Anatomical basis of variability in injuries of the medial malleolus and the deltoid ligament. I. Anatomical studies.

An anatomical study of the medial malleolus and the deltoid ligament of the ankle on fresh and formalin preserved legs of cadavera and amputation specimens has been carried out. The anterior and posterior colliculi, and the intercollicular groove of the medial malleolus were described. The deltoid ligament was found to have two layers: the superficial, attached primarily to the anterior colliculus, consisted of the naviculotibial, calcaneotibial, and superficial talotibial ligaments; the deep layer consisted of the deep anterior and posterior talotibial ligaments and was attached primarily to the posterior colliculus and the intercollicular groove. These findings are at variance with previous descriptions of the deltoid ligament.