Diabetic Ankle Fractures and Fixation Approaches

At some point or another, all foot and ankle surgeons will encounter the Diabetic Ankle Fracture patient in need of ORIF. Not only does the surgeon have to take into consideration the appropriate procedure and method of fixation but also the potential complications that may arise secondarily to the patient as a result of their medical history. Unfortunately, these patients are not always the healthiest of individuals and along with the ankle fracture can be a host of co-morbidities ranging from chronic tobacco use to cardiac disease.

There is a new article out of Orthopedics (Orthopedics May 2011; 34(5):385) titled Treatment of Ankle Fractures in Patients with Diabetes, that can be found on Orthosupersite.com. The article reviews the inherent problems with the Diabetic Ankle fractures as well as covers a handful of fixation options and approaches in treating the fracture. 

You can review all of the current internal and external fixation options for an Ankle Fracture, Fibular Fracture, Medial Malleolar Fracture, and Pilon Fracture at www.FootandAnkleFixation.com