Traumatic rupture of the tibialis anterior tendon: A case report

Objective: The autors report a case of a traumatic rupture of the tibialis anterior tendon (TTA) that was early diagnosed and treated in the emergency service. This is a rare clinical entity with few cases reported in the literature. Case report: A 66-year old female presented at the emergency service complaining about pain at the anterior aspect of her ankle and inability to walk normally, after a fall. Physical examination revealed clinical signs for TTA rupture, which was later confirmed by ultrasound. Surgical treatment was performed immediately – the tendon was anchored into the medial cuneiform with a soft tissue-to-bone anchor. The follow-up revealed good functional result. Conclusion: Physical examination and a high index of suspicion are important when facing a patient who had sustained an ankle trauma. The TTA rupture is a diagnosis to consider because unrecognized ruptures led to important functional deficits and poor functional results.