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.

No abstract

The anatomical concept of the deltoid ligament as being attached to the anterior colliculus of the medial malleolus by its superficial portion, and to the posterior colliculus by its deep portion has been applied to a clinical material. A number of singular and concurrent lesions of the medial malleolus and the deltoid ligament were recognized: fracture of the anterior colliculus, concurrent fracture of the anterior colliculus and rupture of the deep posterior talotibial ligament, fracture of the posterior colliculus, supracollicular fracture, rupture of the deltoid ligament, and chip fracture of the anterior colliculus. The clinical implications of these lesions are discussed.