Assessment of incidence of occurrence of fractures of posteriors malleolus region: a retrospective analysis

Background: Fracture of ankle joint involving posterior malleolus easily causes traumatic arthritis and prognosis of this fracture is poor. There are a number of controversies regarding the indications for fixation of fragments of posterior malleolus. Some studies report that if the articular surface at the distal end of the tibia accounts for more than twenty five percent, then fixation of posterior malleolus fragments should be done. In this retrospective study we evaluated the treatment effect of ankle joint fractures involving the posterior malleolus and analyzed the impact of different posterior malleolus fragment sizes on the treatment effect.Methods: A total of 52 subjects, including 23 males and 29 females, were selected for the present study. Patients with a definitive diagnosis of ankle joint fracture with involvement of the posterior malleolus and undergoing open reduction internal fixation surgery for the same were included in the present study. Mean age of the patients was 41.3 years.Results: Significant results were observed with respect to posterior malleolus fragment size and arthritis score of two groups. Non- significant results were observed with respect to difference in the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score, Visual analogue scale (VAS) rating under various conditions and patient satisfaction rating.Conclusions: Treatment effect on all 52 cases of ankle joint fractures involving posterior malleolus fractures were satisfactorily.