Related Experiment Videos
Adult ankle fractures--an increasing problem?
C M Court-Brown1, J McBirnie, G Wilson
1Edinburgh Orthopaedic Trauma Unit, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh NHS Trust, Scotland.
Acta Orthopaedica Scandinavica
|April 3, 1998
Summary
Ankle fracture incidence is rising in older women. Lateral malleolar fractures (B1.1, A1.2) are most common, with isolated types seen most frequently in this epidemiological study.
Area of Science:
- Orthopaedic surgery
- Traumatology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Ankle fracture epidemiology is evolving, with increasing longevity leading to a higher incidence in elderly women.
- The AO classification system aids in analyzing common fracture types.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the changing epidemiology of ankle fractures.
- To identify the most common ankle fracture types and patterns.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective survey of 1,500 ankle fractures treated over a 3-year period.
- Fractures were classified using the AO classification system.
Main Results:
- The most common ankle fractures identified were lateral malleolar types B1.1 and A1.2.
- Isolated malleolar fractures constituted two-thirds of cases.
- Bimalleolar fractures occurred in 25% and trimalleolar in 7% of patients.
- Open fractures accounted for 2% of the series.
Conclusions:
- Lateral malleolar fractures are the predominant type in this population.
- The study highlights specific fracture patterns within the context of an aging demographic and standardized classification.