Open AccessEffect of the Blood HbA1c Level on Surgical Treatment Outcomes of Diabetics with Ankle Fractures
Author(s) -
Liu Jiayong,
Ludwig Todd,
Ebraheim Nabil A.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
orthopaedic surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.666
H-Index - 23
eISSN - 1757-7861
pISSN - 1757-7853
DOI - 10.1111/os.12047
Subject(s) - medicine , ankle , radiological weapon , surgery , complication , internal fixation
Objective To investigate whether blood haemoglobin A 1c ( HbA1c ) levels was predicative of diabetic patients' responsiveness to surgical treatment of ankle fractures. Methods The relationship between blood HbA1c levels and surgical treatment outcomes of 21 diabetic patients undergoing open reduction internal fixation ( ORIF ) for ankle fractures was analyzed with Pearson correlation testing and t testing. All patients were treated with ORIF using standard surgical techniques. Treatment outcomes were defined using radiological outcome, the A merican O rthopaedic F oot and A nkle S core ( AOFAS ) ankle‐hindfoot scale score, surgical revision rate, and complication rate. Results HbA1c levels were found to have a statistically significant correlation with poor radiological outcomes ( r = 0.547) and AOFAS ankle‐hindfoot scores ( r = −0.592). Additionally, though rates of poor radiological outcome, revision, and complication were high in the diabetic population as a whole, these rates were considerably higher among individuals with elevated HbA1c (≥6.5%) and considerably lower among individuals with lower HbA1c (<6.5%) levels. Conclusion Blood HbA1c levels appear to be predictive of risk and complication rates in the surgical treatment outcomes of diabetic patients with ankle fractures.