Abstract
The aim of the study was to find out the relationship between delay in fixation of ankle fractures and incidence of wound complications like wound dehiscence, necrosis of margins, infection. Ankle fractures are fixed either on the day of injury or delayed for up to 7 days in view of the swelling. We reviewed 51 patients with ankle fractures retrospectively (exclusions- children, open fractures, co-morbid conditions like diabetes, steroid use) looking for delay in surgical fixation and wound complications. Out of 19 patients operated within 24 hours of injury, only one had a wound complication. This was 8 out of 20 for patients operated anywhere between 24 hours and 7 days. 12 patients had their fractures fixed after 7days, out of which 4 developed wound problems. (p value- < 0.05). This suggests that delay in ankle fracture fixation increases the rate of wound related problems. Review of case notes suggested that most patients in the second group (24 hours to 7 days) were waiting for the available slot in the trauma list. Based on these observations we suggest that ankle fractures should be prioritized in trauma lists and fixed within 24 hours of injury.
Theses abstracts were prepared by Professor Roger Lemaire. Correspondence should be addressed to EFORT Central Office, Freihofstrasse 22, CH-8700 Küsnacht, Switzerland.
