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WAX

WAX_Logo_WhiteBackground_15Jul2019.jpg
Comparing weight bearing and non-weight bearing treatment for ankle fracture

Theme

Adult Trauma

Body Part

Foot and Ankle

About 170 people break their ankle every day in the UK. While many of these fractures heal well with a plaster cast or splint, some need surgery to realign the bones and hold them in place with screws and plates. After surgery, patients are usually told not to walk on the injured leg for six weeks to help the bones heal, but this approach can cause other problems such as blood clots, stiffness, muscle weakness, and slower recovery. 
The WAX study was a randomised clinical trial looking at whether patients who have had surgery for an ankle fracture should walk on their operated leg following surgery or wait 6 weeks before bearing weight on that side.