Rush rods versus plate osteosyntheses for unstable ankle fractures in the elderly

Fifty patients with unstable fibular fracture were randomized into two groups. Twenty-five were treated with Rush rods and 25 with AO plates. Eighty-eight percent of patients treated with intramedullary rods had good or fair functional results, compared with 76% of patients undergoing plate and screw fixation. Full weight bearing was possible 6 weeks earlier with Rush rods than with AO plates, and there was less morbidity in the intramedullary group than in the AO group. This study indicates that Rush rods are a useful tool in elderly patients with soft bone, who are at risk for complications with plate and screw fixation.