POSTERIOR MALLEOLAR ANKLE FRACTURES: AN EFFORT IN IMPROVING OUTCOMES

Background There is an increasing acceptance that the clinical outcomes following posterior malleolar fractures are less than satisfactory. In our previous multicenter study (Powell, BOFAS 2016) we showed that the Olerud-Molander Ankle Score (OMAS) was 79 for unimalleolar fractures and 65 for bi malleolar fractures, however it dropped significantly to 54 in trimalleolar fractures. In creating a treatment guiding classification, we report our results in a system change in management of posterior malleolar fractures in our unit. Method All fractures were classified according to Mason and Molloy classification (BOFAS 2015, FAI 2017) based on CT scans obtained pre-operatively. This dictated the treatment algorithm. Type 1 fractures underwent syndesmotic fixation. Type 2A fractures underwent ORIF through a posterolateral incision, and type 2B and 3 fractures underwent ORIF through a posteromedial incision. The patient remained NWB for 6 weeks postoperative. Data was collected from December 2014 to July 2017. R...