Cotton fracture

Description

Cotton fracture (trimalleolar fracture): fracture of the ankle that involving the lateral malleolus, medial malleolus and distal posterior aspect of the tibia (posterior malleolus).

History

1910 – Cotton in his text book ‘Dislocations and Joint-Fractures pp540-550‘ outlines the mechanism and reduction of Pott fracture with posterior luxation and fracture

1915 – Cotton described in minute detail 53 cases of bimalleolar fracture with posterior luxation and fracture of the distal posterior tibia; mechanism of causation; reduction and operative treatment. [JAMA. 1915;64:318–321.]

Associated Persons

• Frederic Jay Cotton (1869 – 1939)
• Percivall Pott (1714 – 1788)

Alternative names

• Trimalleolar fracture
• Pott fracture with backward dislocation of the lower fragment

References

• Cotton FJ. A new type of ankle fracture. JAMA. 1915;64:318–321.