Cochrane Db Syst Rev
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Apr 2016
Review Meta AnalysisInterventions for treating ankle fractures in children.
Ankle fractures, which usually occur after a twisting incident, are a diverse collection of injuries with different levels of complexity and severity. They have an incidence of 1 in 1000 a year in children. Treatment generally involves splints and casts for minor fractures and surgical fixation with screws, plates and pins followed by immobilisation for more serious fractures. ⋯ There is low-quality evidence of a quicker recovery of self reported function at four weeks in children with clinically diagnosed low-risk ankle fractures who are treated with an ankle brace compared with those treated with a rigid cast, especially a non-removable walking cast. There is otherwise a lack of evidence from randomised controlled trials to inform clinical practice for children with ankle fractures. Research to identify and address priority questions on the treatment of these common fractures is needed.