title: [Surgical treatment of compound fracture of the ankle].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report the clinical outcome of the treatment of compound ankle fractures by vacuum sealing drainage and spanning external fixator.
  
  
  METHODS
  From April 2005 to April 2009, 19 cases of Gustilo type III compound ankle fractures were treated, with type IIIA in 10 cases, Type IIIB in 7 and Type IIIC in 2. All cases underwent emergency debridement, and had the fractures fixed with spanning external fixator following indirect reduction, the wound closed with vacuum sealing drainage and repaired through direct suture, split-thickness skin graft or flap transposition.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this series, following VSD of 5.0 to 18.0 d (mean 10.3 d), 2 cases had their wounds closed by direct suture, 12 by skin graft and 3 by flap transposition. The other 2 cases had repeated wound debridement and multiple use of VSD, and had their wounds repaired by flap transposition. All the 19 cases were followed up for 8 to 36 months with an average of 26 months. All the fractures united 3.0 to 10.0 (mean 3.8) months. At the final follow-up functional evaluation of the affected ankle joints was performed only to find excellent in 9 cases, good in 5, fair in 4 and poor in 1.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Gustilo type III compound ankle fracture can effectively be treated with VSD and spanning external fixator.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery, People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
authors.forename: Li-hai
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Li-cheng
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xiang-dang
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Yi-zhu
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Sheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.forename: Qun
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Pei-fu
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016512:Ankle Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D016267:External Fixators; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005592:Fracture Fixation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D005597:Fractures, Open / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D054843:Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult