title: Rush rods versus plate osteosyntheses for unstable ankle fractures in the elderly.
abstract: Fifty patients with unstable fibular fracture were randomized into two groups. Twenty-five were treated with Rush rods and 25 with AO plates. Eighty-eight percent of patients treated with intramedullary rods had good or fair functional results, compared with 76% of patients undergoing plate and screw fixation. Full weight bearing was possible 6 weeks earlier with Rush rods than with AO plates, and there was less morbidity in the intramedullary group than in the AO group. This study indicates that Rush rods are a useful tool in elderly patients with soft bone, who are at risk for complications with plate and screw fixation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle.
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Pritchett
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016512:Ankle Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D001860:Bone Plates; D005260:Female; D005360:Fibula / Q000293:injuries / Q000502:physiology / Q000601:surgery*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D005594:Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005599:Fractures, Ununited / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011897:Random Allocation; D016474:Weight-Bearing