Malunions following lower extremity fractures in veterans with a spinal cord injury/disorder

This study looks at how lower leg fractures heal incorrectly (malunion) in veterans with spinal cord injuries. It aims to find out what factors make malunion more likely in this group. Researchers reviewed health records of veterans with spinal cord injuries who had lower leg fractures that resulted in malunion. They compared these cases with similar veterans who had fractures that healed correctly. The study found that veterans with tetraplegia (paralysis of all four limbs) and those with ankle or hip fractures were less likely to develop malunions compared to those with paraplegia (paralysis of lower body) or femur fractures.

• 1
  Veterans with tetraplegia were significantly less likely to have a fracture malunion compared to those with paraplegia.
• 2
  Fracture malunion was significantly less likely to occur for fractures of the ankle or the hip compared to femur fractures.
• 3
  The type of treatment for the initial fracture (surgical vs. nonsurgical) was not significantly related to the development of a fracture malunion.