Supination-external rotation ankle fractures: analysis of clinical results after syndesmotic screw removal☆

Objective To evaluate the postoperative results of patients with supination-external rotation ankle fractures who underwent syndesmotic screw (SS) removal. Methods Retrospective cohort study assessing the late postoperative results of 35 patients operated from January 2013 to June 2015. Patients undergoing treatment of rupture of the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis with SS fixation and who did not have any concomitant surgical injuries in sites other than the ankle were included. Patients who did not complete appropriate follow-up after surgery were excluded from the study. Results There was no statistical significant difference in the evaluated outcomes among the patients who had their SS removed and those who remained with the SS. Conclusion SS removal did not significantly alter the clinical results of patients surgically treated with SS for supination-external rotation fractures.