Management of Syndesmotic Injuries in Children and Adolescents: Results of a Cross-Sectional Survey of Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgeons

CORTICES Study Group

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Introduction:Although syndesmotic injury management in adults has shown improved outcomes with suture-button versus screw fixation, this has not been demonstrated in pediatric populations. This study investigates trends in syndesmotic injury management by conducting a survey of pediatric orthopaedic surgeons.Methods:The Children's Orthopaedic Trauma and Infection Consortium for Evidence-Based Studies group was surveyed for information regarding their surgical fixation preference for syndesmotic ankle injuries.Results:A survey response of 100% (30/30 members) was obtained. Most of the respondents practiced in a metropolitan setting (86.7%) and reported working in a pediatric specialty hospital (73.3%). 86.7% (n = 26) treated 0 to 5, 10% (n = 3) treated 6 to 10, and 3.33% (n = 1) treated over 10 pediatric syndesmotic ankle injuries in the past year. 70% (n = 21) of respondents preferred suture-button fixation while 30% (n = 9) preferred screw fixation. Furthermore, 50% (n = 15) of respondents reported a change in their implant preference since the start of their practice, with "avoidance of secondary surgery"and "extrapolation from outcomes in adults"as the most cited reasons at 86.7% and 73.3%, respectively.Discussion:Our findings indicate that the shift from screw to suture-button fixation is due to an interest in avoiding secondary surgery for implant removal and by extrapolating results from adult studies.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere24.00128
JournalJournal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Global Research and Reviews
Volume8
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 15 2024

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Management of Syndesmotic Injuries in Children and Adolescents: Results of a Cross-Sectional Survey of Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgeons'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this