To evaluate the clinical efficacy of the STMIPO technique in the treatment of distal one-third fibular fractures compared to open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF).
Approach:
Study Design: Retrospective analysis of 145 fibular fracture patients treated from January 2021 to December 2023.
Surgical Techniques: Comparison between STMIPO and ORIF techniques performed by two main surgeons.
Outcome Measures: Assessment of operation time, fracture healing time, intraoperative blood loss, incision length, postoperative AOFAS scores, and complications.
Key Findings:
The STMIPO group had a shorter surgical incision length and less intraoperative blood loss compared to the ORIF group.
There was no significant difference in postoperative ankle AOFAS scores between the two groups.
All patients achieved osseous union of the fibula during the follow-up period.
Interpretation:
Limitations:
Non-randomized patient allocation based on surgeon availability may introduce selection bias.
Retrospective study design may introduce selection bias.
