Three-Year Follow-up of a Trial of Close Contact Casting vs Surgery for Initial Treatment of Unstable Ankle Fractures in Older Adults

摘要

A randomized clinical trial of close contact casting vs the usual practice of surgery for treating unstable ankle fractures in older adults found equivalent ankle function outcomes at 6 months.~(1) Higher rates of radiological ankle malunion in the casting vs surgical groups (15% vs 3%, respectively) and nonunion (medial malleolus: 7% vs 1%, respectively) suggested that equivalence between the 2 groups may be lost if symptoms or functional limitations from posttraumatic arthritis manifest later.~(2) A follow-up at least 3 years after randomization was conducted to determine if equivalence persisted over time.