There is a growing requirement by governmental and other funders of research, that investigators pay attention to and integrate considerations of sex and gender in their health research studies. Doing so, the argument goes, will reduce data waste, lead to the generation of more complete and accurate evidence to apply to the delivery of health care, and hopefully improve outcomes for both male and female patients. Yet, it is not always clear what sex and gender mean and how best to apply these to the study of diverse health conditions and health service delivery. In this presentation sex, gender and other related factors will be considered in the context of fractures, fracture repair, and post-operative management. Examples of sex and gender bias, sex and gender differences, and the integration of sex and gender in research on fracture and fracture repair will be presented.
We performed a retrospective review of a consecutive
series of 178 Mobility total ankle replacements (TARs) performed
by three surgeons between January 2004 and June 2009, and analysed
radiological parameters and clinical outcomes in a subgroup of 129
patients. The mean follow-up was 4 years (2 to 6.3). A total of
ten revision procedures (5.6%) were undertaken. The mean Ankle Osteoarthritis
Scale (AOS) pain score was 17 (0 to 88) and 86% of patients were
clinically improved at follow-up. However, 18 patients (18 TARs,
14%) had a poor outcome with an AOS pain score of >
30. A worse
outcome was associated with a pre-operative diagnosis of post-traumatic degenerative
arthritis. However, no pre- or post-operative radiological parameters
were significantly associated with a poor outcome. Of the patients
with persistent pain, eight had predominantly medial-sided pain.
Thirty TARs (29%) had a radiolucency in at least one zone. The outcome of the Mobility TAR at a mean of four years is satisfactory
in >
85% of patients. However, there is a significant incidence
of persistent pain, particularly on the medial side, for which we
were unable to establish a cause. Cite this article:
