Associations of timing of surgery with postoperative length of stay, complications, and functional outcomes 3-6 years after operative fixation of closed ankle fractures

In ankle-fracture surgery, there was no apparent association between timing of surgery and postoperative LOS or complications. A delay of surgery for 8 h to 6 days resulted in similar functional outcomes after 3-6 years suggesting there may be a safe window of time for surgery of up to 6 days after trauma that can be used to plan and perform the final ORIF.