The isolated lateral malleolar fracture: Where are we and how did we get here?

Despite the isolated lateral malleolar ankle fracture being one of the most common injuries treated by orthopaedic surgeons it remains an injury that is widely misunderstood. Treatment protocols are compounded by the contemporary literature being divided on its optimal management. This review takes the reader through a process of how the historical literature on this subject has been formed, it critiques the main responsible papers and leads one to question the current dogma attached to both this injury and to current research in general.