ROUNDS RESPONSE.
Rounds is your vehicle for sharing your orthopaedic skills and experience. Your response to Rounds will be published in a future issue of Body Cast. We invite you to suggest questions for this column. Please address all submissions to: The Editor, Body Cast, 18 Wynford Drive, Suite 715A, North York, Ontario, M3C 3S2.

This Issue's Rounds Question -
Please tell us:
What is scapholunate dissociation? Why is it important?

(responses to be published in next issue)

In the last issue of Body Cast, Rounds asked:
What structures make up the syndesmotic ligaments? What is their function?

The following responses were received:

From Angela Wentzell:
There are four ligaments that make up the syndesmotic ligaments. They include the inferior interosseous ligament, the anterior inferior tibiofibular ligament (AITFL), the posterior inferior tibiofibular ligament (PITFL) and the inferior transverse tibiofibular ligament.

The functions of these ligaments are to hold the fibula tight to the tibia, which prevents excessive movement of the fibula and external rotation of the talus. The main function of the PITFL is to help prevent posterior translation of the talus.

From Patrick Power:
The structures that make up the syndesmotic ligaments are the anterior and posterior tibiofibular ligaments, the interosseous membrane, which act to stabilize the talar tibiofibular joint. The elasticity of these ligaments gives the ankle joint its flexibility, as well as normal motion.

From Tom Yorke:
Syndesmosis is the name for an articulation in which bones are united by ligaments. Syndesmotic ligament made up of inferior interosseous ligament, anterior inferior tibiofibular ligament (AITFL), posterior inferior tibiofibular ligament (PITFL) and inferior transverse tibiofibular ligament.

Their functions are to hold the fibula tight to the tibia. The syndesmotic ligament prevents the , axial, rotational and translational forces that attempt to separate the tibia and fibula from doing so.