Fewer reoperations after posterolateral plate positioning compared with lateral plate positioning in ankle fractures-a retrospective study on 453 AO/OTA 44-B injuries.

Introduction: Ankle fractures are commonly treated by open reduction and internal fixation with plate and screws. Unplanned return to theatre is common, in many cases to extract prominent osteosynthesis material from the lateral malleolus as swelling subsides. We hypothesised that patients operated with a posterolateral plate placement on the lateral malleolus would have fewer reoperations, and fewer complications, compared to patients with a lateral plate placement.