Arthroscopic management of pediatric ankle fractures: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Arthroscopic-assisted treatment of ankle fractures has proven useful in the adult population, but little evidence exists for the utilization of arthroscopic-assisted ankle fracture fixation in the pediatric population. The purpose of this systematic review is to examine the management of pediatric ankle fractures using arthroscopy.

METHODS: A systematic review was performed using PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, and MEDLINE from database inception to February 22nd , 2023. Inclusion criteria for this systematic review was pediatric population less than age 18, arthroscopic surgery management, and ankle fracture.

RESULTS: A total of 19 articles (n=30 patients) out of 176 articles met final inclusion criteria with all articles consisting of case reports or case series. The average patient age was 13.8±1.6 years. Sixteen of the patients (53%) had arthroscopic surgery along with an adjunct surgery as indicated, whereas 14 patients (47%) had arthroscopic surgery with or without percutaneous fixation. A high majority of patients demonstrated full range-of-motion and large improvements in function.

CONCLUSIONS: Arthroscopy is used with percutaneous fixation or in adjunct to open approaches for pediatric ankle fracture management with good results. More research is needed to determine the utility of arthroscopy in the management of pediatric ankle fractures.