COMPARATIVE STUDY BETWEEN OSTEOSYNTHESIS IN CONVENTIONAL AND BIOABSORBABLE IMPLANTS IN ANKLE FRACTURES.

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Biomaterials Science

Background:

• Ankle fractures are common injuries requiring surgical fixation.
• Metallic implants are standard, but can cause complications like pain and the need for removal.
• Absorbable implants offer a potential alternative to reduce long-term complications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the functional results of ankle fractures treated with metallic versus absorbable plates.
• To evaluate implant-related complications and patient-reported outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Prospective comparative study with 20 patients randomized into metallic and absorbable implant groups.
• Standardized postoperative immobilization and weight-bearing protocol.
• Follow-up included clinical assessment and American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) scores.

Main Results:

• Similar functional recovery and AOFAS scores were observed between both groups at six and nine months.
• Three patients in the metallic group required implant removal due to local pain.
• One patient in the absorbable group experienced suture dehiscence, managed successfully with debridement and resuturing.

Conclusions:

• Absorbable implants provide clinical and functional results comparable to metallic implants for ankle fracture fixation.
• Absorbable implants may offer a viable alternative, potentially reducing the need for secondary surgeries.
• Further research with larger cohorts could confirm these findings.