Evaluation of the fibular incisura of the tibia with magnetic resonance imaging.

Knowledge of the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis should be helpful in determining the normal position of the fibula in the incisural notch. The purpose of this study was to determine the anatomic characteristics of the fibular incisura of the tibia on MR imaging. One hundred fifty lower limbs (43 male, 32 female volunteers) were examined with MRI. The length of the anterior facet was 10.4 mm in males and 8.9 mm in females, and the length of the posterior facet was 10.4 mm in males and 8.9 mm in females. The angle between anterior and posterior facets was 138.6 degrees in males and 139.9 degrees in females. The depth of the fibular incisura of the tibia was 3.6 mm in males and 2.9 mm in females. The vertical distance of tibiofibular overlapping was 7.9 mm in males and 7.0 mm in females. The distance between anterior margin of the tibia and anterior margin of the fibula was 14.3 mm in males and 12.5 mm in females. All of these parameters of men (except the angle between anterior and posterior facets) were significantly higher than the parameters of women (p<.001, p<.001, p<.05, p<.05, p<.01, respectively).