The Foot
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Comparative Study
Staple versus suture closure for ankle fracture fixation: Retrospective chart review for safety and outcomes.
Recent comparisons of suture versus metal staple skin closure on the rates of wound complications in orthopaedic surgeries have yielded conflicting results. Several studies have since started to approach this question based on anatomic location, comparing suture versus staple closure in total hip and knee arthroplasty and acetabulum fracture surgery. Ankle fractures are one of the most commonly treated fractures by orthopaedic surgeons with unique challenges to skin closure due to the lack of subcutaneous support. However, to date there are no studies comparing superficial skin closure methods specifically in ankle surgery. The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety of staple versus suture closure for open fixation of acute traumatic ankle fractures. ⋯ These results suggest that staples are a safe alternative to sutures for superficial skin closure in healthy, non-diabetic patients following open surgical fixation of acute traumatic ankle fractures. However, this retrospective, single-institution study was limited by the low number of available patients relative to the rare outcomes of interest. Larger, prospective studies are needed to validate the accuracy and generalizability of these results.