Twenty-eight patients with severe periarticular foot and ankle fractures were randomized to receive standard pre-operative education with or without the use of a 3D printed model. Outcomes of interest included the Musculoskeletal Outcomes Data Evaluation and Management Scale (MODEMS) questionnaire to determine patient expectations and satisfaction, pain on a Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and Short-Form 12 (SF-12) quality of life scores at 2 weeks, 3, 6 and 12 months post-operatively. No significant differences were found between the groups pre- and post-operatively when evaluating patient expectation, patient satisfaction, VAS pain scores, or SF-12 pain scores at 12 months. The 3D model group had pre-operative expectation scores that were significantly correlated with VAS pain scores at 12 months.