Foot and Ankle – Difficult Ankle Fractures

Subspecialty Theme of the Month, August 2011

Most orthopaedic surgeons treat ankle fractures as part of their non-elective practice. Many of these ankle fractures are simple rotational injuries that heal without complications. However, we also are faced occasionally with more complex injuries that may be associated with comminution, soft tissue disruption, or even a compromised host. These injuries can often be challenging, sometimes frustrating to treat, as they present with postoperative complications and may result in disappointing outcomes.

In August’s Subspecialty Theme of the Month articles, originally published in the Spring 2010 issue of The COA Bulletin, surgeons with expertise in ankle surgery review the literature surrounding these difficult ankle fractures and offer their advice on best practices for these injuries. On your next night on call, you may be faced with a brittle diabetic with an ankle fracture, a multifragmentary fibular fracture with associated syndesmotic disruption, or an osteochondral lesion of the talus. These articles should help guide you in the treatment of these injuries by offering some of the most recent information on the topics.

– Karl-Andre Lalonde, MD, FRCSC
University of Ottawa
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

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