[The results of surgical treatment in ankle fractures].
OBJECTIVE
We evaluated the results of surgical treatment for ankle fractures and the factors that play a role in these results.


METHODS
The study included 31 patients (20 men, 11 women, mean age 38.2 years) who underwent surgical treatment for ankle fractures and had an adequate follow-up. According to the Lauge-Hansen classification, the mechanism of occurrence was supination-external rotation in 13 (42%), pronation-external rotation in two (26%), pronation-abduction in four (13%), and supination-abduction in four patients (13%). In two patients (6%), the fractures could not be classified. Most of the fractures occurred with falling in winter months. The majority of fractures (55%) was of bimalleolar type. The mean follow-up was 26 months.


RESULTS
Union was obtained in all fractures. According to the objective criteria, the results were good, moderate, and poor in 18 (58%), eight (26%), and five (16%) patients, respectively. Subjective evaluation yielded good, moderate, and poor results in 17 (55%), eight (26%), and six (19%) patients, respectively. The results were poor especially in pronation-external rotation and fracture-dislocation type fractures. Two patients (6%) developed degenerative arthritis.


CONCLUSIONS
In our opinion, the best anatomical reduction may be achieved by surgical treatment of ankle fractures that present with a talar tilt, fibular shortening, and injury to the syndesmosis.
Yilmaz
Erhan
E
Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology (Ortopedi ve Travmatoloji Anabilim Dali), Medicine Faculty of Firat University, 23200 Elaziğ, Turkey. yilmazerh@yahoo.com
Karakurt
Lokman
L
Serin
Erhan
E
Bulut
Mehmet
M
D000058:Accidental Falls; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016512:Ankle Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D001858:Bone Nails; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000379:methods*; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011859:Radiography; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014421:Turkey