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Negative prognostic factors in surgical treatment for trimalleolar fractures

  • Original Article • ANKLE - FRACTURES
  • Published:
European Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery & Traumatology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Trimalleolar fractures are a common injury of the ankle that require surgical treatment to obtain an anatomic reduction of both malleoli and stabilization of the syndesmosis. This study aims to report the outcomes of surgical treatment for trimalleolar fractures, identifying the risk factors determining a worse result.

Materials and methods

Between January 2013 and December 2016, 48 patients with trimalleolar fracture treated with open reduction and internal fixation were retrospectively analyzed. The mean age was 44.69 years, and average body mass index (BMI) was 29.04. According to the Danis–Weber classification, 30 (62.5%) fractures were type B and 18 (37.5%) were type C. Clinical and radiographic evaluations at 3, 6, and 12 months were assessed. The functional results of Visual Analogue Staircases and Olerud–Molander (O&M) ankle score were reported.

Results

No significant difference was found among the size of the PM in patients with and without ankle dislocation (p = 0.364). Therefore, there is no correlation between the size of the posterior fragment and the ankle dislocation and the size of the posterior malleolus and syndesmosis stability (p = 0.328). Age over 61 years, BMI > 40, ASA > 1, type C fracture, and fracture dislocation were considered as negative prognostic fractures.

Conclusions

Surgical treatment for trimalleolar fractures needs accurate preoperative planning. Age over 61 years, BMI > 40, ASA > 1, type C fracture, and fracture dislocation were considered as negative prognostic fractures.

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Funding

This study was funded by the authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of General Surgery and Medical Surgical Specialties, Section of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, A.O.U. Policlinico – Vittorio Emanuele, University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia, 78, 95123, Catania, Italy

    Gianluca Testa, Marco Ganci, Mirko Amico, Giacomo Papotto, Serena Maria Chiara Giardina, Giuseppe Sessa & Vito Pavone

Authors
  1. Gianluca Testa
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  2. Marco Ganci
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  3. Mirko Amico
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  4. Giacomo Papotto
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  5. Serena Maria Chiara Giardina
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  6. Giuseppe Sessa
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  7. Vito Pavone
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Correspondence to Gianluca Testa.

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All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Testa, G., Ganci, M., Amico, M. et al. Negative prognostic factors in surgical treatment for trimalleolar fractures. Eur J Orthop Surg Traumatol 29, 1325–1330 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00590-019-02430-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00590-019-02430-6

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