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Purpose Axial burst fractures of the distal tibia are challenging to treat and often lead to restricted function of the lower limb. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical outcome and changes in gait pattern in such patients. Methods Thirty-five patients in a level 1 trauma centre were followed up clinically and by gait analysis. The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS), visual analogue scale (VAS) foot and ankle scale and Phillips scores were applied. Dynamic pedography (emed-M; Novel, Germany) with analyses of load, pressure and force-time integral were undertaken to investigate possible changes in gait pattern.Results Mean follow-up was 50 (19-100) months. Mean AOFAS, VAS foot and ankle and Phillips scores were 65, 63 and 55 points, respectively. There were clear correlations between fracture severity in the Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthesefragen (AO) classification and functional outcome in AOFAS (−0.63; p<0.01), VAS foot and ankle scale (−0.56; p<0.01) and Phillips (−0.64; p<0.01) scores. There was a high correlation of 0.74 (p<0.01) between the severity of the injury in the AO-classification and onset of posttraumatic arthrosis. Dynamic pedography revealed lesser load bearing for the total foot, medial foot, heel, first metatarsal and medial forefoot for the affected limb, and increased load bearing was seen in the lateral midfoot region. Conclusions Fractures of the tibial pilon lead to restricted function of the lower limb. Clinical outcome correlates with fracture severity in the AO classification, the onset of posttraumatic arthrosis and changes in gait patterns.

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Purpose The purpose of this study was to characterise the biomechanical properties of the seven hole superior anterior clavicle LCP (locking compression plate) and to compare these with the properties of commonly applied implants used for the stabilisation of clavicular midshaft fractures such as the locking 7-and ten hole reconstruction plate. Methods Twenty-four synthetic clavicles were used. A transverse midshaft fracture was induced. The clavicles were fixed with angle stable clavicle LCPs, seven hole and ten hole reconstruction plates (n08 each). Twenty cycles of axial compression and torsion were performed for each sample, which was followed by 1,000 cycles of three point bending and ultimately bending to failure. Axial, torsional and cantilever bending stiffness were calculated from the data recorded. Results The clavicle LCP showed the highest overall stiffness compared to the seven and ten hole reconstruction plate. Significantly higher stiffness values were found for axial compression and external rotation. In the load-to-failure tests, the ten hole reconstruction plate especially showed early signs of plastic deformation, which might account for early plate insufficiency so frequently observed clinically. Conclusion The results indicate that the clavicle LCP, as compared to the reconstruction plates, leads to superior biomechanical stability in the treatment of midshaft clavicle fractures.