Ankle Fracture Complications in the Elderly:

摘要

Category:TraumaIntroduction/Purpose:In the geriatric patient population, pre-existing medical conditions and poor bone quality often make operative fixation of unstable ankle fractures and fracture-dislocations more challenging. The objective of this study was to characterize the complications that occurred following operative fixation of these injuries at our institution and to determine whether complication rates were higher in our geriatric patient population (65 years and older) as compared to our younger patient population. We hypothesized that complication rates in the geriatric population would be significantly higher relative to complication rates in the younger population. We also hypothesized that in elderly patients, the soft tissue envelope would be less forgiving and require significantly more time for swelling to decrease to a level considered appropriate for definitive surgical fixation to occur.Methods:With IRB approval, a review of medical records for patients diagnosed with ankle fractur...