title: Clinical outcomes following ankle fracture: a cross-sectional observational study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of the current study was to examine objective and subjective differences between three severity groups of ankle fractures patients compared to healthy controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a case-controlled study. 92 patients with an ankle fracture injury of which 41 patients were eligible to participate in the study. 72 healthy people served as controls. All patients underwent a computerized gait test, completed self-assessment questionnaires (The Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS) and the SF-36), evaluated with the American Foot and Ankle Score (AOFAS) form and completed the 6-min walk test. The control group performed a computerized gait test and completed the SF-36 health survey.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All ankle fracture patients presented compromised gait patterns and limb symmetry compared to controls (p < 0.05). Ankle fracture patients also had lower SF-36 scores compared to controls (p < 0.05). Significant differences were found between the unimalleolar group compared to the bimalleolar and trimalleolar groups in most parameters, except for the FAOS scores. There were no significant differences between the bimalleolar fracture group and the trimalleolar fracture groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although all fracture severity classification groups presented a compromised gait pattern and worse clinical symptoms compared to controls, it seems that patients with a unimalleolar fracture is a different group compared to bimalleolar and trimalleolar fracture. Furthermore, it seems that bimalleolar fracture and trimalleolar fracture affect the gait pattern and clinical symptoms to an equal extent, at least in the short-term.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  NCT01127776.
authors.affiliation: AposTherapy Research Group, 1 Abba Even Blvd, Herzliya, 46733 Israel.
authors.forename: Ganit
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Segal
authors.affiliation: AposTherapy Research Group, 1 Abba Even Blvd, Herzliya, 46733 Israel.
authors.forename: Avi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Elbaz
authors.affiliation: AposTherapy Research Group, 1 Abba Even Blvd, Herzliya, 46733 Israel.
authors.forename: Alon
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Parsi
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Meir Medical Center, Kfar-Saba, Israel.
authors.forename: Ziv
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Heller
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Meir Medical Center, Kfar-Saba, Israel.
authors.forename: Ezequiel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Palmanovich
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Meir Medical Center, Kfar-Saba, Israel.
authors.forename: Meir
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nyska
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Wolfson Medical center, Holon, Israel, affiliated to the Sacker Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Zeev
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Feldbrin
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Meir Medical Center, Kfar-Saba, Israel.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kish
keywords: Ankle fracture severity; Clinical outcomes; Gait