Factors Associated With Adverse Radiographic Outcomes Following Operative Management of Ankle Fractures: A...

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Traumatology
• Radiology

Background:

• Ankle fractures are common injuries requiring precise surgical reduction.
• Assessing reduction quality with radiographs is crucial for optimal patient outcomes.
• Several factors may influence the success of fracture reduction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate factors affecting ankle fracture reduction quality.
• To identify associations between fracture characteristics and reduction outcomes.
• To provide insights for improving surgical management of ankle fractures.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study of 394 ankle fractures.
• Evaluation of operative films by five orthopedic surgeons using Delphi consensus parameters.
• Grading of reduction quality as good, adequate, or poor.

Main Results:

• Posterior malleolus involvement (PMI) correlated with poorer outcomes for specific fragment sizes (p=0.001).
• Shorter time from admission to operation (0-1 day) yielded better reductions (p=0.009).
• Trainee surgeons achieved better reductions than specialist surgeons (p=0.038).
• Increased number of malleoli involved was associated with inferior reduction quality (p=0.001).

Conclusions:

• Reduction quality in ankle fractures is significantly influenced by multiple factors.
• Timely surgical intervention and surgeon experience are critical for successful outcomes.
• Meticulous technique is essential for complex fractures with multiple malleoli involved.