Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35224664›Full record

ArticleArchives of orthopaedic and trauma surgery2023

Minifragment plating of the fibula in unstable ankle fractures.

D Penning, C A L Jonker, R Buijsman, J A Halm, T Schepers

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Archives of orthopaedic and trauma surgery, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
2.2field-weighted citation impact, top 14% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 13 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. One-third tubular plates versus anatomical distal fibula plates in ankle fracture fixation: a systematic review and meta-analysis.European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Functional outcome in mini-fragment plating of the fibula in unstable ankle fractures.European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society · 2025
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Intercalary fragments in posterior malleolar fractures: incidence, treatment implications, and distribution within CT-based classification systems.European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society · 2023
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

D PenningTrauma Unit Amsterdam UMC, Location AMC, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1355-1322
C A L JonkerTrauma Unit Amsterdam UMC, Location AMC, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
R BuijsmanDepartment of Traumasurgery, Tergooi MC, Van Riebeeckweg 212, 1213 XZ, Hilversum, The Netherlands.
J A HalmTrauma Unit Amsterdam UMC, Location AMC, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
T SchepersTrauma Unit Amsterdam UMC, Location AMC, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. t.schepers@amsterdamumc.nl.
Amsterdam University Medical Centers · NLTergooi · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionOnly 6.4-17% of the load is transmitted through the fibula when weight-bearing. Plate fixation of distal fibular fractures using minifragments (≤ 2.8 mm) could lead to similar reduction with less implant removal (IR) rates, compared to small-fragment plates (3.5 mm). We hypothesized that the use of minifragment plates is at least similar in unscheduled secondary surgery. MATERIALS AND

methodsIn this retrospective cohort study, all patients with surgically treated distal fibular fractures between October 2015 and March 2021 were included. Patients treated with plate fixation using minifragments and patients treated with small-fragment plates were compared regarding the following outcomes: secondary dislocation, malreduction, implant malposition, nonunion, surgical site infections (SSI) and IR.

resultsSixty-five patients (54.2%) received a minifragment implant (≤ 2.8 mm) and 55 patients (45.8%) received a small-fragment implant (3.5 mm). There were no patients needing secondary surgery in the minifragment group compared to 9 patients following fixation using small-fragment implants (3 with secondary dislocation, 5 with malreduction and 1 with malposition, p = 0.001). SSI rates were 3.1% for minifragment and 9.1% for small-fragment implants (p = 0.161). Implant removal was performed significantly less often following use of minifragment implants (17.8% and 53.2%, p < 0.001).

conclusionsIn this cohort, minifragment plate fixation for distal fibular fractures is an adequate fixation method offering stable fixation with significant lower need for implant removal and comparable complications to small-fragment plates, although an adequately powered randomized controlled study is needed for implementation in a clinical setting. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, III.

Indexed as

Ankle FracturesBone PlatesFibulaFracture Fixation, InternalHumansRetrospective StudiesSurgical Wound InfectionTreatment OutcomeAnkle fractureDistal fibula fractureFibulaMinifragmentSmall fragment

Identifiers

PMID35224664
PMCPMC9958153
OpenAlexW4214509076

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.