Percutaneous Compression Cannulated Screw Fixation For Ankle Fractures

Objective: To dissect the efficacy of percutaneous compression cannulated screw fixation in the treatment of ankle fractures. Methods: From January 2014 to June 2016, 100 patients with unilateral ankle fractures admitted to the Department of Orthopedics of our hospital were recruited as participants in this study. They were randomly assigned by a random number table to the experiment group or the control group, with 50 cases in each group. The patients in the experiment group received percutaneous compression cannulated screw fixation, while those in the control group underwent open reduction and internal fixation. Intraoperative blood loss, operation duration, the time to initiate restricted weight-bearing ambulation and hospitalization of the patients were compared between the two study groups. Regular postoperative follow-up visits were performed for assessment of the fracture healing rate, healing duration and the rates of complications; at 1 year after operation, the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) Ankle-Hindfoot Scale was employed to evaluate the recovery of ankle functions. Results: The intraoperative blood loss, operation duration, the time to begin restricted weight-bearing ambulation and hospitalization were more markedly improved in the experiment group than in the control group (All P<0.05); the fracture healing rate and mean fracture healing duration were remarkably different (P<0.05); the rate of postoperative complications was significantly lowered in the experiment group (8% vs 26%, P<0.001). At 1 year after operation, the results of the AOFAS Ankle-Hindfoot Scale manifested the proportion of the patients with good or excellent postoperative ankle recovery was greater in the experiment group (88%) than in the control group (72%) (P=0.046). Conclusion: Percutaneous compression cannulated screw fixation featured shorter operation duration, less intraoperative blood, shorter hospital stay, faster fracture healing, a lower rate of complications and better recovery of ankle functions than open reduction and internal fixation in the treatment of ankle fractures. Thus, it is worth of wide application.