Abstract
After performing open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) for treating malleolar fractures of the ankle, surgeons typically use plaster splints during postoperative recovery of patients. Use of regional anesthesia during ORIF has been noted as a risk factor for burns in patients using plaster splints, possibly owing to inability to feel pain after undergoing regional block. We describe a successful postoperative splinting technique used for preventing thermal injuries in this patient population. We reviewed medical records of patients between 2011 and 2013 at our institution with malleolar ankle fractures who had underwent ORIF under general anesthesia, peripheral nerve block, or a combination of both. Patients without follow-up were excluded; therefore, 154 were included. No thermal injuries were noted, operative reduction of the fracture was maintained, and the cost of each splint was $13.19. Use of the current technique in applying plaster splints may help effectively prevent postoperative thermal injuries.
Recommended Citation
Telis, Alex; Katherine J. Gavin; Heather M. Menzer; E Brooke Baker; and Richard A. Miller. "Splinting Method for Preventing Thermal Injuries in Patients with Malleolar Fractures of the Ankle after Operative Treatment Performed Under Regional Anesthesia." UNM Orthopaedic Research Journal 5, 1 (2016). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/unm_jor/vol5/iss1/19
