Infections after routine syndesmotic screw removal – a retrospective quality study

Background: Infections after routine removal of syndesmotic screws are an unwanted complication. Methods: We included all patients treated with syndesmotic screw with routine removal in a five-year period and extracted information regarding fracture characteristics and patient characteristics. Infections were classified as superficial or deep incisional. Results: 1246 patients with ankle fractures were treated surgically in the study period. 343 had routine removals of the syndesmotic screw. We identified 6 cases with infection (1.7%) developing after routine syndesmotic screw removal. Conclusions: We found a low infection rate but when infections did occur, they frequently required surgical revision(s) and long-time antibiotic treatment.