Ankle fracture surgery in patients experiencing homelessness: a national evaluation of one-year rates of reoperation.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the impact of homelessness on surgical outcomes following ankle fracture surgery.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

Mariner claims database.

PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: Patients older than 18 years who underwent open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of ankle fractures between 2010 and 2021. A total of 345,759 patients were included in the study.

INTERVENTION

Study patients were divided into two cohorts (homeless and nonhomeless) based on whether their patient record contained International Classification of Disease (ICD)-9 or ICD-10 codes for homelessness/inadequate housing.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

One-year rates of reoperation for amputation, irrigation and debridement, repeat ORIF, repair of nonunion/malunion, and implant removal in isolation.

RESULTS

Homeless patients had significantly higher odds of undergoing amputation (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.59, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.08-2.27, = 0.014), irrigation and debridement (aOR 1.22, 95% CI 1.08-1.37, < 0.001), and repeat ORIF (aOR 1.16, 95% CI 1.00-1.35, = 0.045). Implant removal was less common in homeless patients (aOR 0.65, 95% CI 0.59-0.72, < 0.001). There was no significant difference between homeless and nonhomeless patients in the rate of nonunion/malunion repair (aOR 0.87, 95% CI 0.63-1.18, = 0.41).

CONCLUSIONS

Homelessness is a significant risk factor for worse surgical outcomes following ankle fracture surgery. The findings of this study warrant future research to identify gaps in surgical fracture care for patients with housing insecurity and underscore the importance of developing interventions to advance health equity for this vulnerable patient population.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Prognostic Level III.