PURPOSE: Ankle fracture-dislocations (AFD) often necessitate staged management involving temporary external fixation (EF) due to mechanical instability or blistering. However, limited literature exists on the optimal temporary immobilization method for low-energy closed AFD. This study compared baseline patient and fracture characteristics, along with clinical and radiological outcomes between AFD initially immobilized with EF versus splinting. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted involving patients with AFD temporarily immobilized using EF or splinting, followed by definitive open reduction and internal fixation. Quality of reduction (QOR) was assessed for each patient post-initial immobilization and after the definitive surgery. RESULTS: The study encompassed 194 patients: 138 treated with a splint (71.1%) and 56 (28.9%) with EF. Secondary loss of reduction had occurred in three patients who were splinted (2.2%). The mean ages in the EF and splint groups were 63.2 and 56.1 years, respectively (p = 0.01). Posterior malleolus fracture (PMF) and blisters were more prevalent in EF patients (69.6% vs. 43.5% for PMF and 76.8% vs. 20.3% for blisters, respectively; p = 0.05 and p < 0.01). Postoperative complication rates were 8.9% for EF versus 10.9% for splinting (p = 0.69). Satisfactory final QOR was attained in 79.8% of patients treated with a splint versus 64.3% with EF (p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Patients immobilized by EF presented with poorer baseline characteristics and had more unstable injuries. Nevertheless, postoperative complication rates were comparable. Thus, EF appears to be a valuable tool for standardizing outcomes in AFD patients with a less favorable prognosis.
The overall societal impact of poliomyelitis worldwide is decreasing, rendering it almost absent in most developed countries. However, even there, patients are still seen who contracted it in endemic areas or developed polio before vaccinations became widely available. Post-polio syndrome (PPS) causes skeletal and neurological changes that increase affected individuals' likelihood of fractures, including fractures requiring complex surgical treatment. The existence of previous internal fixation creates a particularly difficult challenge. We present here the surgical management of four post-polio patients who suffered non-prosthetic implant-related femoral fractures. Injuries occurred at earlier ages than implant-related fractures in non-polio patients and three of the four fractures occurred around plates, a phenomenon which is usually rare. The treatment of implant-related fractures in patients with post-polio syndrome poses significant technical challenges, often creating problematic functional sequelae for patients and high costs for healthcare systems.
