The treatment of unstable ankle fractures in patients over eighty years of age.
BACKGROUND
The current study examined the outcomes of operative treatment of unstable ankle fractures in patients at least 80 years old at the time of injury.


METHODS
Of 2,682 patients who presented for treatment of ankle fractures, 17 patients met the study criteria. These patients had open reduction and internal fixation after sustaining 15 closed and two open unstable ankle fractures. There were 11 type B fractures and six type C fractures by the Danis-Weber classification, and 12 supination-external rotation and five pronation-external rotation fractures by the Laugen-Hansen classification systems.


RESULTS
When noncompliant patients who developed complications were removed from analysis, the fixation failure and deep infection rates were 0% each.


CONCLUSIONS
These results highlight the importance of patient compliance and non-weightbearing status in the treatment of ankle fractures in patients over 80 years.
Fong
Winston
W
Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, University of Miami, 950 NW 17th Street, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
Acevedo
Jorge I
JI
Stone
Ross G
RG
Mizel
Mark S
MS
D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016512:Ankle Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D004868:Equipment Failure; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005592:Fracture Fixation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000145:classification / Q000601:surgery*; D005596:Fractures, Closed / Q000145:classification / Q000601:surgery; D005597:Fractures, Open / Q000145:classification / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011403:Pronation / Q000502:physiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012399:Rotation; D013484:Supination / Q000502:physiology; D013529:Surgical Wound Dehiscence / Q000209:etiology; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000209:etiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016312:Treatment Refusal; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology