Atypical Suprasyndesmotic Distal Fibular Fracture in an Adolescent Athlete with Minimal Symptoms: A Case Report
- 1Department of orthopedics and traumatology, Chirec Sainte-Anne Saint-Rémi, Brussels, Belgium.
- 2Faculty of Medicine, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
Abstract
Introduction: Fractures of the distal fibula are common injuries in adolescent athletes, usually associated with identifiable trauma and rapid, uneventful healing. However, atypical mechanisms and minimal symptoms may obscure the diagnosis. We aim to describe the clinical course, imaging findings, and management of a suprasyndesmotic distal fibular fracture sustained during football practice, characterized by an unusual fracture mechanism without direct contact or major trauma and minimal clinical symptoms. Case Report: We present the case of a 15-year-old male admitted to the emergency department after an injury to the left leg while at a football practice. He reported missing the ball while attempting a shot and immediately perceived a crack in the kicking leg, without any collision or contact with another player. Clinical examination revealed painless palpation of both malleoli, varus stress testing, and isolated tenderness at the distal third of the fibula, without spontaneous pain. Radiographs confirmed a fracture located between the middle and distal thirds of the fibula, compatible with a suprasyndesmotic Weber C pattern. The lesion was non-displaced and initially described as a greenstick-type fracture. Conservative treatment with a plaster splint and non-weight-bearing was initiated. No analgesics were required. Conclusion: Distal fibular fractures in young athletes may occur through unusual, contactless mechanisms with minimal symptoms, even in a suprasyndesmotic Weber C fracture pattern. Clinical assessment must remain the cornerstone of decision-making, while complementary imaging is useful to rule out complications, such as pseudarthrosis. Conservative management allowed full and safe return to sport in this patient after 4 months.
Related
- Bone-preserving ankle arthrodesis after infected pilon fracture nonunion: lessons from tapered distal docking and fibular-supported reconstruction.
- Contralateral atypical femoral fracture following a single dose of denosumab after incomplete teriparatide therapy in a patient with long-term bisphosphonate exposure: A case report
- Avulsion Fracture of the Lesser Trochanter in a Young Adolescent
- Atypical symptoms from a small occipital meningioma: A case report.
- Case Report: Balancing atypical femoral fracture healing and bone metastasis control
BibTeX
@article{delgado2026atypical,
title = {{Atypical Suprasyndesmotic Distal Fibular Fracture in an Adolescent Athlete with Minimal Symptoms: A Case Report}},
author = {Hebe Delgado and Anaèle Bossière and Christophe Marchal},
journal = {Journal of Orthopaedic Case Reports},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.13107/jocr.2026.v16.i11.8410},
url = {https://doi.org/10.13107/jocr.2026.v16.i11.8410},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Atypical Suprasyndesmotic Distal Fibular Fracture in an Adolescent Athlete with Minimal Symptoms: A Case Report
AU - Hebe Delgado
AU - Anaèle Bossière
AU - Christophe Marchal
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/01
JO - Journal of Orthopaedic Case Reports
DO - 10.13107/jocr.2026.v16.i11.8410
UR - https://doi.org/10.13107/jocr.2026.v16.i11.8410
AB - Introduction: Fractures of the distal fibula are common injuries in adolescent athletes, usually associated with identifiable trauma and rapid, uneventful healing. However, atypical mechanisms and minimal symptoms may obscure the diagnosis. We aim to describe the clinical course, imaging findings, and management of a suprasyndesmotic distal fibular fracture sustained during football practice, characterized by an unusual fracture mechanism without direct contact or major trauma and minimal clinical symptoms. Case Report: We present the case of a 15-year-old male admitted to the emergency department after an injury to the left leg while at a football practice. He reported missing the ball while attempting a shot and immediately perceived a crack in the kicking leg, without any collision or contact with another player. Clinical examination revealed painless palpation of both malleoli, varus stress testing, and isolated tenderness at the distal third of the fibula, without spontaneous pain. Radiographs confirmed a fracture located between the middle and distal thirds of the fibula, compatible with a suprasyndesmotic Weber C pattern. The lesion was non-displaced and initially described as a greenstick-type fracture. Conservative treatment with a plaster splint and non-weight-bearing was initiated. No analgesics were required. Conclusion: Distal fibular fractures in young athletes may occur through unusual, contactless mechanisms with minimal symptoms, even in a suprasyndesmotic Weber C fracture pattern. Clinical assessment must remain the cornerstone of decision-making, while complementary imaging is useful to rule out complications, such as pseudarthrosis. Conservative management allowed full and safe return to sport in this patient after 4 months.
SN - 2250-0685
SN - 2321-3817
ER -