This study seeks to determine the additional cost involved in the management of patients requiring operative fixation of their fractured ankle but whose operation is delayed more than 24 hours.

87 consecutive patients presenting acutely with a fractured ankle that required an operation during a single year were included in the study. All patients with ankle fractures referred from other centres, open fractures and ankle fractures whose non-operative management had failed were excluded from the study. 79 patients presented within 24 hours of their injury and so were eligible for early operative intervention. Of these, 74 presented within 6 hours of injury. Only 47 (60%) of the patients were operated on within 24 hours of their injury. Similarly, 11 (61%) of the 18 patients with trimalleolar fractures were operated on within 24 hours. Patients whose operations were delayed spent an average 4. 4 days more as an inpatient. This was statistically significant (p< 0. 0001, Wilcoxon signed rank test). The postoperative stay of patients having delayed operations was also statistically more than those undergoing early operation, (p< 0. 0001). The cost of the additional stay was calculated at £225/day/patient and equalled £39, 600 for the 40 patients whose operations were delayed.

We believe that the operative management of ankle fractures should be given special consideration. These injuries are such that they offer an initial limited window of opportunity for operative intervention (within 24 hours of injury). If this opportunity is missed, then the patient’s operation may have to be delayed for clinical reasons. In our study, only 60% of patients underwent early operative fixation of their fracture; a figure that can surely be improved upon. Therefore, we conclude that significant savings could be accrued by hospitals adopting protocols to fast-track pre-operative interventions to achieve early operation (within 24 hours) unless contraindicated.