Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40346941›Full record

ArticleANZ journal of surgery2025

Contemporary Long-Term Patient Reported Outcomes of Pilon Fractures.

Thomas J Ryan, Natalie Enninghorst, Jessica Partridge, Ahmed Sulemain, Jacqueline Du Plessis, Chris Henry, Natasha Weaver, Seth M Tarrant, Zsolt J Balogh

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in ANZ journal of surgery, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

4 citing papers in PubMed.

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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

9 authors.

Thomas J RyanDepartment of Orthopaedics, John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-7666-380X
Natalie EnninghorstDiscipline of Surgery, School of Medicine and Public Health, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.
Jessica PartridgeDiscipline of Surgery, School of Medicine and Public Health, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.
Ahmed SulemainDiscipline of Surgery, School of Medicine and Public Health, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.
Jacqueline Du PlessisDiscipline of Surgery, School of Medicine and Public Health, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.
Chris HenryDiscipline of Surgery, School of Medicine and Public Health, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.
Natasha WeaverDiscipline of Surgery, School of Medicine and Public Health, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.
Seth M TarrantDiscipline of Surgery, School of Medicine and Public Health, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.
Zsolt J BaloghDepartment of Orthopaedics, John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-0277-4822

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPilon fractures are historically associated with suboptimal outcomes. No long-term Australian data is available on patient-reported outcomes. We hypothesised that pilon fracture long-term outcomes are inferior to Australian population norms.

methodsA 14-year retrospective study was conducted in a Level-1 trauma centre on AO/OTA type-B/C fractures. Type-A fractures, skeletally immature, interpreter requirement and primary amputation were excluded. Demographics, injury characteristics, management and complications were collected. The primary outcome was SF-36 with adjusted Australian norms.

resultsFrom 127 eligible patients, 73 were included in the study (age: 46 ± 17 years; 50 [69%] males) with 8.7 ± 3.9 years follow-up. Management included ORIF 46 (61%), external fixation (EF) with staged ORIF 17 (23%), definitive EF 4 (5%) and 8 (11%) non-operative. Further surgical intervention was required in 25 (34%) patients, with the majority for hardware removal (14 [19%]). Compared with Australian SF-36 norms, the mean Physical Component Score was lower (44.7 ± 8.9 vs. 50.3, p ≤ 0.001) whereas the Mental Component Score (51.2 ± 12.5 vs. 51.2, p = 0.24) was not. Median return to work was 4.5 months (IQR 5), with 47 (87%) of the 54 employed pre-injury working at 12 months. Two (3.7%) patients did not return to work and 24 (44%) returned at a reduced capacity.

conclusionThis study provides a contemporary reference for pilon fractures managed in Australia. Outcomes were favourable when compared internationally. These patients are likely to resume employment, often at reduced capacity, while experiencing moderate long-term impacts to their physical well-being due to persistent pain.

Indexed as

Fracture FixationPatient Reported Outcome MeasuresTibial FracturesAdultAustraliaFemaleFollow-Up StudiesFracture Fixation, InternalHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesTime FactorsTreatment Outcomeoutcomespilonplafondtibiatrauma

Identifiers

PMID40346941
PMCPMC12227846

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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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.