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Rehabilitation after ankle fracture fixation
Arthrosc Orthop Sports Med 2021;8:23-31
Published online November 1, 2021;  https://doi.org/10.14517/aosm21007
© 2021 Korean Arthroscopy Society and Korean Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine.

Jeong Gyu Choi, Moon Su Park, Bi O Jeong

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea
Correspondence to: Bi O Jeong, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9881-2319
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 23 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 02447, Korea. Tel: +82-2-958-9488, Fax: +82-2-964-3865, E-mail: biojeong@khmc.or.kr
Received July 31, 2021; Accepted September 2, 2021.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
Ankle fractures are one of the most common lower limb injuries, and the prevalence of ankle fractures has been increasing. In most cases, open reduction and internal fixation is the preferred treatment, and the postoperative prognosis is good. The range of motion and weight bearing of the joint are restricted for a certain period. If the ankle joint continues to be fixed for a long time, joint stiffness, pain, and/or loss of muscle may occur. Early weight bearing, joint movement, and muscle strengthening exercises can help prevent complications following fixation and return to daily life. However, there is controversy regarding the timing and duration of weight bearing because there is a risk of loss of reduction, nonunion, and infection of the surgical site wounds due to early rehabilitation. Patients agree with the importance of post-operative rehabilitation exercises based on their return to daily and leisure activities. In this article, we review the latest findings on the proper timing of joint motion, joint motion angle, weight bearing, and exercise protocols after surgery for treating ankle fractures.
Keywords : Ankle; Ankle fracture; Recovery of function; Rehabilitation
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