Ankle injuries and fractures in the obese patient.

Abstract

Ankle fractures are a common orthopedic injury. Certain ankle injuries have been associated with patient demographics such as obesity and smoking. Obese patients are more prone to severe ankle injuries. Naturally, these injuries affect the lower extremity mobility significantly, which itself is a risk factor for obesity. Although obese patients have increased complications across the board, there are specific techniques that can be used to assure the best possible outcome. The perioperative, surgical, and postoperative considerations as well as the outcomes are discussed in this article.