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Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery - British Volume, Vol 89-B, Issue 6, 794-798.
doi: 10.1302/0301-620X.89B6.18356  
Copyright © 2007 by British Editorial Society of Bone and Joint Surgery
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Does obesity influence the outcome after the operative treatment of ankle fractures?

E. J. Strauss, MD, Orthopaedic Surgery Resident1; J. B. Frank, MD, Orthopaedic Surgery Resident1; M. Walsh, PhD, Director of Outcome Studies1; K. J. Koval, MD, Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery2; and K. A. Egol, MD, Chief Orthopaedic Trauma Service, Associate Professor of Orthopaedics1

1 NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases, 301 East 17th Street, New York, NY 10003, USA.
2 Department of Orthopaedics, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, One Medical Center Drive, Lebanon, NH 03756.

Correspondence should be sent to Dr K. A. Egol; e-mail: egolk01{at}nyumc.org

Many orthopaedic surgeons believe that obese patients have a higher rate of peri-operative complications and a worse functional outcome than non-obese patients. There is, however, inconsistency in the literature supporting this notion.

This study was performed to evaluate the effect of body mass index (BMI) on injury characteristics, the incidence of complications, and the functional outcome after the operative management of unstable ankle fractures.

We retrospectively reviewed 279 patients (99 obese (BMI ≥ 30) and 180 non-obese (BMI < 30) patients who underwent surgical fixation of an unstable fracture of the ankle. We found that obese patients had a higher number of medical co-morbidities, and more Orthopaedic Trauma Association type B and C fracture types than non-obese patients. At two years from the time of injury, however, the presence of obesity did not affect the incidence of complications, the time to fracture union or the level of function.

These findings suggest that obese patients should be treated in line with standard procedures, keeping in mind any known associated medical co-morbidities.




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Does obesity influence the outcome after the operative treatment of ankle fractures?
Julian P Cooper
J Bone Joint Surg Br Online, 2 Aug 2007 [Full text]

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Hip, Knee, Trauma, Upper limb, Foot & Ankle, Paediatrics, Oncology, Spine, Arthroplasty, General