Open tibial pilon fractures: treatment with ankle-spanning Ilizarov fixator

Year 2018, Volume: 4 Issue: 3, 162 - 167, 04.07.2018

Ercan Şahin , Mahmut Kalem

https://doi.org/10.18621/eurj.366170

Cited By: 1

Abstract

Objective. The aim of this retrospective study was to report the treatment results obtained with the
ankle-spanning Ilizarov fixator technique in the treatment of complex OTA/AO
type 43C3 open tibial pilon fractures. Methods. A total of 14
patients with open OTA/AO type 43C3 tibial pilon fractures were evaluated. The
demographics and fracture characteristics, preoperative and postoperative
radiological evaluations, duration of follow-up (months), time to union
(months) and complications were recorded. After collection of operative data,
patients were invited for functional and radiological outcome evaluation. American
Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) scores and range of movement (ROM) of the ankle joint were
investigated. Also radiologically the ankle osteoarthritis level according to
the Bargon et al. criteria was noted.
Results.
The mean age of the patients was 48.7 years (range, 26-72 years). The mean
follow-up period was 32 months (range, 25-46 months). The clinical and
radiological time to union was mean 6.5 months (range, 5-11 months). On the
postoperative ankle CT images, the separation within the ankle was measured as
< 2mm in all patients and in 3 patients, stepping was measured as > 2mm.
Following removal of the external fixator, dorsiflexion was measured as mean
15.5° (range, 0°-23°) and plantar flexion as mean 26.14° (range, 13°-36°). The
mean AOFAS was 80.35 (range, 56-92). Conclusion. Satisfactory results can be obtained with the Ilizarov external fixator
passing the ankle in the permanent treatment of AO-43C3 type open tibial pilon
fractures. 

Keywords

pilon fracture, open fracture, Ilizarov, external fixation

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