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Patient-Reported Outcomes of Operatively Treated Ankle Fractures and Complication Rate in Resource-Limited Setting: A Four-years Retrospective Study

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  • Submited: November 6, 2023
  • Published: April 18, 2024

Abstract

Background: Ankle fractures are the second most common lower limb fracture after hip fractures, accounting for 10% of all fractures. It is a common injury, with a global incidence of 187/100,000 inhabitants per year. It is the 5th most common fracture in patients who visited Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital. The purpose of this study was to evaluate functional and Health Related Quality of Life (HRQL) outcomes after surgically treated ankle fractures and to detect some of their predictors as well as complication rates.

Methods: This retrospective record review was conducted among ankle fracture patients treated with open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) between January 2018 and January 2022, at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital. Patients' responses were recorded with a structured questionnaire including the Olerud Molander Ankle Score (OMAS) via phone interviews. The collected data was entered, and analyzed using SPSS Version 26. The Chi-square test was conducted to assess the strength of association between the functional outcome of surgically treated ankle fractures and independent variables.

Results: Out of the 75 patients with ankle fractures treated with open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF), 61 patients met the inclusion criteria. Among these, males accounted for 55.7% (34), while females comprised 44.3% (27) of the total cases. The prevalence of comorbidities was 24.6% (15 out of 61), with diabetes being the most common, followed by hypertension and asthma The complication rate was 52.5 %, with residual ankle pain as most common type of complication. The mean value of OMAS and American Orthopedics Foot and Ankle Society-ankle hindfoot score (AOFAS) ware 70.43 and 72.96, respectively. A strong association was found between OMAS score and timing of surgery and age.

Conclusion: Despite surgical treatment being the primary approach for managing  unstable ankle fractures, patients often experience functional impairment. The complication rate following ankle fracture open reduction and internal fixation was found to be high. As an outcome of patients aged 60 and above treated operatively is significantly associated with lower OMAS and AOFAS scores.

 

 

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How to Cite
Atalay, G. A., Lemma, S. L., Lambisso Wamisho, B., & Girma Gelaw , K. (2024). Patient-Reported Outcomes of Operatively Treated Ankle Fractures and Complication Rate in Resource-Limited Setting: A Four-years Retrospective Study. Ethiopian Medical Journal, 62(Supplement 1). Retrieved from https://www.emjema.org/index.php/EMJ/article/view/2496

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