Restoration of the contractile capacity of the tibial muscles after closed malleolar fractures.

According to published reports, an incomplete restoration of the muscular strength is observed after malleolar fractures. This made us evaluate the contractile capacity of the tibial muscles after treatment of 59 adult patients with malleolar fractures using Ilizarov's method. In addition, five patients underwent comprehensive follow-up examinations long after fracture treatment. We found that a practically complete restoration of the anatomical size, electrogenesis, and contractile property of the tibial muscles was possible in the interval from five to eight years after treatment. This can be explained by a precise repositioning and reliable fixation of the bone fragments during treatment and an increase in the sensitivity of the neuromotor responses to specific impacts during muscle adaptation to function under conditions of habitual motor activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]