OBJECTIVES

Screw fixation placement is a common procedure as part of ankle fracture repair occurring in tibiofibular syndesmotic injuries. Few studies estimate how often these screws are removed post procedure. This study examined the rate and reimbursement of screw removal post ankle fracture repair procedure.

METHODS

Using Truven MarketScan® Commercial database, patients undergoing a syndesmosis fracture repair(index) between 2012 and June 30, 2016 were followed up to 1-year post procedure for screw removal occurrence. Eligible patients had one year continuous enrollment(CE). All patients were followed for incidence of the screw removal procedure. A subset of these patients for which the diagnosis(dx1) was related to infection, implant removal, mechanical failure, or pain and screw removal was in the primary position(inpatient only) were evaluated for the facility reimbursement(total pay) across inpatient and outpatient settings. Analysis was completed using SAS Enterprise Guide 7.1.

RESULTS CONCLUSIONS