LONG-TERM PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL-CONSEQUENCES OF A FRACTURE OF THE ANKLE

The long-term physical, psychological and social outcomes of 68 patien ts with an ankle fracture were investigated by using a postal question naire 6 years after injury. Patients were treated at a level I Trauma Centre between January 1989 and December 1989. Where applicable the ou tcomes were compared with the outcomes of severely injured patients wh o were investigated previously. Physically, the patients were sufferin g from problems in the extremities and the spine. Surprisingly, half o f them (52 per cent) had psychological complaints due to the initial i njury. Eighty-nine per cent of the patients returned to work. This res ult seems to be only slightly better than the return to work in severe ly injured patients (74 per cent). Those with an ankle injury fracture needed less time to return to work (3 months versus 13 months in the severely injured patients). Further social changes (marital status, le isure activities) were mostly found in the severely injured patients. Patients with an ankle fracture as well as severely injured patients a re affected by long-term consequences. The differences between the two groups are not as pronounced as is generally assumed. Probably, the c onsequences of 'lesser' injuries are frequently disregarded, whereas s everely injured patients are doing better than expected. (C) 1998 Else vier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.