Browsing by Author "Madanat, Rami"

Open ankle fractures are rare injuries with a high incidence of wound complications and infection related morbidity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the demographic characteristics, outcomes, and complications of patients treated for open ankle fractures at a level-1 trauma center from 2006 to 2011. We identified 137 open ankle fractures from a cohort of 3041 consecutive operatively treated ankle fractures. The mean age of patients was 60 years and 56% were women. Only 20% of the fractures were the result of high-energy trauma. Most of the fractures were Weber type B with a medial sided wound. Immediate internal fixation was performed in 82% of patients, and the wound was primarily closed in the majority of cases (80%). The incidence of deep infection and postoperative wound necrosis was 17% and 18%, respectively. Older patients did not have an increased risk of complications. The results showed that younger patients are more likely to suffer an open ankle fracture resulting from high-energy trauma, leading to more complications and subsequent increased resource utilization.