FLORIDA PODIATRIST STATES THAT OBESITY DOUBLES ANKLE FRACTURE RISK

PODIATRIST, ALAN MACGILL, DPM, AACFAS, A FLORIDA FOOT AND ANKLE SURGEON AND ASSOCIATE MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF FOOT AND ANKLE SURGEONS, SAYS, "WE ARE SEEING MORE SEVERE INJURY PATTERNS IN THE OBESE POPULATION COMPARED TO THE NON-OBESE.  THESE SEVERE ANKLE FRACTURES TEND TO HAVE A WORSE PROGNOSTIC OUTCOME COMPARED TO OTHERS. THE FINDINGS OF THIS STUDY COORELATE WITH WHAT I CONTINUE TO SEE IN MY PRACTICE.  IT'S BASIC PHYSICS:  AS BODY MASS INCREASES, SO DOES THE KINETIC ENERGY ASSSOCIATED WITH THE INJURY.  THE HIGHER THE BODY MASS, THE GREATER THE RISK OF MORE SEVERE ANKLE INJURY."

OBESITY NEARLY DOUBLES THE ODDS OF A PATIENT HAVING THE MOST SEVERE CATEGORY OF ANKLE FRACTURE, ACCORDING TO RESEARCH PUBLISHED IN A RECENT ISSUE OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF FOOT AND ANKLE SURGURY (JFAS).  THE STUDY, WHICH WAS CONDUCTED AMONG 280 PATIENTS, EXPLORED THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN OBESITY AND SEVERITY OF ANKLE FRACTURES.  IT ANALYZED THE X-RAYS OF EACH PATIENT'S FRACTURE AND CLASSIFIED THE SEVERITY OF EACH ONE.

ANOTHER FACTOR TO CONSIDER IN OBESE PATIENTS IS THAT THEIR GENERAL OVERALL HEALTH TENDS TO BE LOWER AND THEY ARE USUALLY ALREADY AFFLICTED WITH HEART CONDITIONS, DIABETES AND OVERALL POORER HEALTH THAN NON-OBESE PATIENTS.  WE TRY TO EDUCATE OUR PATIENTS ON PROPER NUTRITION, WEIGHT AND EXERCISE, ESPECIALLY AS MOST TYPE II DIABETIC PATIENTS DISEASE IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO OBESITY.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY DR. HARDY AND MARZ HARDY, D.Ch., B.Sc., PODIATRIC MEDICINE, TORONTO FOOT SPECIALIST AND TORONTO CHIROPODIST AND THE TEAM FROM ACADEMY FOOT AND ORTHOTIC CLINICS.

 

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