title: Functional Comparison of Immediate and Late Weight Bearing after Ankle Bimalleolar Fracture Surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study is to compare immediate weight bearing with below-knee cast or immobilization with plaster splint in 6 weeks in patients after operative treatment for ankle bimalleolar fractures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-three patients with ankle bimalleolar fractures were treated operatively in 2005 to 2010 and then were randomly allocated to two groups. Immediately weight bearing in a below-knee cast (26 patients) and immobilization in a plaster splint for the first six postoperative weeks (27 patients). A mean age 37.9 (min 17; max 72). An average follow-up 26.1 months. (min 14; max 55). All fractures were classified with Lauge-Hansen classification. Functional results of both groups were evaluated with AOFAS for the postoperative one year after surgical treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  According to the AOFAS scoring system, results were excellent and good in 17 patients in group 1. On the other hand, results were excellent and good in 14 patients in group 2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As a result we think that weight bearing protocol should be advantaged for patients with ankle bimalleolar fractures after surgical treatment immediately.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Faculty of Medicine, Adiyaman University, 02040, Adıyaman, Turkey.
authors.forename: İsmail
authors.initials: İ
authors.lastname: Ağır
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Faculty of Medicine, Bezmialem Vakif University, 34093, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nejat
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tunçer
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Faculty of Medicine, Bezmialem Vakif University, 34093, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Fatih
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Küçükdurmaz
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Faculty of Medicine, Adiyaman University, 02040, Adıyaman, Turkey.
authors.forename: Seyitali
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gümüstaş
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Umraniye Education Research Hospital, 02040, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Esra Demirel
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Akgül
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Faculty of Medicine, Abant İzzet Baysal University, 14280, Bolu, Turkey.
authors.forename: Fuat
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Akpinar
keywords: Ankle fracture; cast; degenerative arthritis; immobilization; surgery; weight bearing