The Wait Time for Surgery Following Injury Affects Functional Outcomes and Complications After an Ankle Fracture: A Propensity Score-Matched Multicenter Study, the TRON Study.

BACKGROUND: The present study aimed to evaluate the hypothesis that a 1-week extension of the waiting period to perform surgery for ankle fracture might affect postoperative results and complications. METHODS: We used our multicenter database named TRON (Trauma Research Group of Nagoya). In all, 779 patients who underwent surgery for ankle fracture, who had no comorbidities were eligible. After exclusion, we analyzed 596 patients. We divided the patients into 2 groups according to whether they were operated on within 7 days after the injury with propensity score matching. RESULTS: The operative time of the delayed operation group (DO group) was significantly longer than that of the early operation group (EO group) (115.87 ± 56.59 vs 85.93 ± 34.58 minutes; P < .001). The rate of infection in the DO group was significantly higher than that of the EO group (16 patients [6.5%] vs 4 patients [1.6%]; P = .016). CONCLUSION: Waiting for more than a week to perform ankle surgery may lead to longer operative times and increased infection rates. LEVELS OF EVIDENCE: III.

Early weight bearing and mobilization decrease perioperative complications in patients after ankle fracture; the retrospective multicenter (TRON group) study.

BACKGROUND: Open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) for unstable ankle fractures (AF) are relatively predictable with excellent outcomes. Rehabilitation strategies are still being debated after surgical intervention for AF: non-weight bearing and cast immobilization for six weeks after the surgical repair of unstable AF or early functional treatment with partial weight bearing. This study aimed to compare early weight bearing and functional outcomes and complications. METHODS: Between April 2014 and March 2019, 1421 patients with AF underwent ORIF at 11 institutions (TRON group). The patients were divided into two groups: Group E started weight bearing within six weeks after surgery, and group L started weightbearing for more than six weeks after. To adjust for baseline difference between groups, a propensity score-matched algorithm was used to match Group E with Group L in a 1:1 ratio of 294 cases each. We compared the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score as the functional outcome, the rate of wound dehiscence, superficial and deep infections, blistering, nonunion, neurapraxia, and reoperation at 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery. RESULTS: The mean period of non-weight bearing was significantly shorter in group E (3.68 ± 1.02 vs. 6.67 ± 1.43; P < 0.001). The mean period of cast immobilization term were shorter in group E (1.84 ± 1.35 vs. 2.65 ± 1.51; P < 0.001). There were no differences in the AOFAS score at any period. The rates of deep infection and reoperation in Group E were significantly lower than those in Group L (1.7% vs. 6.1%; P = 0.009, 2.0% vs. 7.8%; P = 0.002, respectively). There were no significant differences in superficial infection (9 vs. 15; P = 0.297), nonunion (9 vs. 15 P = 0.30), blistering (4 vs. 3; P = 1.00), neurapraxia (2 vs. 1; P = 1.00), and wound dehiscence (15 vs. 18; P = 0.72). CONCLUSIONS: Although functional outcome was similar depending on whether early weight bearing was allowed, the rates of deep infection and reoperation decreased in patients with early weight bearing. We recommend early postoperative weight bearing in patients with a surgically treated AF.

Smoking and trimalleolar fractures are risk factors for infection after open reduction and internal fixation of closed ankle fractures: A multicenter retrospective study of 1,201 fractures.

INTRODUCTION: One of the complications of the surgical therapy for ankle fractures includes wound infection. This study aimed to evaluate postoperative function and clarify the risk factors associated with postoperative wound infection in patients receiving the open reduction and internal fixation for ankle fracture through a multicenter study. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Among 1421 patients diagnosed as having closed ankle fracture and who were treated by surgical therapy in 11 institutions from 2014 through 2019, 1201 patients (men, n = 512, women, n = 689; the mean (SD) age, 50.9 (15.6) years; the mean body mass index [BMI] (SD), 24.3 (4.2) kg/m2) were included as subjects. Excluded were 220 patients due to self-termination of treatment, inability to follow up after discharge, open fracture, distal tibia shaft fracture, and pilon fracture. We extracted the following as risk factors of wound infection: age, sex, BMI, fracture type, injury energy and histories of smoking, diabetes, arteriosclerosis, heart failure and myocardial infarction. We conducted logistic regression analysis to investigate the risk factors of wound infection using these extracted items as explanatory variables and the presence or absence of wound infection as the response variable. RESULTS: Wound infection occurred after surgery for closed ankle fracture in 69 the 1201 patients (5.7%). The causative organism was methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) in 15 patients, methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) in 4 patients, Finegoldia magna in one patient, and S. haemolyticus in one patient. In the other patients, causative organisms were not detected, culture of the causative organisms was not conducted, or they were unknown. The univariate analysis showed significant differences in sex (p = 0.01) and for smoking (p = 0.002), fracture type (p = 0.02) and heart failure (p = 0.042). Logistic regression analysis showed that smoking and type of fracture (trimalleolar fracture) were significant explanatory factors for infection (odds ratio 1.83 and 1.98, p = 0 .040 and 0.042, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: At 5.7%, the rate of postoperative wound infection in closed ankle fracture was not low. Staphylococcus was the most frequent causative organism. The surgeon should pay attention infection after surgery in the patients who had a trimalleolar fracture or smoking habits.