SRS28 - Risk factors for trimalleolar ankle fracture: a single centre retrospective analysis

Abstract Background Obesity presents a growing public health crisis within the UK. This study aims to investigate associations between obesity and tri-malleolar ankle fracture, while reviewing any differences in gender. We will also examine the fracture rates in post-menopausal women to determine if menopause is an independent risk factor for trimalleolar ankle fracture. Methods Search terms were used to identify all operatively managed ankle fractures listed on the virtual trauma board at a major trauma centre in Manchester, UK. The records of these patients were then reviewed to identify all trimalleolar ankle fractures. Patient demographics and injury specific data were collected and inputted into a data sheet using Microsoft Excel. Results Obesity and severe obesity were seen in 37.3 and 6.8% of patients respectively. Our cohort was found to have a significantly higher mean BMI (30.6 SEM = 0.59) than the national average (27.6) P < 0.001. Women had a higher average BMI at 31.8, compared to 28.4 for men. There were 49 (46.7%) postmenopausal women (aged ≥55 years old) in our sample size of 161 patients. This was significantly more than there were in the general population for the same sample size (P < 0.001). Conclusions Our paper demonstrates a clear link between obesity and trimalleolar ankle fracture. In our cohort, women were more prone to trimalleolar ankle fractures than men. Whilst there was a large number of women aged over 55 years in our study, recent evidence suggest that menopause does not play a role in increasing the risk of ankle fracture.