Journal article
Use of cast immobilization versus removable brace in adults with an ankle fracture: two-year follow-up of a multicentre randomized controlled trial
- Abstract:
-
Aims: The aim of this study was to compare the longer-term outcomes of operatively and nonoperatively managed patients treated with a removable brace (fixed-angle removable orthosis) or a plaster cast immobilization for an acute ankle fracture.
Methods: This is a secondary analysis of a multicentre randomized controlled trial comparing adults with an acute ankle fracture, initially managed either by operative or nonoperative care. Patients were randomly allocated to receive either a cast immobilization or a fixed-angle removable orthosis (removable brace). Data were collected on baseline characteristics, ankle function, quality of life, and complications. The Olerud-Molander Ankle Score (OMAS) was the primary outcome which was used to measure the participant’s ankle function. The primary endpoint was at 16 weeks, with longer-term follow-up at 24 weeks and two years.
Results: Overall, 436 patients (65%) completed the final two-year follow-up. The mean difference in OMAS at two years was -0.3 points favouring the plaster cast (95% confidence interval -3.9 to 3.4), indicating no statistically significant difference between the interventions. There was no evidence of differences in patient quality of life (measured using the EuroQol five-dimension five-level questionnaire) or Disability Rating Index.
Conclusion: This study demonstrated that patients treated with a removable brace had similar outcomes to those treated with a plaster cast in the first two years after injury. A removable brace is an effective alternative to traditional immobilization in a plaster cast for patients with an ankle fracture.
- Publication status:
- Published
- Peer review status:
- Peer reviewed
Actions
Access Document
- Files:
-
-
(Preview, Version of record, pdf, 470.6KB, Terms of use)
-
- Publisher copy:
- 10.1302/0301-620X.105B4.BJJ-2022-0602.R3
Authors
- Publisher:
- British Editorial Society of Bone and Joint Surgery
- Journal:
- Bone and Joint Journal More from this journal
- Volume:
- 105-B
- Issue:
- 4
- Pages:
- 382-388
- Publication date:
- 2023-03-15
- Acceptance date:
- 2023-01-18
- DOI:
- EISSN:
-
2049-4408
- ISSN:
-
2049-4394
- Language:
-
English
- Keywords:
- Pubs id:
-
1324948
- Local pid:
-
pubs:1324948
- Deposit date:
-
2023-01-23
- ARK identifier:
Terms of use
- Copyright holder:
- Haque et al.
- Copyright date:
- 2023
- Rights statement:
- © 2023 Authors et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) licence, which permits the copying and redistribution of the work only, and provided the original author and source are credited. See https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
If you are the owner of this record, you can report an update to it here: Report update to this record