J Korean Foot Ankle Soc.  2020 Mar;24(1):31-36. 10.14193/jkfas.2020.24.1.31.

Effect of Leg Elevation Height on Reduced Swelling of Patients of Postoperative Acute Ankle Fractures

• Seo DK
• Kang HW
• Ahn DS
• Song JS

• KMID: 2502906
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.14193/jkfas.2020.24.1.31

Abstract

Purpose
Leg elevation is known as an effective method for reducing leg swelling, and it has been routinely used in medical practice. However, the effect of swelling reduction in relation to the degree of elevation height is not known. This study evaluated the swelling of the leg after acute ankle fracture operations at two different elevation heights and the elevated leg heights were compared.
Materials and Methods
A total of 66 patients with postoperative acute ankle fractures were classified into two groups depending on the presence of different leg elevation heights: high-elevated (HE, case) and low-elevated groups (LE, control). We checked leg swelling, pain, subjective satisfaction for the elevation device, and the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score, and we retrospectively compared them between both the groups.
Results
Leg swelling and pain were reduced in both groups. However, they did not show any significant differences between both the groups (p>0.05). Nineteen patients in the HE group replied with uncomfortable, while no patients in LE group did so. The AOFAS score at 1 year postoperatively did not show any significant differences between both the groups (p=0.46).
Conclusion
High elevation of the leg after ankle fractures did not show a significant difference from low elevation in regard to leg swelling, pain, and function. Furthermore, high leg elevation resulted in discomfort during the postoperative period. Thus, low elevation with a pillow is enough for acute ankle fracture patients with little discomfort and satisfactory swelling reduction.

Keyword

Ankle fracture; Leg elevation; Swelling

Figure

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  Figure 1. (A) Elevated leg with cushion elevator (30 cm-height) and (B) pillow elevator (10 cm-height) on the bed.

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  Figure 2. Figure-of-eight method. Flexible tape runs through from the tip of lateral malleolus, tuberosity of navicular, base of fifth metatarsal bone, tip of medial malleolus, and then returns to tip of lateral malleolus. (A) Medial side; (B) lateral side.

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  Figure 3. Change of swelling in the ankle (A), calf (B), and visual analogue scale (VAS) (C) in both groups. All parameters were checked four times at 4-day, 2-week, 6-week, and one-year postoperatively. HE: high-elevated, LE: low-elevated.

Reference

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