• Shaheel Chummun, Thomas C Wright, Thomas W L Chapman, and Umraz Khan.
• Department of Plastic Surgery, North Bristol NHS Trust, Bristol, UK. Electronic address: shaheelchummun@gmail.com.
• Injury. 2015 Jan 1; 46 (6): 1112-5.

IntroductionWe reviewed the functional outcome of 68 patients with open ankle fractures managed in an orthoplastic specialist centre.Materials And MethodsPatients managed at Frenchay Hospital over a 6 year period were divided into 3 groups: group P were patients initially seen and managed at Frenchay Hospital (an orthoplastic specialist centre), group S were patients stabilised at a different unit and referred for definitive management, while group R were patients managed in a different unit and referred following complications. Injuries were graded using the AO score and outcome was measured using the Enneking score (both validated).Results19 patients (group P, mean age: 43 years), 26 patients (group S, mean age: 41 years) and 23 patients (group R, mean age: 41.9 years) made the cohort. 82.4% patients required free tissue transfer. Mean AO scores of groups P, S and R were 11.5, 12.3 and 9.7 (p+0.03). Mean number of procedures for P, S and R were 2.6, 3.5 and 4.2 (p = 0.0006). Mean follow up time was 55.5, 61.0 and 57.0 weeks respectively (p = 0.72). Mean Enneking scores for groups P, S and R were 63.3, 74.8 and 73.5 (p = 0.16).ConclusionPatients from groups S and R underwent more procedures. However, a similar outcome can be achieved, highlighting the importance of managing such injuries in an orthoplastic specialist centre.Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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