Clinico-Radiological Outcome after Surgical Interventions in Ankle Fractures at a Tertiary Care Centre in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh

BACKGROUND Ankle fractures are among the most common injuries encountered by orthopaedic surgeons. An ankle is considered unstable when the loss of normal constraints around the ankle permits the talus to move in a non-physiologic pattern. Under such circumstances, the dynamic joint surface contact area within the ankle is diminished, which predisposes to articular cartilage damage and premature degeneration. In today’s time, many modalities are available for surgical fixation of bimalleolar fractures. Such interventions restore anatomy and biomechanics of the ankle joint. Even though there are plethora of foreign studies on similar matter, deficiency of such analysis has been depicted in literature from developing countries, particularly from South-East Asian region. In this study, we wanted to assess various methods of internal fixation in ankle fracture & evaluate their clinical and radiological outcome post-operatively. METHODS 26 ankle fracture patients in the age group of 18 - 60 years were included in this study. Fractures were classified pre-operatively based on Lauge-Hansen classification. Patients were followed up at regular intervals of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 6th & 12 month after surgery and assessed by Baird and Jackson scoring system based on subjective, objective and radiographic criteria. Complications like infection, arthritis, stiffness & implant failure were assessed on regular follow-up. RESULTS Variety of methods (including k-wires, plates & screws) were used for surgical fixation. Majority of fractures resulted from road traffic accident (RTA). Patients were evaluated using Baird & Jackson scoring system during follow-up at 1st, 2nd , 3 rd, 6th & 12 month. All patients had poor scores for initial 3 months. Patients showed good to excellent result on final follow-up at 9 to 12 months after surgery. Complications were observed in 19 % cases with arthritis being most common. CONCLUSIONS Open reduction and internal fixation restores the articular congruity of the ankle joint. The operative result was satisfactory with good clinical outcome. KEYWORDS Ankle, Fracture, Anatomy, Modalities