Long-term follow-up of osteoarthritis after conservative treatment of ankle fractures

In a period between 1982 and 1998 a total of 171 patients with ankle fracture were treated conservatively and rehabilitated in the same rehabilitation institution. All patients were seen at follow up in 1998 exactly at the date of the fracture in five groups with one, two, three, eleven and sixteen years from the fracture respectively. There were not significant differences in sex and age among groups. According to Danis-Weber's system, in the total material there were 53.8% type A, 40.9% type B and 5.3% type C fractures, and according to Lauge-Hansen's system there were 54.4% type SA, 34.5% type SE, 7.6% type PA and 3.5% type PE fractures. According to the Olerud's and Molander's scoring system there were the highest percentages of good results in all series (in average 52%) and there were not found significant differences between the results of the groups (P = 0.154). According to linear analogue scale of function there were the highest percentages of good results in all groups (in average 55.6%) and with significant differences between the results of the groups (P = 0.012). There were found significant differences between the results of late reductions of malleolar fragments of the groups (P = 0.028) with changing for the worse in groups with longer time interval from fracture. Posttraumatic osteoarthritis was found in first year after fracture already (41.5%). There were found significant differences between the results of the groups (P = 0.001) with severe degrees of osteoarthritis in groups with longer time from fracture.