Factors associated with surgeon recognition of mental health care opportunities and inclination to attend to mental health.

PURPOSE: A notable percentage of people that die by suicide have had a medical visit within a few months of their death. In a survey-based experiment, we evaluated: 1) whether there are any surgeon, setting, or patient factors associated with surgeon rating of mental health care opportunities, and 2) if there are any surgeon, setting, or patient factors associated with likelihood of mental health referrals. METHODS: One hundred and twenty-four upper extremity surgeons of the Science of Variation Group viewed five scenarios of a person with one orthopedic condition. The following aspects of the scenarios were independently randomized: Social worker or psychologist available, office workload, socioeconomic status, gender, age, mental health factors, mental health clues, and diagnosis. RESULTS: Accounting for potential confounders, surgeon likelihood of discussing mental health was associated with cancer, disadvantaged socioeconomic status, mental health factors other than being shy, prior suicide attempt, history of physical or emotional abuse, isolation, and when the office is not busy. Factors independently associated with higher likelihood of referring a patient for mental health care included cancer, disadvantaged socioeconomic status, mental health cues, mental health risk factors, and a social worker or psychologist available in the office. CONCLUSION: Using random elements in fictitious scenarios we documented that specialist surgeons are aware of and attuned to mental health care opportunities, are motivated to discuss notable cues, and will make mental health referrals, in part influenced by convenience.

A Comparison of the Prevalence of, Demographics of, and Effects on Outcomes of Bilateral Versus Unilateral Femoral Shaft Fractures: A Retrospective Cohort Analysis From the National Trauma Data Bank.

OBJECTIVES: To document the prevalence of, and the effect on outcomes, operatively treated bilateral femur fractures treated using contemporary treatments. DESIGN: A retrospective cohort using data from the National Trauma Data Bank. PARTICIPANTS: In total, 119,213 patients in the National Trauma Data Bank between the years 2007 and 2015 who had operatively treated femoral shaft fractures. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Complication rates, hospital length of stay (LOS), days in the intensive care unit (ICU LOS), days on a ventilator, and mortality rates. RESULTS: Patients with bilateral femur fractures had increased overall complications (0.74 vs. 0.50, P < 0.0001), a longer LOS (14.3 vs. 9.2, P < 0.0001), an increased ICU LOS (5.3 vs. 2.4, P < 0.0001), and more days on a ventilator (3.1 vs. 1.3, P < 0.0001), when compared with unilateral fractures. Bilateral femoral shaft fractures were independently associated with worse outcomes in all primary domains when adjusted by Injury Severity Score (P < 0.0001), apart from mortality rates. Age-adjusted bilateral injuries were independently associated with worse outcomes in all primary domains (P < 0.0001) except for the overall complication rate. A delay in fracture fixation beyond 24 hours was associated with increased mortality (P < 0.0001) and worse outcomes for all other primary measures (P < 0.0001 to P = 0.0278) for all patients. CONCLUSIONS: Bilateral femoral shaft fractures are an independent marker for increased hospital and ICU LOS, number of days on a ventilator, and increased complication rates, when compared with unilateral injuries and adjusted for age and Injury Severity Score. Timely definitive fixation, in a physiologically appropriate patient, is critical because a delay is associated with worse inpatient outcome measures and higher mortality rates. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Do All Fractures Need Surgery?

Common fractures managed by orthopaedic surgeons include ankle fractures, proximal humerus fractures in patients older than 60 years, humeral shaft fractures, and distal radius fractures. Recent trends indicate that surgical management is the best option for most fractures. However, there is limited evidence regarding whether most of these fractures need surgery, or whether there is a subset that could be managed without surgery, with no change in outcomes, or even possibly having improved results with lower complication rates with nonsurgical care.

In-Hospital Morbidity and Mortality With Delays in Femoral Shaft Fracture Fixation.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate trends in the timing of femur fracture fixation in trauma centers in the United States, identify predictors for delayed treatment, and analyze the association of timing of fixation with in-hospital morbidity and mortality using data from the National Trauma Data Bank. METHODS: Patients with femoral shaft fractures treated from 2007 to 2015 were identified from the National Trauma Data Bank and grouped by timing of femur fixation: <24, 24-48 hours, and >48 hours after hospital presentation. The primary outcome measure was in-hospital postoperative mortality rate. Secondary outcomes included complication rates, hospital length of stay (LOS), days spent in the intensive care unit LOS (ICU LOS), and days on a ventilator. RESULTS: Among the 108,825 unilateral femoral shaft fractures identified, 74.2% was fixed within 24 hours, 16.5% between 24 and 48 hours, and 9.4% >48 hours. The mortality rate was 1.6% overall for the group. When fixation was delayed >48 hours, patients were at risk of significantly higher mortality rate [odds ratio (OR) 3.60; 95% confidence interval (CI), 3.13-4.14], longer LOS (OR 2.14; CI 2.06-2.22), longer intensive care unit LOS (OR 3.92; CI 3.66-4.20), more days on a ventilator (OR 5.38; CI 4.89-5.91), and more postoperative complications (OR 2.05; CI 1.94-2.17; P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirms that delayed fixation of femoral shaft fractures is associated with increased patient morbidity and mortality. Patients who underwent fixation >48 hours after presentation were at the greatest risk of increased morbidity and mortality. Although some patients require optimization/resuscitation before fracture fixation, efforts should be made to expedite operative fixation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Femur Fractures: Subtrochanteric.

Femur fractures range from simple oblique or transverse fractures to complex, comminuted types. The reduction and fixation of these fractures can be challenging, with difficulty in attaining fracture alignment, length, and rotation. Added to this complexity can be associated bone loss in open fractures. Various methods and techniques have been described to achieve an acceptable reduction for fracture healing without detriment to the patient's functional outcome. This chapter describes femur fractures from the subtrochanteric to supracondylar regions with fracture reduction aids, patient position, reduction tools, and implant use including plates and nails, either individually or in conjunction. Reduction starts with closed or percutaneous techniques because these are the most biologically friendly and minimize additional iatrogenic soft-tissue injury. However, obtaining an acceptable reduction may require escalation to open techniques. This chapter is divided into sections: the first details femoral nailing and the second details femoral plating.

National Metrics Improved Timeliness of Antibiotic Administration for Open Extremity Fractures.

INTRODUCTION: Antibiotics have been shown to be an essential component in the treatment of open extremity fractures. The American College of Surgeons' Trauma Quality Improvement Program, based on a committee of physician leaders including orthopaedic trauma surgeons, publishes best-practice guidelines for the management of open fractures. Accordingly, it established the tracking of antibiotic timing as a metric with a plan to use that metric before trauma center site reviews. Our hypothesis was that this physician-led effort at the national level would provide the necessary incentive to effect change within our institution. METHODS: A retrospective review of all patients treated at our institution for open extremity fractures was performed over 3 periods separated by 2 quality initiatives. The first initiative was an institution-driven effort to increase awareness and educate specific departments about the importance of prompt antibiotic administration. The second initiative was the tracking of antibiotic order and administration times with quarterly audits following newly published guidelines. RESULTS: Neither antibiotic order placement within 1 hour nor administration within 1 hour improved after our first institution-specific initiative. Both outcome measures significantly improved after the second quality initiative, as did median times from arrival to antibiotic order and administration. CONCLUSIONS: Metrics developed and measured by a physician-led national organization led to practice changes at our hospital. Tracking of antibiotic timing for open fracture treatment was more effective than institutional education of healthcare providers alone. This study suggests that nationally published guidelines, developed and measured by physician leaders, will be found to be relevant by other physicians and can be a powerful tool to drive change.

Delay in Flap Coverage Past 7 Days Increases Complications for Open Tibia Fractures: A Cohort Study of 140 North American Trauma Centers.

OBJECTIVES: To measure time to flap coverage after open tibia fractures and assess whether delays are associated with inpatient complications. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: One forty level I and II trauma centers in Canada and the United States. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: Adult patients (≥16 years) undergoing surgery for (1) an open tibia (including ankle) fracture and (2) a soft-tissue flap during their index admission between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2015, were eligible for inclusion. EXPOSURE: Time from hospital arrival to definitive flap coverage (in days). MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: The primary outcome was a composite of the following complications occurring during the index admission: (1) deep infection, (2) osteomyelitis, and/or (3) amputation. The primary analysis compared complications between early and delayed coverage groups (≤7 and >7 days, respectively) after matching on propensity scores. We also used logistic regression with time to flap coverage as a continuous variable to examine the impact of the duration of delay on complications. RESULTS: There were 672 patients at 140 centers included. Of these, 412 (61.3%) had delayed coverage (>7 days). Delayed coverage was associated with a significant increase in complications during the index admission after matching (16.7% vs. 6.2%, P < 0.001, number needed to harm = 10). Each additional week of delay was associated with an approximate 40% increased adjusted risk of complications (adjusted odds ratio 1.44, 95% confidence interval 1.13-1.82, for each week coverage was delayed, P = 0.003). CONCLUSION: This is the first multicenter study of flap coverage for tibia fractures in North America. Complications rose significantly when flap coverage was delayed beyond 7 days, consistent with current guideline recommendations. Because the majority of patients did not have coverage within this timeframe, initiatives are required to improve care for patients with these injuries. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Predictive Modeling for Geriatric Hip Fracture Patients: Early Surgery and Delirium Have the Largest Influence on Length of Stay.

BACKGROUND: Averaging length of stay (LOS) ignores patient complexity and is a poor metric for quality control in geriatric hip fracture programs. We developed a predictive model of LOS that compares patient complexity to the logistic effects of our institution's hip fracture care pathway. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on patients enrolled into a hip fracture co-management pathway at an academic level I trauma center from 2014 to 2015. Patient complexity was approximated using the Charlson Comorbidity Index and ASA score. A predictive model of LOS was developed from patient-specific and system-specific variables using a multivariate linear regression analysis; it was tested against a sample of patients from 2016. RESULTS: LOS averaged 5.95 days. Avoidance of delirium and reduced time to surgery were found to be notable predictors of reduced LOS. The Charlson Comorbidity Index was not a strong predictor of LOS, but the ASA score was. Our predictive LOS model worked well for 63% of patients from the 2016 group; for those it did not work well for, 80% had postoperative complications. DISCUSSION: Predictive LOS modeling accounting for patient complexity was effective for identifying (1) reasons for outliers to the expected LOS and (2) effective measures to target for improving our hip fracture program. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

The Financial Impact of the Affordable Care Act on a Level-1 Orthopedic Trauma Service.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on professional fees and proportion of payer type for an orthopedic trauma service at a level-1 trauma center. METHODS: We analyzed professional fee data and payer mix for the 18 months before and after implementation of the ACA. Data were collected for inpatients (IP) and outpatients (OP). We corrected for changes in patient volume between the 2-time periods by calculating average values per patient. RESULTS: Post ACA, we treated a higher percentage of patients with Medicaid and had a reduction in the percentage of uninsured/county payers. Collections for IPs decreased $75.49/patient and OPs decreased $0.10/patient. Our collection rate decreased 6% for IPs and 5% for OPs. In particular, Medicaid collections decreased by $180/IP, and $4/OP, and Medicare decreased by $61/IP and increased $5/OP post ACA, whereas contract collections increased by $140/IP and $20/OP. The changes in our own institution's insurance were mixed with decreases of $514/IP for partial risk and $735/IP for full-risk insurance and increases of $1/OP for partial risk, and $35/OP for full-risk insurance. CONCLUSIONS: Post ACA, we saw less patients, primarily in the OP setting. This shift was accompanied by a significant decrease in our collection rate; specifically, a decrease in the amount we collected per Medicaid patient-the category of payer that increased post ACA. The ACA did allow more uninsured patients access to medical care but was associated with lower IP and OP reimbursements.

It's All About the Timing: When Do I Take This Injury to the Operating Room?

Over time, what was considered urgent or emergent in orthopaedic trauma has been revisited, and as awareness of factors associated with outcomes has increased, priorities have changed. There are multiple procedures performed urgently in the belief that early intervention allowed for better outcomes for the injury and the patient. Classic examples of conditions for which urgent intervention has been implemented include open fractures, femoral neck fractures in the young adult, talus fractures, and compartment syndrome. All of these conditions are considered nonurgent except for compartment syndrome, which requires urgent and timely intervention. Studies have demonstrated that these injuries need to be managed in a timely fashion but not necessarily in the middle of the night. Outcomes can be improved by measures such as early antibiotic administration for open fractures, closed reduction of talus fracture-dislocations, and anatomic reduction of femoral neck fractures. These measures are more important and useful than an emergent trip to the operating room by inexperienced surgeons with staff who may be unprepared. Orthopaedic surgeons should be familiar with open fractures and the timing of irrigation and débridement, the relative urgency of managing talus fractures, and the need for immediate reduction and fixation of femoral neck fractures. For each of these injuries, factors other than timing that affect outcomes will be described. Finally, the emergent nature of diagnosis and management of compartment syndrome must also be understood.

Headless Compression Screw Fixation of Vertical Medial Malleolus Fractures is Superior to Unicortical Screw Fixation.

This study is the first biomechanical research of headless compression screws for fixation of vertical shear fractures of the medial malleolus, a promising alternative that potentially offers several advantages for fixation. Vertical shear fractures were simulated by osteotomies in 20 synthetic distal tibiae. Models were randomly assigned to fixation with either 2 parallel cancellous screws or 2 parallel Acutrak 2 headless compression screws (Acumed). Specimens were subjected to offset axial loading to simulate supination-adduction loading and tracked using high-resolution video. The headless compression screw construct was significantly stiffer (P < .0001) (360 ± 131 N/mm) than the partially threaded cancellous screws (180 ± 48 N/mm) and demonstrated a significantly increased (P < .0001) mean load to clinical failure (719 ± 91 N vs 343 ± 83 N). When specimens were displaced to 6 mm and allowed to relax, the headless compression screw constructs demonstrated an elastic recoil and were reduced to the pretesting fragment alignment, whereas the parallel cancellous screw constructs remained displaced. Along with the headless design that may decrease soft tissue irritation, the increased stiffness and elastic recoil of the headless compression screw construct offers improved fixation of medial malleolus vertical shear fractures over the traditional methods.

Mini-Fragment Fixation Is Equivalent to Bicortical Screw Fixation for Horizontal Medial Malleolus Fractures.

Horizontal fractures of the medial malleolus occur through application of valgus or abduction force through the ankle that creates a tension failure of the medial malleolus. The authors hypothesize that mini-fragment T-plates may offer improved fixation, but the optimal fixation construct for these fractures remains unclear. Forty synthetic distal tibiae with identical osteotomies were randomized into 4 fixation constructs: (1) two parallel unicortical cancellous screws; (2) two parallel bicortical cortical screws; (3) a contoured mini-fragment T-plate with 2 unicortical screws in the fragment and 2 bicortical screws in the shaft; and (4) a contoured mini-fragment T-plate with 2 bicortical screws in the fragment and 2 unicortical screws in the shaft. Specimens were subjected to offset axial tension loading on a servohydraulic testing system and tracked using high-resolution video. Failure was defined as 2 mm of articular displacement. Analysis of variance followed by a Tukey-Kramer post hoc test was used to assess for differences between groups, with significance defined as P<.05. The mean stiffness (±SD) values of both mini-fragment T-plate constructs (239±83 N/mm and 190±37 N/mm) and the bicortical screw construct (240±17 N/mm) were not statistically different. The mean stiffness values of both mini-fragment T-plate constructs and the bicortical screw construct were higher than that of a parallel unicortical screw construct (102±20 N/mm). Contoured T-plate constructs provide stiffer initial fixation than a unicortical cancellous screw construct. The T-plate is biomechanically equivalent to a bicortical screw construct, but may be superior in capturing small fragments of bone. [Orthopedics. 2018; 41(3):e395-e399.].

Reduction Techniques for Diaphyseal Femur Fractures.

Achieving and maintaining reduction in patients with a diaphyseal femur fracture may be difficult; therefore, thorough preoperative planning is required. To fully prepare for successful surgical management of diaphyseal femur fractures, surgeons must consider appropriate patient positioning and necessary tools, including surgical tables, traction devices, and instruments. Principles of acceptable reduction rely on the restoration of length, alignment, and rotation. Reduction of diaphyseal femur fractures should be attained in the least invasive manner, via percutaneous reduction techniques, if possible, to preserve fracture biology and promote successful fracture healing. Intraoperative assessment of reduction often requires imaging studies of the contralateral extremity as a reference. Intraoperative assessment for associated femoral neck fractures and postoperative clinical examination of the hip and knee are imperative to the successful management of diaphyseal femur fractures. Other reference modalities and clinical examinations are required in patients with bilateral diaphyseal femur fractures.

Reduction Techniques for Diaphyseal Femur Fractures.

Achieving and maintaining reduction in patients with a diaphyseal femur fracture may be difficult; therefore, thorough preoperative planning is required. To fully prepare for successful surgical management of diaphyseal femur fractures, surgeons must consider appropriate patient positioning and necessary tools, including surgical tables, traction devices, and instruments. Principles of acceptable reduction rely on the restoration of length, alignment, and rotation. Reduction of diaphyseal femur fractures should be attained in the least invasive manner, via percutaneous reduction techniques, if possible, to preserve fracture biology and promote successful fracture healing. Intraoperative assessment of reduction often requires imaging studies of the contralateral extremity as a reference. Intraoperative assessment for associated femoral neck fractures and postoperative clinical examination of the hip and knee are imperative to the successful management of diaphyseal femur fractures. Other reference modalities and clinical examinations are required in patients with bilateral diaphyseal femur fractures.

Emergency Department Pain Management Following Implementation of a Geriatric Hip Fracture Program.

INTRODUCTION: Over 300,000 patients in the United States sustain low-trauma fragility hip fractures annually. Multidisciplinary geriatric fracture programs (GFP) including early, multimodal pain management reduce morbidity and mortality. Our overall goal was to determine the effects of a GFP on the emergency department (ED) pain management of geriatric fragility hip fractures. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study including patients age ≥65 years with fragility hip fractures two years before and two years after the implementation of the GFP. Outcomes were time to (any) first analgesic, use of acetaminophen and fascia iliaca compartment block (FICB) in the ED, and amount of opioid medication administered in the first 24 hours. We used permutation tests to evaluate differences in ED pain management following GFP implementation. RESULTS: We studied 131 patients in the pre-GFP period and 177 patients in the post-GFP period. In the post-GFP period, more patients received FICB (6% vs. 60%; difference 54%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 45-63%; p<0.001) and acetaminophen (10% vs. 51%; difference 41%, 95% CI 32-51%; p<0.001) in the ED. Patients in the post-GFP period also had a shorter time to first analgesic (103 vs. 93 minutes; p=0.04) and received fewer morphine equivalents in the first 24 hours (15mg vs. 10mg, p<0.001) than patients in the pre-GFP period. CONCLUSION: Implementation of a GFP was associated with improved ED pain management for geriatric patients with fragility hip fractures. Future studies should evaluate the effects of these changes in pain management on longer-term outcomes.

Sled fixation for horizontal medial malleolus fractures.

BACKGROUND: Horizontal fractures of the medial malleolus occur through exertion of various rotational forces on the ankle, including supination--external rotation, pronation--external rotation, and pronation-abduction. Many methods of fixation are employed for these fractures, but the optimal fixation construct remains unclear. METHODS: Horizontal medial malleolus osteotomies were performed in synthetic distal tibiae and randomized into two fixation groups: 1) two parallel unicortical cancellous screws or 2) medial malleolar sled fixation. Specimens were subjected to offset axial tension loading and tracked using high-resolution video. Clinical failure was defined as 2mm of articular displacement. FINDINGS: There were statistically significant increases in mean stiffness (127% higher, P=0.0007) and mean force to clinical failure (52% higher, P=0.0002) with the medial malleolar sled. The mean stiffness in offset tension loading was 232 (SD 83) N/mm for medial malleolar sled and 102 (SD 20) N/mm for parallel unicortical cancellous screws. The mean force to clinical failure was 595 (SD 112) N for medial malleolar sled and 392 (SD 34) N for unicortical screws. In addition, the medial malleolar sled demonstrated elastic recoil to pre-testing alignment while the unicortical screws did not. INTERPRETATION: Medial malleolar sled fixation was significantly stiffer and required more force to clinical failure than parallel unicortical cancellous screws. A medial malleolar sled requires more dissection to apply surgically, but provides significantly more initial fixation strength. Additionally, a medial malleolar sled acts like a tension band in its ability to capture comminuted fragments while being low profile enough to minimize soft tissue irritation.

When are CT angiograms indicated for patients with lower extremity fractures? A review of 275 extremities.

BACKGROUND: Computed tomography angiogram (CTA) is frequently utilized to detect vascular injuries even without examination findings indicating a vascular injury. We had the following hypotheses: (1) a CTA for lower extremity fractures with no clinical signs of a vascular injury is not indicated, and (2) fracture location and pattern would correlate with the risk of a vascular injury. METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted on patients who had an acute lower extremity fracture(s) and a CTA. Their charts were reviewed for multiple factors including the presence or absence of hard or soft signs of a vascular injury, soft tissue status, and fracture location/pattern. Every CTA radiology report was reviewed and any vascular intervention or amputation resulting from a vascular injury was recorded. Statistical analysis was performed. RESULTS: Of the 275 CTAs of fractured extremities reviewed, 80 (29%) had a positive CTA finding and 16 (6%) required treatment. A total of 109 (40%) of the extremities had no hard or soft signs; all had normal CTAs. Having at least one hard or soft sign was a significant risk factor for having a positive CTA. An open fracture, isolated proximal third fibula fracture, distal and shaft tibia fractures, and the presence of multiple fractures in one extremity were also associated with an increased risk for having a positive CTA. CONCLUSION: We found no evidence to support the routine use of CTAs to evaluate lower extremity fractures unless at least one hard or soft sign is present. The presence of an open fracture, distal tibia or tibial shaft fractures, multiple fractures in one extremity, and/or an isolated proximal third fibula fracture increases the risk of having a finding consistent with a vascular injury on a CTA. Only 6% of the cases required treatment, and all of them had diminished or absent distal pulses on presentation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Diagnostic test, level III.

Proximal femoral reconstruction for failed internal fixation of a bisphosphonate-related femur fracture.

We present a case of a bisphosphonate-related femur fracture in an elderly woman, who failed treatment with both cephalomedullary nail and proximal femoral locking plate, leading to successful treatment with total hip arthroplasty. Hardware failure should be included in the differential of patients with previous internal fixation of bisphosphonate-related femur fracture that present with hip or groin pain. Arthroplasty can be an acceptable salvage option in an active elderly patient with a bisphosphonate-related femur fracture.

Antiglide plating of vertical medial malleolus fractures provides stiffer initial fixation than bicortical or unicortical screw fixation.

BACKGROUND: Vertical shear fractures of the medial malleolus (44-A2 ankle fractures) occur through a supination-adduction mechanism. There are numerous methods of internal fixation for this fracture pattern. METHODS: Vertical medial malleolus osteotomies were created in synthetic distal tibiae. The models were divided into four fixation groups: two parallel unicortical cancellous screws, two divergent unicortical cancellous screws, two parallel bicortical cortical screws, or an antiglide plate construct. Specimens were subjected to offset axial loading and tracked using high-resolution video. FINDINGS: The antiglide plate construct was stiffer (P<0.05) than each of the other three constructs, and the bicortical screw construct was stiffer (P<0.05) than both unicortical screw constructs. The mean stiffness (standard deviation) was 111 (SD 35) N/mm for the parallel unicortical screw construct, 173 (SD 57) N/mm for the divergent unicortical screw construct, 279 (SD 30) N/mm for the bicortical screw construct, and 463 (SD 91) N/mm for the antiglide plate construct. The antiglide plate construct resisted displacement better (P<0.05) than each of the other three constructs. The mean force for 2mm of articular displacement was 284 (SD 51) N for the parallel unicortical screw construct, 339 (SD 46) N for the divergent unicortical screw construct, 429 (SD 112) N for the bicortical construct, and 922 (SD 297) N for the antiglide plate construct. INTERPRETATION: An antiglide plate construct provides the stiffest initial fixation while withstanding higher load to failure for vertical medial malleolus fractures when compared to unicortical and bicortical screw fixation.