Infections after routine syndesmotic screw removal – a retrospective quality study

ABSTRACT Background Infections after routine removal of syndesmotic screws are an unwanted complication. Methods We included all patients treated with syndesmotic screw with routine removal in a five-year period and extracted information regarding fracture characteristics and patient characteristics. Infections were classified as superficial or deep incisional. Results 1246 patients with ankle fractures were treated surgically in the study period. 343 had routine removals of the syndesmotic screw. We identified 6 cases with infection (1.7%) developing after routine syndesmotic screw removal. Conclusions We found a low infection rate but when infections did occur, they frequently required surgical revision(s) and long-time antibiotic treatment.