation with plating was applied of the fibular fracture, and minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis of the tibial fracture. OUTCOMES: At 1-year follow-up, bone union was identified by digital radiograph; after 2 years, his ankle function had fully recovered, and he resumed his normal activities. LESSONS: In the staged treatment protocol of the floating ankle, temporary external fixation provided traction and immobilization of the skeletal and soft tissues. Secondary internal fixation maintained the reduction and alignment and allowed early exercise, which is critical to the prognosis of a floating ankle.