• Foot Ankle Surg · Jan 2009

    Comparative Study

    A retrospective follow-up of ankle fracture patients treated with a biodegradable plate and screws.

    • Arvo Kukk and Janne T Nurmi.
    • Seinäjoki Central Hospital, Seinäjoki, Finland. arvo.kukk@netikka.fi
    • Foot Ankle Surg. 2009 Jan 1;15(4):192-7.

    BackgroundBiodegradable fixation implants have been developed to avoid secondary hardware removal. The aim of this study was to retrospectively follow-up ankle fracture patients treated with a biodegradable plate and screws, and to evaluate the clinical outcome and occurrence of complications.MethodsFifty-seven ankle fracture patients treated with biodegradable implants were invited, and a total of 50 were available to participate in this study. The follow-up included a review of each patient's medical records, evaluation of radiographs, fracture reduction classification, and functional scoring.ResultsThere were 36 lateral malleolar and 14 bimalleolar fractures. No perioperative complications occurred. Average follow-up time was 17 months. All fractures healed. Fracture alignment was classified as anatomical in 49 patients and good in 1 case. The mean Olerud and Molander functional ankle score at final follow-up was 86. Eight patients had postoperative complications. These included delayed wound healing in 1 case, 3 cases of deep-vein thrombosis, and 4 soft tissue reactions.ConclusionsAccording to the results of this retrospective study, the biodegradable implants used yielded fracture healing and functional results comparable to those previously reported after conventional metal fixation.

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