Characteristics and Outcomes of Ankle Injuries in Winter and Summer Seasons

The diagnostics and treatment of ankle trauma remain challenging as they enable the patients’ return to work and ability to perform daily activities. The aim of the study was to evaluate characteristics and outcomes of ankle injuries, focusing on the trauma mechanisms in winter and summer seasons. A retrospective study was conducted of 182 patients with ankle injuries, admitted to the Hospital of Traumatology and Orthopaedics in 2014, 2015, and 2016 from the months December to February, and from June to August. Patients with supination-external rotation (SER) type ankle injuries were included in the functional outcome evaluation. Our results suggested that most of the injuries were SER type, stage IV in both seasons, and that more than 2/3 of the SER type ankle injuries that needed surgery were in the winter season. In patients with tibiofibular syndesmosis (TFS) rupture the functional results were worse than in those without TFS rupture, but in winter and summer seasons they seemed to be without statistical difference.