Background Applying topical vancomycin has shown a decrease in the likelihood of surgical site infections (SSIs) in surgeries linked to a heightened risk of severe and resistant infections. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of this prophylactic approach has not been assessed in open ankle surgeries with internal fixation. Objective This study aimed to assess whether topical vancomycin diminishes the risk of SSI in patients with ankle fractures undergoing open reduction with internal fixation. Methods A randomized, controlled, double-blind clinical trial was carried out. Patients were divided into two groups in a 1:1 ratio. The control group received the standard prophylactic treatment with IV cephalothin 1 g, while the intervention group was administered topical vancomycin (1 g) in addition to the standard prophylactic treatment. The main outcomes were the SSI rates at 14 days, 28 days, and three months post-surgery, based on relevant clinical signs and laboratory tests. Results One hundred thirty-two patients were randomized (51.2% female), with 66 subjects included in each intervention arm. A total of 97.7% of them completed the study. Both groups were homogeneous in baseline characteristics. There were two SSIs in both the vancomycin group (3.3%) and the control group (3.5%), with no statistical differences (p = 0.945). The microorganisms isolated as causal agents were Staphylococcus aureus and Acinetobacter baumannii. By the three-month follow-up, no infections were noted in both intervention groups. Conclusion These results indicate that the topical administration of vancomycin may not represent an advantage in preventing SSI in ankle fractures requiring open reduction with internal fixation at the three-month postoperative stage.

BACKGROUND: Logsplitter Injury is a type of high-energy ankle fracture dislocation. The mechanism of injury has not been described in detail. A detailed understanding of the radiological features and pathological changes can further guide treatment.
METHODS: Between April 2009 and December 2018, a retrospective analysis was conducted on 62 patients with Logsplitter injury. The study analysed the characteristics of fibular injury, tibial injury, syndesmosis injury, medial injury and lateral ligament injury on preoperative X-ray and CT scans. The incidence of the different injury types was summarised. The correlation between Logsplitter injuries and the mechanisms causing them were analysed using the Lauge-Hansen classification of ankle fractures.
RESULTS: The study provides data on the types of fractures observed. Of the total fractures, 98.4% were open fractures. The fibula injuries were classified as no fracture (1.6%), transverse or short oblique fractures (61.3%), butterfly fragments (25.8%), and comminuted fractures (11.3%). The tibial injuries included compression of lateral articular surfaces (38.7%) and posterior compressions (6.5%). Medial injuries, including medial malleolar fractures, accounted for 87.1%, and deltoid ligament rupture accounted for 12.9%. The study found that injuries to the syndesmosis consisted of simple ligament ruptures (11.3%), Tillaux fractures (8.1%), Volkmann fractures (43.5%), and Tillaux and Volkmann fractures (37.1%). In 12.9% of cases, there was a complete rupture of the lateral collateral ligament. Based on the Lauge-Hansen classification, 87.1% of injuries were pronation-abduction injuries, while 8.1% were pronation and external rotation injuries, and 1.6% were supination external rotation injuries. Furthermore, 3.2% of cases could not be classified.
CONCLUSIONS: The pathoanatomic characteristics of Logsplitter injury are diverse, with some cases accompanied by collateral ligament injury. It is important to note that these evaluations are objective and based on current results. The most common injury mechanism is vertical violence combined with abduction, although in some cases, it may be a vertical combined external-rotation injury.
METHODS: (4) case series.
BACKGROUND: This study has been approved by the ethical research committee of the Honghui Hospital of Xi\'an Jiaotong University, under the code: 202,003,002.

BACKGROUND: Trauma secondary to extreme weather events may heavily impact the normal activity of orthopaedic surgery departments, especially in places not prepared to deal with them. The Filomena snowstorm, which happened in January 2021, was one of the greatest snowstorms ever in Spain. During it, the constant influx of trauma patients caused Orthopaedic Emergencies Department (OED) to collapse. The primary objective of this study was to describe the orthopaedic injuries and changes in fracture\'s epidemiology observed during this exceptional period. Secondary objectives were to analyse the collected variables in order to minimize the future impact of these unexpected extreme weather events.
METHODS: A retrospective cohort study between patients that came to the OED during the snowstorm (Filomena group) and those who came on the same period of the previous year (Control group) was made. The following data were collected: age, sex, injury location, injury mechanism, diagnosis, AO/OTA fracture classification, treatment type (conservative vs surgical) and delay of surgical treatment.
RESULTS: A total of 1237 patients were included, 655 patients from the Filomena group and 582 from the Control group. One in two patients in the Filomena group sustained a fracture (50.7% vs 23.2%). The most frequent diagnosis on the Filomena group was distal radius fracture (16.2%), which was five times more frequent than in the Control group (3.4%). A significant increment was also observed in the incidence of ankle (21.7%) and proximal humerus (33%) fractures. In the Filomena group, surgically treated fractures increased by 168%, being more severe, as C‑type fractures were more prevalent (23% vs 13%). Mean delay to surgery was 6.78 days during the snowstorm.
CONCLUSIONS: Unexpected snowstorms entail an exponential rise in orthopaedic care demand and OED pressures. A significant increment in orthopaedic trauma surgery, up to 168% more, particularly distal radius, proximal humerus and ankle fractures, is to be expected, which will imply elective surgery cancellation, hurting patients and increasing costs.
UNASSIGNED: EINFüHRUNG: Traumata infolge extremer Wetterereignisse können die normale Tätigkeit orthopädisch-chirurgischer Abteilungen stark beeinträchtigen, insbesondere an Orten, die darauf nicht vorbereitet sind. Der Schneesturm Filomena, der sich im Januar 2021 ereignete, war einer der größten Schneestürme, die es je in Spanien gab. Während dieses Sturms führte der ständige Zustrom von Traumapatienten zum Zusammenbruch der orthopädischen Notaufnahme (OED). Das primäre Ziel dieser Studie war es, die orthopädischen Verletzungen und die Veränderungen in der Epidemiologie der Frakturen zu beschreiben, die während dieses außergewöhnlichen Zeitraums beobachtet wurden. Sekundäre Ziele waren die Analyse der erhobenen Variablen, um die zukünftigen Auswirkungen dieser unerwarteten extremen Wetterereignisse zu minimieren.
UNASSIGNED: Retrospektive Kohortenstudie zwischen Patienten, die während des Schneesturms in die Notaufnahme kamen (Filomena-Gruppe) und denen, die im gleichen Zeitraum des Vorjahres kamen (Kontrollgruppe). Folgende Daten wurden erhoben: Alter, Geschlecht, Ort der Verletzung, Verletzungsmechanismus, Diagnose, AO/OTA-Frakturklassifikation, Behandlungsart (konservativ vs. chirurgisch) und Verzögerung der chirurgischen Behandlung.
UNASSIGNED: Insgesamt wurden 1237 Patienten eingeschlossen, davon 655 Patienten aus der Filomena-Gruppe und 582 aus der Kontrollgruppe. Jeder zweite Patient in der Filomena-Gruppe erlitt eine Fraktur (50,7 % gegenüber 23,2 %). Die häufigste Diagnose in der Filomena-Gruppe war eine distale Radiusfraktur (16,2 %), fünfmal häufiger als in der Kontrollgruppe (3,4 %). Ein signifikanter Anstieg wurde auch bei der Häufigkeit von Knöchel- (21,7 %) und proximalen Humerusfrakturen (33 %) beobachtet. Bei Filomena nahmen die chirurgisch behandelten Frakturen um 168 % zu und waren schwerer, da Frakturen vom Typ C häufiger auftraten (23 % gegenüber 13 %). Die durchschnittliche Wartezeit bis zur Operation betrug während des Schneesturms 6,78 Tage.
UNASSIGNED: Unerwartete Schneestürme führen zu einem exponentiellen Anstieg der Nachfrage nach orthopädischen Behandlungen und des Drucks auf die OED. Es ist ein erheblicher Anstieg der orthopädischen Unfallchirurgie zu erwarten, bis zu 168 % mehr, insbesondere bei distalen Radius-, proximalen Humerus- und Sprunggelenksfrakturen, was zur Stornierung elektiver Operationen führen wird, was den Patienten schadet und die Kosten erhöht.

UNASSIGNED: Distal fibula osteoporotic comminuted fractures are challenging to treat and are often treated with periarticular locking plates. This study examined the biomechanical difference between locked plating and dual non-locked one-third tubular plating.
UNASSIGNED: Using an osteoporotic Sawbones fibula model, simulated fracture were fixated with one-third tubular dual plating and locked periarticular plating. The samples were then torqued to failure and peak torque, stiffness, and displacement were recorded.
UNASSIGNED: The peak torque of the dual plating group was found to be statistically higher than the periarticular locked plating group (0.841 Nm and 0.740 Nm respectively; p = 0.024). However overall stiffness calculated at each 10° increment of displacement was noted to have no significant difference between the two constructs.
UNASSIGNED: Dual non-locked plating of distal fibula osteoporotic comminuted fractures is biomechanically equivalent to locked periarticular plating.

Introduction Ankle fractures are commonly encountered fractures in emergency departments worldwide. These fractures often have significant articular involvement that requires anatomic surgical reduction and stabilization. Radiographs can be used in everyday practice to evaluate ankle fractures utilizing various parameters to assess reduction quality intraoperatively and postoperatively. Several factors have been found to influence the reduction quality of fractures across body regions. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the influence of several factors on the reduction quality of ankle fractures in a tertiary care center in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Materials and methods A total of 462 records were identified during the search, and 68 records were excluded. A total of 394 ankle fractures met the inclusion criteria for the study. Five orthopedic surgeons then evaluated the operative films in accordance with the Delphi consensus parameters for evaluating ankle fractures, and the reductions were graded as good, adequate, or poor. Results The study included 394 ankle fractures that met the inclusion criteria, and four significant associations were noted to affect the quality of reduction. Ankle fractures with posterior malleolus involvement (PMI) were significantly associated (p = 0.001) with fragments smaller than 15% and larger than 20% having decreased outcomes. The number of days from admission to operation was also significant (p = 0.009), with the best reductions observed between zero and one day from admission. Operating surgeon was also a significant factor (p = 0.038), with inferior reductions noted in specialist surgeons compared to trainees. The last significant association was the number of malleoli (p = 0.001), with an inferior reduction with a larger number of malleoli involved. Conclusion Ankle fractures are a common and significant orthopedic injury. Reduction quality is important for optimal outcomes after surgical stabilization. Various factors including the number of malleoli, the grade of the operating surgeon, and the time of surgery were significantly related to the quality reduction in this single-center study. Expedited surgical management of fractures that are amenable to early fixation, careful assessment, and meticulous technique in fixation of fractures with multiple fractured malleoli is indicated to reduce the chance of malreduction particularly in complex injuries. Further assessment of factors related to reduction quality with large-scale prospective studies would provide orthopedic surgeons with insights into the identification and optimal treatment of such fractures.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to compare the quality of syndesmotic reduction with the ankle in maximal dorsiflexion versus neutral plantarflexion (normal resting position).
METHODS: Baseline computed tomography (CT) imaging of 10 cadaveric ankle specimens from 5 donors was obtained with the ankles placed in normal resting position. Two fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeons disrupted the syndesmosis of each ankle specimen. All ankles were then placed in neutral plantarflexion and were subsequently reduced with thumb pressure under direct visualization through an anterolateral approach and stabilized with one 0.062-inch K-wire placed from lateral to medial in a quadricortical fashion across the syndesmosis. Postreduction CT scans were then obtained with the ankle in normal resting position. This process was repeated with the ankles placed in maximal dorsiflexion during reduction and stabilization. Postreduction CT scans were then obtained with the ankles placed in normal resting position. All postreduction CT scans were compared with baseline CT imaging using mixed-effects linear regression with significance set at P < 0.05.
RESULTS: Syndesmotic reduction and stabilization in maximal dorsiflexion led to increased external rotation of the fibula compared with baseline scans [13.0 ± 5.4 degrees (mean ± SD) vs. 7.5 ± 2.4 degrees, P = 0.002]. There was a tendency toward lateral translation of the fibula with the ankle reduced in maximal dorsiflexion (3.3 ± 1.0 vs. 2.7 ± 0.7 mm, P = 0.096). No other statistically significant differences between measurements of reduction with the ankle placed in neutral plantarflexion or maximal dorsiflexion compared with baseline were present (P > 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: Reducing the syndesmosis with the ankle in maximal dorsiflexion may lead to malreduction with external rotation of the fibula. There was no statistically significant difference in reduction quality with the ankle placed in neutral plantarflexion compared with baseline. Future studies should assess the clinical implications of ankle positioning during syndesmotic fixation.

BACKGROUND: After surgery for a broken ankle, patients are usually instructed to avoid walking for 6 weeks (delayed weight-bearing). Walking 2 weeks after surgery (early weight-bearing) might be a safe and preferable rehabilitation strategy. This study aimed to determine the clinical and cost effectiveness of an early weight-bearing strategy compared with a delayed weight-bearing strategy.
METHODS: This was a pragmatic, multicentre, randomised, non-inferiority trial including 561 participants (aged ≥18 years) who received acute surgery for an unstable ankle fracture in 23 UK National Health Service (NHS) hospitals who were assigned to either a delayed weight-bearing (n=280) or an early weight-bearing rehabilitation strategy (n=281). Patients treated with a hindfoot nail, those who did not have protective ankle sensation (eg, peripheral neuropathy), did not have the capacity to consent, or did not have the ability to adhere to trial procedures were excluded. Neither participants nor clinicians were masked to the treatment. The primary outcome was ankle function measured using the Olerud and Molander Ankle Score (OMAS) at 4 months after randomisation, in the per-protocol population. The pre-specified non-inferiority OMAS margin was -6 points and superiority testing was included in the intention-to-treat population in the event of non-inferiority. The trial was prospectively registered with ISRCTN Registry, ISRCTN12883981, and the trial is closed to new participants.
RESULTS: Primary outcome data were collected from 480 (86%) of 561 participants. Recruitment was conducted between Jan 13, 2020, and Oct 29, 2021. At 4 months after randomisation, the mean OMAS score was 65·9 in the early weight-bearing and 61·2 in the delayed weight-bearing group and adjusted mean difference was 4·47 (95% CI 0·58 to 8·37, p=0·024; superiority testing adjusted difference 4·42, 95% CI 0·53 to 8·32, p=0·026) in favour of early weight-bearing. 46 (16%) participants in the early weight-bearing group and 39 (14%) in the delayed weight-bearing group had one or more complications (adjusted odds ratio 1·18, 95% CI 0·80 to 1·75, p=0·40). The mean costs from the perspective of the NHS and personal social services in the early and delayed weight-bearing groups were £725 and £785, respectively (mean difference -£60 [95% CI -342 to 232]). The probability that early weight-bearing is cost-effective exceeded 80%.
CONCLUSIONS: An early weight-bearing strategy was found to be clinically non-inferior and highly likely to be cost-effective compared with the current standard of care (delayed weight-bearing).
BACKGROUND: National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), NIHR Barts Biomedical Research Centre, and NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Oxford and Thames Valley.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the feasibility of nonmedically trained evaluators and image- and video-based tools in the assessment of surgical skills in a key orthopedic procedure.
METHODS: Orthopedic surgeons at varying skill levels were evaluated by their ability to repair a cadaveric bi-malleolar ankle fracture. Nonphysician viewers and expert orthopedic surgeons independently scored video recordings and fluoroscopy images of the procedure through Global Rating Scales (GRS) and procedure-specific checklist tools. Statistical analysis was used to determine if the evaluators and assessment tools were able to differentiate skill level.
METHODS: An academic tertiary care hospital.
METHODS: The surgical procedure was completed by 3 orthopedic residents, 3 orthopedic trauma fellows, and 4 orthopedic trauma attending surgeons. The procedure was independently evaluated by 2 orthopedic surgeons and 2 nonphysicians.
RESULTS: Operating participants were stratified by ≤ or >10 bimalleolar ankle fracture cases performed alone (inexperienced, n = 5 vs experienced, n = 5). Expert surgeon viewers could effectively stratify skill group through the GRS for video and fluoroscopy analysis (p < 0.05), and the video procedure-specific checklist (p < 0.05), but not the fluoroscopy procedure-specific checklist. Nonphysician viewers generally recognized skill groupings, although with less separation than surgeon viewers. These evaluators performed the best when aided by video and fluoroscopy procedure-specific checklists. Meanwhile, breakdowns of each tool into critical zones for improvement and evaluator-independent metrics such as case experience, self-reported confidence, and surgical time also indicated some skill differentiation.
CONCLUSIONS: The feasibility of using video recordings and fluoroscopic imaging based surgical skills assessment tools in orthopedic trauma was demonstrated. The tools highlighted in this study are applicable to both cadaver laboratory settings and live surgeries. The degree of training that is required by the evaluators and the utility of measuring surgical times of specific tasks should be the subject of future studies.

UNASSIGNED: Uncertainty regarding the timing of weight bearing following ankle open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) in patients with different ankle fracture patterns remains. Traditional rehabilitation methods, including six weeks of non-weight bearing (NWB), is still a common approach in many hospitals, while some previous evidence has shown immediate weight bearing (IWB) to be beneficial.
UNASSIGNED: 32 adult participants with unimalleolar, bimalleolar or trimalleolar ankle fractures and stable fixation following ankle ORIF will be randomly allocated to either Immediate Weight Bearing (IWB) or Delayed Weight Bearing (DWB) groups. Stability of fixation is a subjective assessment made by the operating surgeon at the completion of fixation and is independent of fracture pattern. Participants in the IWB group will be allowed to weight bear as tolerated within 24 h, while participants in the DWB group will remain non-weight bearing for six weeks. Participants\' data including Olerud and Molander Ankle Score, Self-Reported Foot and Ankle Score, SF-36 health survey, time to return to work will be collected. X-rays will be assessed by orthopaedic team members for fixation-related complications including reduction loss, malreduction/malunion, implant failure and non-union. Participants data will be collected at six weeks, three and six-months post-surgery. We will determine the feasibility of a full RCT through assessing the recruitment rate, adherence rate, and drop-out rate.
UNASSIGNED: Not applicable.This pilot RCT will endeavour to optimise standard rehabilitation protocols post ankle ORIF.

OBJECTIVE: Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) following ankle fractures, including all fracture types, have not been reported. It is therefore unclear whether fracture morphology correlates with outcome. We aimed to analyze PROMs in patients with an ankle fracture in relation to the Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthesefragen/Orthopaedic Trauma Association (AO/OTA) fracture classification using population-based register data from the Swedish Fracture Register (SFR).
METHODS: All patients aged ≥ 18 years with an ankle fracture (AO/OTA 44A1-C3) registered in the SFR between 2012 and 2019 were retrieved from the register. Patients with completed PROM questionnaires (Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment and EuroQol-Visual Analogue Scale) on both day 0 (pre-trauma) and 1-year post-trauma were included. The difference in PROMs between day 0 and 1 year was calculated for each patient (delta value) and mean delta values were calculated at group level, based on the AO/OTA fracture classification.
RESULTS: 11,733 patients with 11,751 fractures with complete PROMs were included. According to the AO/OTA classification, 21% were A fractures, 67% were B fractures and 12% were C fractures. All groups of patients, regardless of fracture class (A1-C3), displayed an impairment in PROMs after 1 year compared with day 0. Type C fractures displayed a larger impairment in PROMs at group level than type B, which in turn had a greater impairment than type A. The same pattern was seen in groups 3, 2, and 1 for A and B fractures.
CONCLUSIONS: We found that the AO/OTA classification is prognostic, where more complex fractures were associated with poorer PROMs.