Early versus late surgery for closed ankle fractures

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Trauma Care

Background:

• Ankle fractures are common injuries requiring surgical intervention.
• The optimal timing for surgical repair of closed ankle fractures remains a topic of clinical importance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the outcomes of early versus delayed surgical intervention for closed ankle fractures.
• Specifically, to evaluate the impact on length of hospital stay and infection rates.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective review of 214 patients (95 male, 119 female) who underwent open reduction and internal fixation for ankle fractures.
• Patients were categorized into early surgery (<24 hours) and late surgery (>24 hours) groups.
• Data on hospital stay, infection rates, and need for revision surgery were analyzed.

Main Results:

• The early surgery group had a significantly shorter mean postoperative hospital stay (2.9 days) compared to the late surgery group (5.5 days).
• No significant differences were observed in infection rates (7% vs. 11%) or the need for additional surgery between the groups.
• Delayed surgery was most commonly attributed to operating room unavailability, delayed clinic admission, or soft tissue swelling.

Conclusions:

• Delayed surgical treatment for closed ankle fractures is associated with an increased postoperative length of hospital stay.
• Performing surgery within 24 hours of injury is advisable to reduce hospital stay duration.