The cases of one hundred and forty-two patients with 145 fractures of
the ankle joint that involved the tibial plafond were reviewed. The
fractures were classified into five types according to the severity of the
injury. The methods of treatment were divided into two groups: open
reduction and rigid internal fixation by the AO technique, and other
methods. The most important variables that affected the final clinical
result were the type of fracture, the method of treatment, and the quality
of the reduction (p less than or equal to 0.05). The best results were
obtained by rigid open reduction and internal fixation, with which 65 per
cent of the more severe type-III, IV, and V fractures obtained a good or
excellent result.