Weightbearing AND fracture

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to ascertain outcome differences after fixation of unstable rotational ankle fractures allowed to weight-bear 2 weeks postoperatively compared with 6 weeks. DESIGN: Prospective case-control study. SETTING: Academic medical center; Level 1 trauma center. PATIENT SELECTION CRITERIA: Patients with unstable ankle fractures (OTA/AO:44A-C) undergoing open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) were enrolled...

BACKGROUND: Charcot neuroarthropathy (CN) is a severe disease that primarily affects the foot and ankle. Conservative treatment with total contact casts is suitable for early stages, but surgery is necessary for complications such as ulceration, malalignment, infection, or severe pain. The ankle instability caused by excessive axial load may require arthrodesis. However, preserving joint function in young patient can significantly enhance the quality of life. CASE REPORT: A 33-year-old woman underwent open reduction and internal fixation after the right tibia and fibula fractures following a fall while walking...

Most trochanteric fractures are treated by fixation, most often intramedullary. Nevertheless, the desire to have patients walk as soon as possible and the fear of fixation failure has driven some surgeons to carry out an arthroplasty instead, especially for unstable fractures and/or in patients with severe osteoporosis, in order to avoid the difficult conversion to arthroplasty later on if the fixation fails. The aim of this review was to specify the role, technique and results of performing arthroplasty in this context...

OBJECTIVE: (s): To compare acute outcomes between patients undergoing fix and replace (FaR) versus open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) alone in the treatment of geriatric acetabular fractures. METHODS: Design: Retrospective Cohort StudySetting: Single Level 2 Trauma CenterPatient Selection Criteria: Consecutive acetabular fracture patients aged ≥ 55 years old treated by two orthopedic trauma surgeons at one tertiary care center from January 2017 to April 2022 with FaR vs ORIF were identified...

Accurate analysis of bone position and orientation in foot and ankle studies relies on anatomical coordinate systems (ACS). Reliable ACSs are necessary for many biomechanical and clinical studies, especially those including weightbearing computed tomography and biplane fluoroscopy. Existing ACS approaches suffer from limitations such as manual input, oversimplifications, or non-physiological methods. To address these shortcomings, we introduce the Automatic Anatomical Foot and Ankle Coordinate Toolbox (AAFACT), a MATLAB-based toolbox that automates the calculation of ACSs for the major fourteen foot and ankle bones...

BACKGROUND: The osteocutaneous radial forearm (OCRF) flap is a variation of the traditional radial forearm flap with incorporation of an anterolateral segment of corticocancellous bone of the radius, periosteum, and overlying skin. The OCRF flap is indicated in traumatic injuries or extirpation defects with segmental bone loss and is well suited to foot and ankle reconstruction due to its thin pliable skin. METHODS: In this single-center case series, a retrospective review was conducted to identify patients who underwent OCRF free flap for foot and ankle reconstruction that required harvest of more than 50% of the cross-sectional area of the radius with prophylactic volar locked plating of the donor site...

OBJECTIVES: Distal ulna plate fixation for ulnar neck and head fractures (excluding ulnar styloid fractures) aims to anatomically reduce the distal ulna fracture (DUF) by open reduction and internal fixation, while obtaining a stable construct allowing functional rehabilitation without need for cast immobilization. INDICATIONS: Severe displacement, angulation or translation, as well as unstable or intra-articular fractures. Furthermore, multiple trauma or young patients in need of quick functional rehabilitation...

INTRODUCTION: Open ankle fractures in elderly patients are challenging injuries to manage. The aim of this study was to assess the outcome of elderly patients with open ankle fractures treated with a tibiotalocalcaneal nail and primary wound closure. METHODS: We identified all open ankle fractures in patients over 65 referred to our major trauma centre managed with a tibiotalocalcaneal nail and primary wound closure over 10 years. We recorded patient demographics, comorbidities, injury mechanism, length of stay, operation, weightbearing status, re-operations, infections and mortality...

Ankle fractures are among the most common orthopaedic injuries. Operative management is performed in unstable ankle fracture patterns to restore the stability and native kinematics of the ankle mortise and minimize the risk of post-traumatic degenerative changes. In this study, we review current concepts in ankle fracture management, including posterior malleolus fixation, syndesmosis fixation, deltoid ligament repair, fibular nailing, and early weightbearing, from both a biomechanical and clinical perspective...

OBJECTIVES: Distal femoral fractures are a significant injury sustained by low- and high-energy trauma. Common treatment practices are lateral locking plate or intramedullary nail fixation, with disadvantages including risk of non and malunion and limited post-operative weightbearing status. Combining both techniques as a nail-plate construct (NPC) theoretically achieves enhanced fixation to allow immediate weightbearing. The aim of this study is to examine radiographic union, malunion and patient-reported outcomes in distal femur NPC fixation...

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether a nonoperative management protocol results in equivalent outcomes in isolated OTA/AO 44B (Weber B) fractures without initial medial clear space (MCS) widening regardless of stress radiography findings. DESIGN: Prospective cohort. SETTING: Level 1 academic trauma center. PATIENT SELECTION CRITERIA: Nonoperatively managed patients with isolated OTA/AO 44B fractures and MCS ≤4 mm on initial non-weightbearing injury radiographs between from January 2018 and January 2022 were included...

BACKGROUND: Functional recovery after intramedullary nailing of distal tibial fractures can be monitored using ipsilateral vertical ground reaction forces (vGRF), giving insight into recovery of patients' gait symmetry. Previous work compared patient cohorts to healthy controls, but it remains unclear if these metrics can identify treatment-based differences in return to function post-surgery. RESEARCH QUESTION: Is treatment of a distal tibial fracture with intramedullary nailing with an angle stable locking system (ASLS) associated with higher ipsilateral vGRF and improved symmetry compared to conventional intramedullary nailing at an early time point? METHODS: Thirty-nine patients treated with ASLS intramedullary nailing were retrospectively compared to thirty-nine patients with conventional locking...

PURPOSE: Patients with surgically treated ankle fractures are traditionally kept non-weightbearing for at least six weeks post-operatively; however, recent literature suggests numerous benefits of early weightbearing (EWB) before six weeks without significantly impacting long-term outcomes. This study aims to review the safety of early vs late weightbearing following ankle fracture fixation by assessing the complication rate. METHODS: This was a single-centre retrospective study...

OBJECTIVE: Osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLT) with a fragment on the talar dome that fail conservative treatment and need surgical treatment can benefit from in situ fixation of the OLT. Advantages of fixation include the preservation of native cartilage, a high quality subchondral bone repair, and the restoration of the joint congruency by immediate fragment stabilization. To improve the chance of successful stabilization, adequate lesion exposure is critical, especially in difficult to reach lesions located on the posteromedial talar dome...

Ankle fractures have been well documented and are common, especially in the elderly, behind hip and distal radius fractures. Open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) is the standard of treatment for displaced and unstable ankle fractures. Traditionally, ankle fractures in the elderly population have been treated with nonoperative methods; however, nonoperative methods have been associated with increased mortality. Thus, there has been a shift toward operative management for the elderly and less healthy patients...

AIMS: Treatment of Weber B ankle fractures that are stable on weightbearing radiographs but unstable on concomitant stress tests (classified SER4a) is controversial. Recent studies indicate that these fractures should be treated nonoperatively, but no studies have compared alternative nonoperative options. This study aims to evaluate patient-reported outcomes and the safety of fracture treatment using functional orthosis versus cast immobilization. METHODS: A total of 110 patients with Weber B/SER4a ankle fractures will be randomized (1:1 ratio) to receive six weeks of functional orthosis treatment or cast immobilization with a two-year follow-up...

BACKGROUND: We compared two different techniques used in medial malleolus fracture. It has been hypothesized that the hook plate technique, which has become widespread in recent years, may have an advantage over cannulated screws. METHODS: Preoperative and postoperative data for medial malleolus fractures operated on between 2010 and 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. Patients were divided into those operated on with a hook plate (n = 20) and those operated on with compression screws (n = 20) and were compared in terms of complications, pain, functional recovery, union success, and ankle joint range of motion...

AIMS: The aim of this study was to describe the current pathways of care for patients with a fracture of the hip in five low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) in South Asia (Nepal and Sri Lanka) and Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines). METHODS: The World Health Organization Service Availability and Readiness Assessment tool was used to collect data on the care of hip fractures in Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. Respondents were asked to provide details about the current pathway of care for patients with hip fracture, including pre-hospital transport, time to admission, time to surgery, and time to weightbearing, along with healthcare professionals involved at different stages of care, information on discharge, and patient follow-up...

PURPOSE: Different studies have shown that weightbearing is safe in stable transsyndesmotic, isolated lateral simple ankle fractures. Despite this evidence, AO guidelines still recommend immobilization with above-the-knee cast for 4-6 weeks for these fractures. The objective of this study was to compare the outcomes of mobilization and weightbearing to those of immobilization and non-weightbearing in patients with stable transsyndesmotic, lateral isolated simple ankle fractures. METHODS: Fifty patients were randomly assigned to permissive weightbearing in a walking boot or non-weightbearing immobilization using a below-the-knee cast...

AIMS: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between fracture displacement and survivorship of the native hip joint without conversion to a total hip arthroplasty (THA), and to determine predictors for conversion to THA in patients treated nonoperatively for acetabular fractures. METHODS: A multicentre cross-sectional study was performed in 170 patients who were treated nonoperatively for an acetabular fracture in three level 1 trauma centres. Using the post-injury diagnostic CT scan, the maximum gap and step-off values in the weightbearing dome were digitally measured by two trauma surgeons...