2024 AAOS Annual Meeting: Long-term outcomes of a randomized control trial comparing fibular nail with open reduction and internal fixation in patients with unstable ankle fractures

99 patients undergoing fixation for unstable ankle fractures were randomized to receive either fibular nails (n=48) or plate fixation (n=51). Outcomes of interest included radiologically assessed osteoarthritis, reoperation rate, the Olderud and Molander Ankle Score (OMAS), the Manchester-Oxford Foot Questionnaire (MOXFQ), the EuroQol-5D Index (EQ-5D), and the EuroQol-5D Visual Analog Score (EQ-5D VAS). After a minimum of 10 years, the results showed no significant difference between fibular nail and plate fixation in terms of OMAS, MOXFQ, EQ-5D, and EQ-5D VAS scores. There were no significant differences in the incidence of reoperation and the development of osteoarthritis.