Functional Outcomes Following Ankle Fracture Fixation With or Without Ankle Arthroscopy
Study Details
Study Description
Brief Summary
The aim of our study is to identify if there is statistically significant difference in patient reported functional outcomes in cases of unstable ankle fracture managed by ORIF with and without ankle arthroscopy.
Condition or Disease | Intervention/Treatment | Phase |
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N/A |
Detailed Description
Acute ankle fracture is one of the commonest fractures of the lower limb. Anatomical reduction and stable fixation remain the main surgical treatment for unstable ankle fractures . However, its final outcomes are not as good as expected . Fracture malunion, failure to address the disrupted syndesmosis and associated ligamentous or chondral lesions can be reasons for poor surgical outcome.
1-mm of lateral talar shift lead to a 42% increase in contact stress, so the anatomic reduction is critical to the long-term integrity of the joint . It is difficult to assess 1 to 2 mm of mal-reduction with C-arm fluoroscopy. The best assessment of the syndesmotic reduction is performed with axial CT imaging of the ankle.
Ankle arthroscopy is expected to be a more sensitive tool for syndesmotic disruption diagnosis and other intra-articular pathologies and as a guide for anatomical reduction of the syndesmosis . Several studies have reported the incidence of chondral lesions seen during ankle arthroscopy at the time of ankle fracture ORIF, but those studies report the role of arthroscopy as a diagnostic or predictive tool for patient outcome. Very few studies have discussed the rates of arthroscopic intervention, the procedures performed, and the association of these procedures with patient final functional outcomes .
Study Design
Arms and Interventions
Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
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Experimental: those patients who will go for ORIF plus arthroscopy we will start with a standard ankle arthroscopy. A leg holder and ankle joint distractor will be used. We will start with the anteromedial portal and introduce the 4-mm scope into the ankle joint. Next, under direct visualization, and taking care to preserve any branches of the superficial peroneal nerve, we will perform the anterolateral portal. We will carry out a standard diagnostic ankle arthroscopy to evaluate the ankle cartilage, wash intra-articular haematoma, identify, and remove any intra-articular fracture fragments and loose bodies, perform dynamic ligamentous stress examinations while directly visualizing the syndesmosis, the deltoid ligament, and the lateral collateral ligament. Following fracture fixation, arthroscopy will be also used as a second look to evaluate the quality of both articular and syndesmotic reduction, perform any needed arthroscopic intervention for deltoid ligament injury or management of chondral lesions (OCLs) |
Procedure: ankle arthroscopy with ORIF
we will go for fixation of the fracture with association of scope intervention pre and post fixation
Other Names:
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Experimental: patients who will go for ORIF without arthroscopy Posterior malleolus fractures will be addressed when it is present whatever its size. The fibula fractures will be fixated using either a posterolateral or direct lateral incision. Lag screws will be used when the fracture pattern allows, and all fractures will be also treated with a neutralization or antiglide plate depending on the pattern and approach. If a medial malleolus fracture is present, this will be addressed through a direct medial incision. These fractures will be either fixed with cannulated screws or tension band cerclage wiring or a plate and screw construct depending on the fracture pattern. Once all bony injuries will be stabilized, a Cotton test will be performed under live fluoroscopy to determine syndesmosis stability. If positive, the syndesmosis will be stabilized using fully threaded screws. |
Procedure: fracture ankle fixation without ankle arthroscopy
we will go for fixation of the fracture alone with no scope intervention
Other Names:
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Outcome Measures
Primary Outcome Measures
- American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society(AOFAS) hindfoot score [6 months and one year follow up]
AOFAS hindfoot score difference between the 2 groups at 6 months and one year postoperatively from 0 to 100 where higher value indicates better functional outcomes
Eligibility Criteria
Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
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Patients ≥16 years of age who will be managed operatively for:
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rotational ankle fracture Danis-Weber classification B or C fibula fracture
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fracture dislocation ankle
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Fractures extending into the tibial plafond,
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Talus fractures (body or neck) in our institution
Exclusion Criteria:
Pediatric fractures, Polytrauma patients, Fractures managed with closed-contact casting and, patients with lost follow up during this study
Contacts and Locations
Locations
No locations specified.Sponsors and Collaborators
- Assiut University
Investigators
None specified.Study Documents (Full-Text)
None provided.More Information
Publications
- Smith KS, Drexelius K, Challa S, Moon DK, Metzl JA, Hunt KJ. Outcomes Following Ankle Fracture Fixation With or Without Ankle Arthroscopy. Foot Ankle Orthop. 2020 Mar 2;5(1):2473011420904046. doi: 10.1177/2473011420904046. eCollection 2020 Jan.
- Zengerink M, Struijs PA, Tol JL, van Dijk CN. Treatment of osteochondral lesions of the talus: a systematic review. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2010 Feb;18(2):238-46. doi: 10.1007/s00167-009-0942-6. Epub 2009 Oct 27.
- Arthroscopy for ankle fracture