Table 1.
Preselected predictors at baseline
| Measurement | |
| Baseline predictors | |
| Age | Years |
| Sex | Male, female |
| Treatment received | Close contact cast/internal fixation surgery/other procedure |
| Fracture classification | Trans-infra-syndesmotic (Weber A and B), supra-syndesmotic (Weber C) |
| Health status | Excellent, Very good, Good, Fair, Poor |
| Smoking status | Never, Ex-smoker, Yes |
| Admitted from | Own home, warden accommodation, acute hospital, community hospital, temporary residence |
| Home support | Lives alone, lives with someone, lives with carer, home care package |
| Alcohol status | Units per week |
| Cognitive function: Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) |
Score (0–30, higher scores indicate better cognitive function) |
| Number of comorbidities | ≥0 |
| Walking distance preinjury | About house, less than 100 m, less than 0.5 mile, more than 0.5 mile |
| Walking aid preinjury | None, one stick, two sticks, frame/rollator, wheelchair |
| Preinjury ankle function: Preinjury OMAS (recall of preinjury status) |
Score (0–100, higher score indicates better ankle function) |
| Health-related quality of life (HRQL): EQ-5D-3L score at: Day before injury Postinjury (at baseline assessment) EQ-5D-3L visual analogue scale (VAS) at: Day before injury Postinjury (at baseline assessment) |
EQ-5D-3L score (upper bound equal to one indicates full health, 0 represents death, negative scores indicate a state worse than death) EQ-5D-3L VAS (0–100, higher scores indicate better HRQL) |
| 6-week follow-up predictors | |
| OMAS at 6 weeks | Score (0–100) |
| EQ-5D-3L VAS 6 week | As baseline |
| EQ-5D-3L score at 6 weeks after injury | As baseline |
| Injured ankle range of dorsiflexion | Hand-held goniometry, degrees |
| Injured ankle range of plantar flexion | Hand-held goniometry, degrees |
| Readmission to hospital | Yes/No |
| Started partial weight bearing by 6 weeks | Yes/No |
| Radiological malalignment in 6 week radiograph | Yes/No |
*Radiological malalignment at 6 weeks was assessed by a combination of bespoke measurement software and verification by two experienced consultant surgeon using the criteria: radiograph demonstrating any one or combination of showing talar subluxation >2 mm (talar shift), excessive talar tilt (>2°), or a diastasis (tibiofibular clear space ≥5 mm).
OMAS, Olerud and Molander Ankle Score.