This is a plain-English translation of the academic paper above, prepared for patients, referring clinicians, and other non-specialist readers. It preserves the structure of the original paper while removing technical jargon. For the full clinical paper, follow the PubMed or DOI links.
Background
Whether ankle fractures that involve the posterior malleolus — the back portion of the ankle joint — do better when that fragment is fixed with a screw or plate, compared to leaving it alone.
Rationale
The decision whether to fix the posterior malleolar fragment has been one of the longer-running debates in ankle fracture surgery. The fragment is hard to access, and surgeons have historically left smaller fragments alone unless they felt the joint was unstable.
Results
Patients in whom we fixed the posterior malleolus had statistically significantly better foot and ankle function scores at follow-up (MOXFQ 20.1 vs 24.0, p = 0.04). The number is modest in absolute terms but consistent with the broader literature.
Implications
If your ankle fracture involves a posterior fragment, the modern position is to lean towards fixing it, particularly if the fragment is more than a small fleck of bone. Long-term function is on average better.
Source: Jeyaseelan L, Bua N, Parker L, Sohrabi C, Trockels A, Vris A, Heidari N, Malagelada F. Outcomes of posterior malleolar fixation in ankle fractures in a major trauma centre. Injury 2021. PMID: 33376016.
Read original on PubMed → ← Back to research library