Across the ankle joint external fixator for soft tissue healing

ABSTRACT

To avoid POP cast complications and improve healing of soft tissue injuries. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Nishtar Hospital, Multan. From April 2005 to April 2006. Thirty patients were selected for this mode of treatment. All patients were within the age of 20 to 30 years with no systemic illness. These patients were having open soft tissue injuries with or without bony injuries around the ankle joint and having no vascular injury at this level, which could have threatened the viability of the foot. Open soft tissue injuries around the ankle joint are difficult to stabilize with plaster splints or casts due to difficulty of wound dressings and associated complications like heel equinus deformity and heel sores. Postoperative cast is cumbersome for the patients and associated with lack of care after patient is discharged from hospital. External fixator across the ankle joint is one of the modalities for such injuries. In an intervention study, 12 patients having fresh severe open soft tissue injuries at ankle Joint were selected- External fixator was applied initially and soft tissue injuries were further managed subsequently with fixator in place. External fixator was removed after the tissue healing was complete. One pin tract infection and no equinus or heel sore was encountered. Patients were also satisfied with this mode of treatment. It is concluded that External Fixator across the ankle joint is a good option for soft tissue healing