The effects of resection of the proximal part of the fibula on stability of the knee and on gait

We studied six patients to determine the effects of unilateral marginal resection of the proximal part of the fibula on stability of the knee and on gait. At the time of the operation, the fibular collateral ligament and the tendon of the biceps femoris were reattached, but no attempt was made to stabilize the fibula otherwise. The patients were tested an average of sixty-one months after operation. Stability of the knee was measured with an instrumented system. Gait was evaluated with an optical electronic three-dimensional digitizing system and a multicomponent force-platform. The gait of six healthy control subjects of similar age was also studied, and the reproducibility of measurements of stability of the knee was investigated in four healthy adults. There were significant differences between the side on which an operation had been done and the contralateral side with regard to the extent of anterior translation and of total anterior-posterior translation of the tibia at both 20 and 90 degrees of flexion of the knee, and in total varus and valgus rotation of the knee (the number of degrees from a position of maximum varus to one of maximum valgus angulation) at 20 degrees of flexion. The measurements of gait and of motion of the knee were found to be normal when compared with those in the control subjects. In the ground-reaction measurements, there were some significant differences from normal in the medial-lateral plane, but they were clinically unimportant. Resection of the proximal part of the fibula can lead to instability of the knee.