ArticleOTA international : the open access journal of orthopaedic trauma2019
Does formal vs home-based physical therapy predict outcomes after ankle fracture or ankle fracture-dislocation?
Article in OTA international : the open access journal of orthopaedic trauma, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
What it found
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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.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed.
- Outpatient versus At-Home Physical Therapy Following Distal Biceps Repair.The archives of bone and joint surgery · 2025Article
- Comprehensive Physiotherapy Protocol in Post-operative Case of Trimalleolar Fracture: A Case Report.Cureus · 2023Article
- Patient preferences for physical therapy programs after a lower extremity fracture: a discrete choice experiment.BMJ open · 2023Article
- Effectiveness of Postoperative Physiotherapy Compared to Postoperative Instructions by Treating Specialist Only in Patients With an Ankle Fracture: A Systematic Review.Foot & ankle orthopaedics · 2023Article
- Patients' perception of physical therapy after shoulder surgery.JSES international · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
15 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Ankle fractures are among the most common injuries treated by orthopaedic surgeons. Various postoperative rehabilitation strategies have been promoted, but the ability to improve patient-reported functional outcome has not been clearly demonstrated. We aim to evaluate outcomes associated with clinic-based, physical therapist-supervised rehabilitation (Formal-PT) compared to surgeon-directed rehabilitation (Home-PT). Methods: This prospective observational study included patients with operative bimalleolar or trimalleolar ankle fractures with or without dislocation (n = 80) at a Level I trauma center. Patients were prescribed PT per the surgeon's practice pattern. Patient-reported functional outcomes at 6 months and complication rates were compared between groups. Results: Of the 80 patients, 38 (47.5%) patients received Formal-PT; the remaining received Home-PT. Thirty-four patients (89.5%) attended ≥1 PT session. Number of sessions attended ranged from 1 to 36 (mean = 16). Receipt of Formal-PT did not differ by injury characteristics or demographics. Of patients with private insurance, 57% were prescribed Formal-PT vs 7% of uninsured patients ( Conclusions: Comparison of outcomes between patients with operatively treated displaced ankle fractures/dislocations with Formal-PT vs Home-PT showed no difference in SMFA and FAAM scores. These findings suggest patients receiving supervised PT produced a similar outcome to those under routine physician-directed rehabilitation at 6 months. The cost for therapy averaged $2012.96 per patient receiving Formal-PT.
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