ArticleCureus2024
Functional Outcomes of Pilon Fractures Treated by External Fixation, Delayed Plating, and Open Reduction and Internal Fixation (ORIF): A Prospective Cohort Study.
Article in Cureus, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 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
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Quality of Life and Functional Impairment After Surgical Treatment of Pilon Fractures-A Case-Control Study with SF-12, EQ-5D-5L and VAS.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
- The Influence of Preoperative Central Sensitization on the Postoperative Prognosis of Pilon Fractures: A Retrospective Study.Journal of pain research · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the functional outcomes of three surgical management strategies for pilon fractures, including primary external fixation with delayed plating, external fixation with minimal internal fixation, and single-stage open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) with plating.
methodsThis prospective cohort study included 34 patients with complex intra-articular fractures of the distal tibia (AO-OTA type 43-C) treated between June 2018 and December 2019. Patients were managed surgically based on the local skin condition and swelling, employing either primary-stage external fixation with delayed plating (Group A), external fixation with minimal internal fixation (Group B), or single-stage ORIF with plating (Group C). Patients were followed up at regular intervals (six weeks, three months, six months, and 12 months post-surgery). Functional outcomes were assessed using the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Hindfoot Score (AOFAS) and Foot and Ankle Disability Index (FADI). Statistical significance was set at p<0.05.
resultsThe mean age of patients was 41±12.34 years. Group C included 23 patients (67.7%), Group B included five patients (14.7%), and Group A included six patients (17.6%). There were no significant differences between groups regarding the mechanism of injury, hospital stay duration, complications, or final functional scores (p>0.05). Group C showed significantly better AOFAS and FADI scores at six weeks and three months compared to the other groups; however, by six and 12 months, no significant differences were observed between the groups.
conclusionWhile ORIF with plating (Group C) demonstrated superior short-term functional outcomes, no long-term differences were observed between the three surgical approaches for pilon fractures. These findings suggest that all three methods can be viable options, with choice depending on individual patient factors and surgeon preference.
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