The Influence of Obesity on Ankle Fracture Treatment

Category: Ankle Introduction/Purpose: Obesity is a public health concern in the United States, with an overall prevalence of greater than one-third. From a surgical perspective, obesity may increase risk for postoperative complications, including delayed wound healing, infection or compromise of fixation/repair constructs. The purpose of this study was to retrospectively review outcomes data from the American College of Surgeons: National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) to delineate the impact that obesity has on operative treatment of ankle fractures. Methods: Perioperative data was collected from patients undergoing operative intervention for distal fibular or bimalleolar ankle injuries. Patients were identified from the 2006-2015 NSQIP database using current procedural terminology (CPT) codes. Obese (body mass index>30 kg/m2) and non-obese (body mass index