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Description

The general objective of this thesis was to evaluate and compare the functionality, pain and quality of life (QOL) of active and inactive adult individuals whose ankle fracture (AF) was surgically treated; and the specific objectives were: i) To conduct a systematic review evaluating functional outcomes and the QOL of patients with surgically treated AF compared with the nonfractured population; ii) To compare adult men and women residing in Brazil’s interior who were treated with open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) following AF; and iii) To describe and prospectively analyze unstable AF, surgically treated through ORIF, in adults in the Jequitinhonha Valley region of Brazil. Questionnaires such as the IPAQ, MMSE, SF-36, VAS, and sociodemographic and clinical questionnaires were administered. The morphology of the AFs was analyzed according to the AO Foundation and Orthopaedic Trauma Association (AO/OTA) classification system. Of the 86 patients, young men predominated in all variables studied. The most common cause of injury was motorcycle accidents, followed by soccer accidents (p≤0.001), caused by high-energy trauma (p≤0.05). Other factors included predominant right-sided fractures (p≤0.05) and more AO/OTA 44 B2 and C1 type fractures (p≤0.05), lateral malleolus, and bimalleolar fractures (p≤0.01). Regarding sociodemographic variables, significant differences were observed in the variables smoking (p≤0.05), racial composition (p≤0.001), work category (p≤0.01) and educational level (p≤0.05) of the patients. The systematic review study concluded that reduced functionality and physical capacity represent the main limitations in patients with surgically treated AFs, compared to the non-fractured population. These limitations can persist for long periods and may become the main threat to the QOL of these patients. Regarding the field research, based on the results, it was concluded that adult men in the Jequitinhonha Valley region of Brazil are more likely to suffer AFs requiring surgical treatment than adult women. Furthermore, the profile of these individuals is predominantly male, mixed race, salaried, smokers, and with low levels of education.