Early Protected Weightbearing After Open Reduction Internal Fixation of Ankle Fractures With Trans-syndesmotic Screws.

Traditional postoperative care after open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) of unstable ankle fractures with syndesmotic instability includes non-weightbearing for 6 to 8 weeks. However, prolonged non-weightbearing may be detrimental. The goal of this case series was to assess the outcomes of early protected weightbearing after operative treatment of acute ankle fractures with syndesmotic instability requiring screw stabilization. Fifty-eight consecutive patients, treated from January 2006 to January 2013, met the inclusion criteria with a minimum follow up of 1 year. Electronic medical records and radiographs were reviewed for patient and surgical characteristics, postoperative complications, and maintenance of reduction. Patients initiated walking at an average of 10 days (range 1 to 15) postoperatively. Surgical treatment consisted of operative reduction with standard fixation devices and 1 or 2 trans-syndesmotic screws that purchased 4 cortices. All 58 patients maintained correction after surgery when allowed to weightbear early in the postoperative recovery. Five complications (8.6%) occurred in the 58 patients, which included 3 superficial infections (5.2%) and 2 cases (3.4%) of neuritis. The maintenance of reduction and low complication rate in this study support the option of early protected weightbearing after ankle fracture ORIF with trans-syndesmotic fixation.

A Biomechanical Comparison of Locking Versus Conventional Plate Fixation for Distal Fibula Fractures in Trimalleolar Ankle Injuries.

Previous biomechanical studies have advocated the use of locking plates for isolated distal fibula fractures in osteoporotic bone. Complex rotational ankle injuries involve an increased number of fractures, which can result in instability, potentially requiring the same fixed angle properties afforded by locking plates. However, the mechanical indication for locking plate technology has not been tested in this fracture model. The purpose of the present study was to compare the biomechanical properties of locking and conventional plate fixation for distal fibula fractures in trimalleolar ankle injuries. Fourteen (7 matched pairs) fresh-frozen cadaver leg specimens were used. The bone mineral density of each was obtained using dual x-ray absorptiometry scans. The fracture model simulated an OTA 44-B3.3 fracture. The syndesmosis was not disrupted. Each fracture was fixated in the same fashion, except for the distal fibula plate construct: locking (n = 7) and one-third tubular (n = 7). The specimens underwent axial and torsional cyclic loading, followed by torsional loading to failure. No statistically significant differences were found between the locking and conventional plate constructs during both fatigue and torque to failure testing (p > .05). Our specimen bone mineral density averages did not represent poor bone quality. The clinical implication of the present study is that distal fibular locking plates do not provide a mechanical advantage for trimalleolar ankle injuries in individuals with normal bone density and in the absence of fracture comminution.